Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Use of Clay Brick Waste as an Alumina-Silicate Base and Different Fillers for Geopolymer Brick Production

Brick is the most widely used construction material. Demolition of buildings and production of construction waste, including clay brick, are dramatically increasing in an alarming rate. The production of traditional bricks such as clay bricks has hazardous impacts on the environment, such as pollution and extensive use of natural resources. This study addressed the application of the geo-polymerization process as an environmental and sustainable method to produce new bricks from clay brick waste and different types of fillers. Accordingly, the powder and grains of clay brick waste, dune sand, washed sand, industrial sodium hydroxide, and water glass were utilized to prepare cubic and brick-shaped geopolymer samples with different mix designs and then cured at ۷۰ °C. The samples' compressive strength, water absorption and SEM analysis were examined. According to the results, the highest compressive strength for cubic mortar samples was obtained in the case without filler; for these samples, with mass ratios of water glass to sodium hydroxide solution equal to ۱ and ۲, compressive strength was ۱۸.۴۵ and ۲۲.۱۵ MPa, respectively. In the brick samples, the highest compressive strength was obtained in the ۲۸-day and ۸ M geopolymer samples, which was equal to ۲۵.۳۸ MPa. On the other hand, the geopolymer samples made by sand filler had higher compressive strength and lower water absorption in comparison to other samples. Therefore, sustainable production of geopolymer bricks from clay brick waste and inexpensive materials as the filler can be a step toward mitigating the environmental impact of construction and demolition waste.

Keywords:

Clay brick waste , Alumina-silicate , Filler , Eco-friendly , Sustainable