Effects of industrial wastes on different glaze structures used in wall tiles

Wall tiles are materials used to cover wall surfaces and provide a decorative appearance. They are usually made of durable materials such as ceramic and porcelain. Wall tiles are widely used to cover walls in bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and other interior spaces. Wall tiles are durable long-lasting surfacing materials that are ready for use after their surfaces are glazed or fired in an unglazed state. The ceramic industry includes processes suitable for the utilization of raw material waste from industrial production. Studies conducted in various R&D projects show that industrial wastes can be used in different processes of ceramic production (such as ceramic base, glaze, colorant). In this study, Ni-Co composite solid waste, pyrite ash solid waste, fly ash solid waste, cupola waste was used as colorants in ceramic wall tile mat glazes and their effects were investigated. In the experimental studies, chemical analysis and mineralogical properties of the wastes were analyzed. The wastes used were added into two different wall tile mat glazes at the rate of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% and prepared by mixing homogeneously. The prepared waste-added mat glazes were applied on the tiles using the drum (slide) drawing method and fired at 1075℃ for 35 minutes. Depending on the ratio in which the waste is added to the glaze, different color tones are obtained according to the waste type. L* a* b* color analysis was performed on wall tile mat glazes and chemical resistance properties were determined by subjecting the prepared glaze recipes to chemical resistance test. In addition, the glazes were analyzed by SEM and EDX analysis and the differences in the glaze were mentioned.