Utilization of waste silica in the ceramic industry

In this study, the use of waste Cimstone's material, containing 93,8% of SiO2, in the floor tile production has been examined. Mineralogical and chemical analyses of the waste material were done. In the prepared recipes, the waste material was added to the standart floor tile recipe (instead of quartz part) with the ratio of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. Thermal analyses of the specimen were examined. In addition, water absorption, mechanical strength and firing shrinkage measurements were performed. Phase analyses of the fired samples were carried out by means of X-ray diffraction whereas the microstructure image analyses were carried out via scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is concluded that high silica content mud (waste material) can be used as a raw material for ceramic floor tile production.