The effect of boron waste in phase and microstructural development of a terracotta body during firing

In the present study, a dewatering sieve waste (TSW) of Etibor Kırka Borax company (Turkey) was employed in different amounts in order to develop an experimental terracotta floor tile body composition in combination with a feldspathic waste provided from a local sanitaryware plant and a ball clay. Several formulations were prepared and shaped by dry pressing under laboratory conditions. The obtained samples were fired at selected peak temperatures (1050, 1100 and 1150 °C) to establish their optimum firing temperatures. Some technological properties of the resultant products, namely linear firing shrinkage, water absorption and breaking strength were determined as a function of increasing TSW content in place of the sanitaryware waste at these temperatures. The phase content of the starting raw materials and that of the fired compositions was determined by XRD. The relevant polished surfaces of selected fired samples were also examined using SEM. According to the results, increased presence of TSW compared to the standard mixture of clay and the sanitaryware waste, as a co-fluxing material, in the experimental terracotta body considerably accelerated the vitrification process. The overall results indicated a prospect for using the TSW as a raw material in mixtures with both clay and sanitaryware waste for the production of a terracotta floor tile body.