Per: CAROLINA DE SOUZA PIRES COSTA (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA), beatryz cardoso mendes (universidade federal de viçosa), Pedro Henrique Cota Drumond (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA), Beatriz Baiôcco Louzada (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA), leonardo gonçalves pedroti (UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA), Carlos Maurício Fontes Vieira (universidade estadual do norte fluminense darcy ribeiro)
Abstract:
Tailings from mining activity cause negative environmental impacts, because they are not valuable for the industries and stored in landfills or dams. Thus, they fill large areas, pollute the air and water besides put in risk the safety of population. In light of this context, this research aimed to analyze the technical feasibility of using bauxite ore tailings for the production of ceramic clay bricks. The experimental program consisted of the preparation and characterization of the raw materials - the tailings and two clays (yellow and gray), and application of the simplex-centroide mixture design of experiments to perform the physical and mechanical characterization of the ceramic pieces. Subsequently, the results were optimized, using the desirability function, and the optimum mixture was reproduced in small-scale hollow bricks. The results indicated that the bauxite ore tailings can be used as an additive in the manufacture of ceramic clay bricks, since an optimum content of incorporation is defined. The optimal mixture, determined from the experimental design, presented 30.80% of tailings, 40.55% of gray clay and 28.65% of yellow clay (by mass).