In-plant production of bricks containing waste foundry sand—A study with Belgaum foundry industry

The main objective of this study is to utilize waste foundry sand (WFS) from Belgaum foundry industry in manufacturing of bricks. The process involved production of bricks in a fully functioning brick manufacturing plant, which has a production capacity of approximately 50000 bricks per month. The entire process of combining clay-sand mixtures, forming of bricks, drying and firing was done with local conditions. With minimum process it was possible to introduce upto 50% WFS in clay bodies to produce bricks of desirable properties. The minimum average wet compression resistance of 3.3 Mpa, and maximum average water absorption of 21.6% was obtained for bricks containing 50% WFS, when fired at 900 °C. There was insignificant difference in apparent porosity, water absorption, and specific gravity of bricks containing WFS, when compared to commercial bricks. The addition of WFS reduced the bulk density of the bricks, which has also caused reduction in compressive strength. WFS bricks can be classified as class III bricks, based on recommendations of IS 1077 standard specification. These bricks can be used in single storied load bearing structures, and also in the construction of infill walls in multi-storied framed structures. The structure, composition, and morphology of the raw materials, as well as bricks were studied by XRD, XPS, and SEM, respectively. Keywords: WFS, Porosity, Compressive strength, Bulk density, Specific gravity, XP