Herein, we investigate structural and thermal characteristics of clay, fly ash, and their respective mixtures, with a particular focus on the influence of sintering. Employing a comprehensive suite of analytical techniques, including X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the inquiry seeks to elucidate the intricate alterations and transformations arising from the sintering process and the integration of fly ash.

The calcination process applied to the raw materials resulted in the formation of diverse phases, including enstatite, spinel, anorthite, mullite, corundum, and cristobalite. Similarly, the fly ash/clay mixtures exhibited distinct phases, such as wollastonite, periclase, and cordierite, indicative of the structural changes induced by the sintering process. The application of SEM further provided insights into the morphological characteristics of the raw materials, revealing variations in shapes and sizes, thereby contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the compositional and structural modifications incurred during sintering. These phases guarantee thermal stability, ensuring the production of lightweight ceramics materials characterized by low thermal conductivities and high strength. These materials present themselves as promising candidates for applications in refractory settings.

clay, fly ash, XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, structural and thermal properties.

Received: March 5, 2024; Accepted: April 18, 2024; Published: June 3, 2024

How to cite this article: Hajar Sdira, Laila Farissi, Mohammed Ali Arbaoui, Mohamed Waqif, Asmae Arbaoui, Latifa Saadi, Mouhaydine Tlemçani and Amal Bouich, Enhancing energetic efficiency: advancing morphological and thermal structural properties of fly ash and ceramic-based materials, JP Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 37(3) (2024), 349-364. https://doi.org/10.17654/0973576324024

This Open Access Article is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

References:
[1] Andrew Ruys, Processing, structure, and properties of alumina ceramics, Alumina Ceramics (2019), 71-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102442-3.00004-X.
[2] Andrew Ruys, Processing, structure, and properties of alumina ceramics, Alumina Ceramics (2019), 75-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102442-3.00004-X.
[3] Shaoxin Wang, Hao Wang, Ziwei Chen, Ru Ji, Lili Liu and Xidong Wang, Fabrication and characterization of porous cordierite ceramics prepared from fly ash and natural minerals, Ceramics International 45(15) (2019), 18306-18314.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.06.043.
[4] Beiyue Ma, Chang Su, Xinming Ren, Zhi Gao, Fan Qian, Wengang Yang, Guoqi Liu, Hongxia Li, Jingkun Yu and Qiang Zhu, Preparation and properties of porous mullite ceramics with high-closed porosity and high strength from fly ash via reaction synthesis process, Journal of Alloys and Compounds 803 (2019), 981-991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.06.272.
[5] N. Güleç, B. (Çanci) Günal and A. Erler, Assessment of soil and water contamination around an ash-disposal site: a case study from the Seyitömer coal-fired power plant in western Turkey, Environmental Geology 40(3) (2001), 331-344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002540000228.
[6] Z. T. Yao, X. S. Ji, P. K. Sarker, J. H. Tang, L. Q. Ge, M. S. Xia and Y. Q. Xi, A comprehensive review on the applications of coal fly ash, Earth-Science Reviews 141 (2015), 105-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.11.016.
[7] Arpita Bhatt, Sharon Priyadarshini, Aiswarya Acharath Mohanakrishnan, Arash Abri, Melanie Sattler and Sorakrich Techapaphawit, Physical, chemical, and geotechnical properties of coal fly ash: a global review, Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019), e00263.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2019.e00263.
[8] Kamal Tabit, Hanaa Hajjou, Mohamed Waqif and Latifa Saâdi, Effect of CaO/SiO2 ratio on phase transformation and properties of anorthite-based ceramics from coal fly ash and steel slag, Ceramics International 46(6) (2020), 7550-7558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.11.254.
[9] Kamal Tabit, Mohamed Waqif and Latifa Saâdi, Anorthite-cordierite based binary ceramics from coal fly ash and steel slag for thermal and dielectric applications, Materials Chemistry and Physics 254 (2020), 123472.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2020.123472.
[10] Milan Kanti Naskar and Minati Chatterjee, A novel process for the synthesis of cordierite (Mg2Al4Si5O18) powders from rice husk ash and other sources of silica and their comparative study, Journal of the European Ceramic Society 24(13) (2004), 3499-3508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2003.11.029.
[11] Ning Chen, Guodong Fang, Guangxia Liu, Dongmei Zhou, Juan Gao and Cheng Gu, The effects of Fe-bearing smectite clays on OH formation and diethyl phthalate degradation with polyphenols and H2O2, Journal of Hazardous Materials 357 (2018), 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.06.030.
[12] Ling Ding, Xiaoqin Yu, Xuetao Guo, Yaping Zhang, Zhuozhi Ouyang, Peng Liu, Chi Zhang, Tiecheng Wang, Hanzhong Jia and Lingyan Zhu, The photodegradation processes and mechanisms of polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate microplastic in aquatic environments: important role of clay minerals, Water Research 208 (2022), 117879.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117879.
[13] A. Ahmed, Y. Chaker, El. H. Belarbi, O. Abbas, J. N. Chotard, H. B. Abassi, A. Nguyen Van Nhien, M. El. Hadri and S. Bresson, XRD and ATR/FTIR investigations of various montmorillonite clays modified by monocationic and dicationic imidazolium ionic liquids, Journal of Molecular Structure 1173 (2018), 653-664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2018.07.039.
[14] Hongmei Liu, Peng Yuan, Zonghua Qin, Dong Liu, Daoyong Tan, Jianxi Zhu and Hongping He, Thermal degradation of organic matter in the interlayer clay- organic complex: a TG-FTIR study on a montmorillonite/12-aminolauric acid system, Applied Clay Science 80-81 (2013), 398-406.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2013.07.005.
[15] J. Peyne, J. Gautron, J. Doudeau, E. Joussein and S. Rossignol, Influence of calcium addition on calcined brick clay based geopolymers: a thermal and FTIR spectroscopy study, Construction and Building Materials 152 (2017), 794-803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.047.
[16] A. Tironi, M. A. Trezza, E. F. Irassar and A. N. Scian, Thermal treatment of kaolin: effect on the pozzolanic activity, Procedia Materials Science 1 (2012), 343-350. DOI: 10.1016/J.MSPRO.2012.06.046.
[17] Morteza Tahmasebi Yamchelou, David Law, Robert Brkljača, Jie Li and Indubhushan Patnaikuni, The effect of pre-treatment and curing temperature on the strength development of alkali-activated clay, Construction and Building Materials 287 (2021), 123000.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123000.
[18] E. Görlich, The structure of SiO2 - current views, Ceramics International 8(1) (1982), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-8842(82)90009-8.
[19] J. T. Kloprogge, Application of vibrational spectroscopy in clay minerals synthesis, Developments in Clay Science 8 (2017), 222-287.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100355-8.00008-4.
[20] Zhen Wang, Shifeng Dai, Jianhua Zou, David French and Ian T. Graham, Rare earth elements and yttrium in coal ash from the Luzhou power plant in Sichuan, Southwest China: concentration, characterization and optimized extraction, International Journal of Coal Geology 203 (2019), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2019.01.001.