The industry of ornamental rocks from Northwest Fluminense region generates huge amounts of fine waste resulting from the extraction of rocks. This residue, as disposed, generates negative environmental impacts. In the present work a study was done aiming at using the ornamental rock powder waste as raw material for red ceramics. A series of clay/waste mixtures were prepared with contents up to 20 wt.% of waste, and sintered between 850 ºC and 1150 ºC. The experimental results showed that the addition of up to 20 wt.% of ornamental rock powder waste did not promote significant variations in the physical-mechanical properties of the pure clayey formulation used as reference. In addition, X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that a series of phase transformations occurred during the sintering process.
ornamental rock waste; red ceramic; recycling
