ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the thermal profile of "caipira " typefurnaces, used by the red ceramic industry in Parelhas, region of Seridó-RN, in order to suggest structural interventions that may cooperate with the increase of the products productivity and quality, optimize wood consumption and reduce losses during the burning process. The study was conducted in the Esperança brickyard located in Parelhas-RN, Brazil. Four treatments were conducted with three replications, and clay was the parameter used as a reference to distinguish treatments. The wood quantity, quality of tile and burning time were monitored. Temperature measurements were made at 15 points in the surface of the burning charge into the furnace, and the temperatures were taken every 30 minutes, from the preheating to the end of the burning process, using a laser pyrometer The data showed that the wood presented density with no significant difference between results, humidity according to allowed standards and heterogeneous consumption, while clay had little linear retraction when submitted to fire and the furnace had heterogeneous thermal profile. The wire parameter, used as reference for the burning control, was significant, although with different oscillations, being the reason why it should not be the only criterion to the finalization of the burning process. The furnace central part was the area that reached higher temperatures and more evenly, with the highest concentration of top quality products; the ideal temperature curve was treatment 1, which obtained average of 18.66% of top quality product, with temperature ranging from 100 to 400 °C.
Keyword:
Ceramic industry; Thermal efficiency; "Caipira" type furnaces
