Increased “green value” of glazed porcelain

Qualicer ‘20, 10-11/02/2020

Lucrezia Volpi

Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio, Emilia,

Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy

Increased “green value” of glazed porcelain stoneware tiles through the eco-design of raw materials

Introduction

LIFE PROJECT “FORCE OF THE FUTURE”:Evaluation and dynamic monitoring

of the sustainability

LCA+LCC+S-LCA

CERAMIC INDUSTRY: materials and energy-intensive sector environmental impacts

Need to implement strategies

Introduction

LIFE PROJECT “FORCE OF THE FUTURE”:Evaluation and dynamic monitoring

of the sustainability

LCA+LCC+S-LCA

CERAMIC INDUSTRY: materials and energy-intensive sector environmental impacts

Need to implement strategies

Eco-design approach for anaccurate selection of rawmaterials, considering theirsupply system.

3 formulations

SOURCES OF RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY

COMPOSITION 1 [%]

COMPOSITION 2 [%]

COMPOSITION 3 [%]

Extra-EU Clay 25 20 -

Extra-EU Na-feldspar 38 22 20

EU Clay 25 25 30

National clay - - 30

National K-feldspar 5 23 20

National K-sand 7 10 -

TOTAL EXTRA-EU RAW MATERIALS

63 42 20

Analyzed formulations

0

20

40

60

80

100

Comp. 1 Comp. 2 Comp. 3

% Extra-EU

EU

Preparation and testing

Wet grinding

Drying of the slip

Humidification (6 wt.%)

Dry-pressing 470kg/cm2

Firing 1210 °C (45 min)

Planetary ball mill-34% H2O, 66 wt.% dry raw materials, 0.15 wt.% tripolyphosphate as dispersant

105 °C for 24h followed by disagglomeration of the powder cake

Industrial roller kiln

Laboratory hydraulic press using a cylinder mold (50 cm diameter)

Sample preparation by standard laboratory procedures


• Water absorption (ISO 10545-3:2018)

• Linear firing shrinkage (LFS%)

• Colour (L*, a*, b*)

• Apparent density, a (weight and geometry)

• Real density, r (He picnometry)

• *Total porosity,

• Chemical composition (XRF)

• Phase composition (XRPD-Rietveld-RIR)

∗𝑃𝑇 = 100 × 1 −

a

r

• Phase composition (XRPD-Rietveld)

• Chemical composition (XRF)

• Grainsize distribution

• Apparent density of the pressedcompact, a (weight and geometry)

• Sintering curves (Optical dilatometry)

Raw materials mixtures and green compacts

Fired ceramic bodies

Characterizations


1 2 3

Quartz 27.4 (2) 32.2 (2) 33.4 (2)

Kaolinite 19.1 (4) 13.1 (5) 12.8 (3)

Illite/mica 11.0 (5) 16.0 (6) 16.5 (3)

Plagioclase 38.8 (3) 30.8 (3) 28.4 (2)

K-feldspar 3.2 (4) 6.9 (4) 8.4 (2)

Calcite 0.4 (1) 0.8 (1) 0.5 (1)

+

• More quartz

• Less kaolinite

• More illlite/mica

• Less plagioclase

• More K-feldspar

+

+--

Mineralogical composition Chemical composition

• More quartz SiO2

• More illlite/mica K2O

• Less plagioclase Na2O

• More K-feldspar K2O

1 2 3

SiO2 68.3 69.2 70.2

Al2O3 20.1 18.1 17.6

Fe2O3 0.44 1.13 1.05

TiO2 0.47 0.59 0.51

MgO 0.23 0.42 0.34

CaO 0.70 0.96 0.58

Na2O 4.06 2.64 2.49

K2O 1.74 2.89 3.36

*LOI 3.79 3.91 3.59


1 2 3

Dry

den

sity

(g/

cm3

)

1.80

1.85

1.90

1.95

2.00

2.05

Grainsize distribution of raw materials mixtures Dry density of compacts

Composition d(0.1) d(0.5) d(0.9) 1 1.4 7.5 34.7 2 1.3 6.5 33.0 3 1.3 7.4 37.9

1

2

3

Physical properties of mixes and compacts


Temperature (°C)

200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Exp

ansi

on

(%

)

-6

-4

-2

0

Sintering behaviour


Technological properties of fired bodies

1 2 3

WA

(%

)

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

Water absorption (WA)

Porcelain stoneware <0.5 wt.% (BIa according to ISO 13006)

200 mm mm

Tile surface


Colorimetric parameters

1

1 2 3

L*

0

20

40

60

80

100

78.6

62.1 63.0

2 3

11.6 12.1 12.2

0.46% 1.18% 1.09%Fe2O3

1 2 3

a*

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

1.1

2.4 2.6


Highlights

• A water absorption <0.5 % were obtained using an industrial firing cycle (1210°C, 45min).

• The successive replacement of extra-EU raw materials led to a higher concentration ofFe2O3 and thus lower whiteness (L*) and increased reddish tone (a*).

• All three compositions showed similar behaviour during the grinding, pressing and sintering processes and also similar technologic characteristics.

Life Cycle Assessment

DEFINITION: the LCA is a methodology that assesses in a quantitative manner all

the environmental burdens connected with a product or service, from to the extraction of raw materials to the end of life.

Goal and scope definition

Inventory analysis

Impact assessment

Interpretation

PHASES

ISO 14040-14046

FINAL STORAGE

DISTRIBUTION

INSTALLATION

USE

END OF LIFE

Wastewater with solids + Raw waste

Fired scrap

Slip waste

Evap. water

Sifted mat. Clean. waste

Clean. waste

MILLING

Raw mat. body SpheresPebblesThinnerWater ATOMIZATION

Atm. emiss.Filter emiss.

Atm. emiss. Filter emiss.

Atm. emiss. Filter emiss.SORTING – PACKAGING

Evap. water

FIRING

INTERM. STORAGE

CUTTING

SQUARING

LAPPING


Sludges (filtr./non filtr.)

Atomized massAtomized mass

Natural gas

ElectricityElectricity (self-produced)To the grid

Sludges, aqeoussusp.

PRESSING

DRYING

GLAZING – DECORATION

Pigment (135.03 t)

GritInk

MILLING (GLAZE)

Raw mat. glazeSpheresWater




Evap. water

Evap. water

Raw waste

INVENTORY ANALYSIS


0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Pt


0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Pt

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Pt

111043 Pt

36969 Pt

29753 Pt

Total: 45244 Pt

Total: 43954 Pt

Total: 41169 Pt

-2.8

5%

-6.3

4%

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Pt

Dynamic sustainability tool

An LCA study requires expertise and time!

DYNAMIC SUSTAINABILITY

TOOL


Data from ERP Data from Excel

Business Intelligence Software


Amount of raw materials

Amount of water

Electricity consumption

Natural gas consumption

Waste

…

VARIABLES

Time reference unit: one month


Integration of the three dimensions of sustainability

ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC

SOCIAL

SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT


• Three of the several raw materials mixtures designed for the production of porcelainstoneware tiles were analyzed both from the technological and environmental pointof view.

• Extra-EU raw materials were successively replaced by European raw materials inorder to evaluate possible changes.

• Laboratory tests highlight that the compositions show similar characteristics and arein line with typical stoneware porcelain tiles.

• From the environmental point of view, composition 3 shows the best results; thisconfirms that an accurate eco-design for the supply of raw materials can really affectthe environmental performance of the ceramic tiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Project Overview

LIFE: Force of the Future (Forture)New circular business concepts for the predictive and dynamic

environmental and social design of the economic activities

Associated Beneficiaries:

With the contribution of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Community. Project Duration: October 2017 – September 2020

Coordinating Beneficiary:

Thank you for your attention

L. Volpi(1), A. M. Ferrari(1), D. Settembre-Blundo(2), F.E. García-Muiña(3), M. Lassinantti-Gualtieri(4), C.

Siligardi(4)

(1) Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio, Emilia, Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy(2) Gruppo Ceramiche Gresmalt, Sassuolo 41049, Italy

(3) Department of Business Administration (ADO), Applied Economics II and Fundaments of Economic Analysis, Rey-Juan-Carlos

University, Madrid 28032, Spain(4) Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena 41125, Italy

Documents

Increased “green value” of glazed porcelain