UTILIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE WASTE AS RAW
MATERIAL FOR BRICK MANUFACTURING
Gobinath.R 1, Vijayan.V 2, Vajravel.K3, Sabariraja.G3, Naveen prabhu.M3, Gnansundhar.S3,
Sundarapandi.B3, Karuthapandi.P3, Manoj kumar.R3, Jagathishprabu.R3
1- Assistant Professor, Department of Civil engineering, Jay Shriram Group of Institutions,
Avinashipalayam, Tirupur, India
2- Associate professor, Department of Civil engineering, Jay Shriram Group of Instituitions,
Avinashipalayam, Tirupur, India
3- Under graduate students, Department of Civil engineering, Jay Shriram Group of
Institutions, Avinashipalayam, Tirupur, India
vel.vaju@gmail.com
Abstract:
Textile industry is one of the oldest and largest sectors in India . E v e n i t i s a v a l u e
a d d i n g i n d u s t r y, i t h a s s e v e r a l environmental impacts causing land and water
pollution with toxicity. Effluent sludge waste management becomes a big problem
nowadays. Except engineered landfills, rest of the methods for dumping, leads ground water
contamination and there by other socio-economic impacts. Many studies have been
conducted in this area and reported that the pollution level is high in gr o u n d w a t e r
a n d n u i s a n c e d u e t o d u m pi n g i n t h e t r e a t m e n t p l a nt a r e a p r e m i s e s . In the
present study, an attempt has been made to utilize the textile sludge (dry) in making of
construction materials. Investigation of the effect of Textile sludge addition in bricks is done
under this study. The objective of this study is to identify the possibilities of using the sludge
obtained from Textile industry as a brick material. It was seen that when percentage of sludge
was increased by 50%, water requirement as well as water absorption of the bricks increased by
19%. But at the same time, compressive strength of the brick decreased. But on addition of
cement, crusher sand the compressive strength increased by 30% and the properties of the bricks
improved. The future work of this study is to utilize the Textile sludge in manufacturing solid
blocks.
Keywords: Textile mill sludge, Compressive strength, Water absorption, Wastes re-uses, Cost
feasibility, Sustainability.
Introduction:
There is a strong demand for environmentally safe reuse and effective disposal methods for
sludge due to the increasing amount of sludge generated by the textile industry. Use of sludge as
construction and building material converts the waste into useful products that can alleviate the
disposal problems. Most recently, Tay and Show (1999) presented a summary of their studies on
the feasibility of using sludge as construction materials, including building bricks, lightweight
artificial aggregates, and cement like materials. The use of digested sludge mixed with limestone
powder to produce a ‘‘bio cement’’ has been proposed by Tay and Show (1993). Several studies
have shown that sludge or sludge ash could blend with clay to produce brick (Aleman and
Berman 1984; Tay 1987; Aleman et al. 1990; Trauner 1993; Okuno and Takahashi 1997;
Wiebusch and Seyfried 1997). The waste is a serious environmental hazard. It adversely affects
the fertility of the soil, contaminates the water resources and increases the drainage problem,
besides causing serious air pollution. Building construction sector consumes conventional
materials such as clay, sand, gravel, cement, timber, etc which are generated directly or
indirectly from natural resources. Fast growth of building construction industry is putting
enormous load on the natural resources leading to environmental degradation- [1].
Review of Literature:
The adoption of more sustainable behaviors, particularly in what concerns to the reduction of
energy consumption and the emissions of greenhouse gases, is nowadays a priority. The
construction sector is one of the key areas of intervention, which carries a high consumption of
resources such as materials, energy, and water. Thus, it is essential to adopt more efficient
actions during all stages of the construction process, including the use of more sustainable
materials. The reuse of different types of waste in the construction or rehabilitation of buildings
can contribute significantly to sustainability. In this research work, the potential applicability of
woven fabric waste and a waste of this residue, named woven fabric sub waste as thermal
insulation building material was studied. Experimental work was conducted using an external
double wall, with the air-box filled with these two types of waste, to determine their thermal
characteristics. Two heat flow meters and four surface temperatures sensors were placed on the
wall surface to determine the thermal conductivity of the wastes. The obtained results showed
that the application of the in the external double wall increases its thermal behavior in 56% and
30%, respectively. The thermal conductivity value of the is similar to the values obtain for
expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene and mineral wool . The value of this parameter for
the is approximately equal to the values for granules of clay, vermiculite or expanded per liter.
Therefore, applying these wastes as a possible thermal insulation material seems to be an
adequate solution. Environmental, sustainable and economical advantages may result from this
practice. (Jorge Pinto et al.)
The replacement of fine aggregate with sludge in conventional concrete mix affects workability
and density of concrete. The compressive strength gradually reduces with replacement and later
it falls below desired value when fine aggregate replaced by textile mill sludge is beyond
32%.the fly ash is added to replace cement along with 32% sludge. It shows slight decrease in
compressive strength textile mill sludge(32%)and fly ash(20%) can be successfully used as
building material by adding it in m20 grade of concrete. Workability of concrete (measured in
terms of slump values and compaction factor) goes on reducing as percentage of sludge
increases. The values of compressive strength obtained with addition of 32%sludge and 20%fly
ash are20.22n/mm2which is just at the verge of characteristic strength with laboratory precision.
For site execution quality control has to be equivalent to laboratory with form vibrator and
immersed vibrators. (A.k.Dwivedi et al.)
Producing eco-blocks to be used in houses’ building from marble sludge through maximum
possible substitution of sludge for sand and other components of the mixed materials used in
block manufacturing was investigated. Samples of different formulations, in the form of extruded
bars, were produced at both laboratory and pilot-plant scales and characterized at the final stage
of the production process. Formulations were prepared to examine the proper formulation that
fits national and international standards. Just five of them were promising and two were chosen
for commentary purposes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of
marble sludge recycling in the use in useful materials such as house building materials. The
experimental results and their theoretical interpretation showed that suitable incorporation of
marble sludge can result in building blocks with superior properties in terms of water absorption.
The compressive strength at age of 28 days only reached. (Fakher J. Auk our)
In recent decades, disposal of dry sludge have been an important problem of sewage treatment
plants due to environmental restrictions. The material is not usually permitted to be buried in soil
or used as agricultural fertilizer because of high heavy metal contents. Some investigations
performed on application of these materials in construction materials especially concrete mix
designs. In this research, application of dry sludge produced in the labors (Qazvin)
industrial/domestic sewage treatment plant in mass concrete at water to cement (w/c) ratios of
0.55 and 0.45 was investigated. The dry sludge was characterized for chemical composition.
Thereafter, it was used at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30% of cement content in concretes. Effect of the dry
sludge on compressive strength at different ages of curing 3, 7, 28 and 90 days was investigated.
Besides, flexural strength, water absorption and porosity of concretes containing 20% dry sludge
were measured after 28 and 90 days of curing. It was found that using dry sludge at 5, 10 and
20% caused decrease in compressive strength about 9, 14.5 and 29% in 28 days cured and 3.5, 8
and 20% in 90 days cured specimens in comparison to control specimens, respectively.
Considering previous investigations in Spain, it was found that dry sludge's with higher sio2
contents, can be used at higher contents in concrete mix designs. On the basis of the results,
authors proposed that the selected dry sludge after heat treatment and milling can be used as
cheap (in fact costless) filler in general purpose concretes such as pavement and mass concretes.
Yearly in Iran, about 40 million tons of cement is generally used in concrete production.
Therefore, there is a potential of using up to8 million tons of costless and harmful dry sludge in
concrete production which highlights importance of more considerations on this subject area.
(M. Jamshidi et al.)
Brick is one of the most common masonry units as a building material due to its properties.
Many attempts have been made to incorporate wastes into the production of bricks, for examples,
rubber, limestone dust, wood sawdust, processed waste tea, fly ash, polystyrene and sludge.
Recycling such wastes by incorporating them into building materials is a practical solution for
pollution problem. This paper reviewed the recycling of different wastes into fired clay bricks..
Most manufactured bricks with different types of waste have shown positive effects on the
properties of fired clay bricks. (Aeslina Abdul Kadar et al,)
A new approach to the production of brick was carried out by using class f fly ash. Marble and
granite industry has grown significantly in the last decades with the privatization trend in the
early 1990s.accordingly, the amount of mining and processing waste has increased .stone waste
is generally a highly polluting waste .brick is one of the most common masonry units as a
building material due to its properties. Many attempts have been made to incorporate wastes into
the production of bricks, for examples, limestone dust, wood sawdust, processed waste tea, fly
ash, polystyrene and sludge. Recycling such wastes by incorporating them into building
materials is a practical solution for pollution problems. This paper represented the utilization of
stone sludge waste in manufacturing fly ash bricks. In this paper, an attempt was made to study
the properties of stone waste fly ash bricks. (Mamta rajgor et al.)
The study demonstrated that textile mill sludge can be used as partial replacement for clays in
burnt clay bricks. Textile mill sludge can be used up to 15% without compromising on the
compressive strength of 3.5 N/mm2 and water absorption of 20% as per the is code
requirements. This makes bricks porous resulting in lesser compressive strength and greater
water absorption capacity. Tg-dta analysis showed there is decrease in weight of sludge with
increase in temperature because of burning of organic matter present in the sludge. Due to which
large number of voids are created in the body of the bricks. This result in porous brick structure
and lesser compressive strength and increased water absorption. Firing temperature of 8000c
and firing period of 24 hrs gives good results in terms of compressive strength with same
percentage of sludge. Use of 15% textile mill sludge in making burnt clay bricks is
recommended and it will increase the bulk usage of sludge in building bricks, thus eliminating
the problem of ultimate disposal i.e.( Shrikant S Jahagirdar et al.,)
Materials:
Sludge:
Dried textile mill sludge is collected from Alwen Tex Pvt. Ltd., Veerapandi, and Tirupur (Dist.)
Tamilnadu State, India. Collected sludge is packed and stored in good quality polyethylene bags
and used for further investigation. The filter press dewatered and oven-dried sludge samples
were obtained from a local industrial wastewater treatment plant. The basic properties and the
constituents of collected textile sludge are listed in table 1 and table 2.
S. NO
PARAMETER
VALUE
1
Specific Gravity
1.2-1.5
2
Dry density
1200-1500 kg/m3
3
pH (1:5 sludge suspension)
6.46
Table 1: Basic parameters of Textile mill Sludge
S. NO.
CHEMICAL COMPOUND
PRESENCE IN THE SLUDGE IN %
1
Al2O3
3.59
2
CaO
22.09
3
Cr2O
3 0.07
4
FeO
26.92
5
P2O5
3.47
6
SiO2
15.16
7
TiO2
1.32
8
SO4
1.62
9
V2O5
0.01
10
MgO
0.56
11
MnO
9.49
Table 2: Analysis of Textile mill sludge
Crusher Sand: Crusher dust is a grey coloured fine aggregate consisting of angular to roughly
cubical shaped particles with a characteristically vesicular structure and rough surface texture. It
has the following properties:







♦ Resistant to heat and fire
♦ Alkaline in presence of moisture
♦ Non-plastic
♦ Consistent chemistry
♦ Excellent load bearing capacity
♦ High stability and durability
♦ Ease of compaction
Water: Water is an important ingredient of brick as it actually used for manufacturing of brick.
Since it helps to bind all the raw materials for giving proper mix. Water used for making brick
should be free from impurities
Study area: Brick is one of the oldest building materials and it is extensively used even at
present because of its durability, strength, reliability, low cost, easy availability etc. Bricks are
obtained by molding clay in rectangular blocks of uniform size then by drying and burning these
blocks in brick kilns .The use of typical sludge is the focal point of this study.
Methods:
Sludge, Crusher sand and cement are mixed thoroughly and then water is added to prepare the
mix. After making a proper mix brick moulds were properly oiled using oil. The mixed sludge
was then filled in brick moulds in 3 layers. Each layer was compacted with the compaction rod
and the surface was finished with a trowel. The bricks were removed from the mould
immediately and were kept aside at room temperature for drying. Standard tests as per IS
Specification were conducted on bricks. In the brick molding process, different sludge
proportions were mixed with ground clay using a crushing machine. Because water content is an
important factor affecting the quality of the brick.
Number of bricks required: Five bricks each were made for conducting the compressive
strength test as well as the water absorption test. With the varying percentage of sludge, three
bricks each were required for each percentage. Six moulds of dimensions 19cmx9cmx9cm were
used and therefore simultaneously 5 bricks could be made at a stretch.
Brick Water Absorption:
Water absorption is a key factor affecting the durability of brick. The less water infiltrates into
brick, the more durability of the brick and resistance to the natural environment are expected.
Thus, the internal structure of the brick must be intensive enough to avoid the intrusion of water.
The water absorption was determined by using the procedures described in ASTM C67-60
(1998).
Density of Bricks:
The bulk density of the bricks is inversely proportional to the quantity of sludge ash added in the
mixture. When the brick absorbs more water, it exhibits a larger pore size than the one with less
water absorption. As a result, the bulk density becomes smaller. The firing temperature can also
affect the bulk density of the bricks. The results show that increasing the temperature results in
an increase in bulk density.
Compressive Strength of Bricks:
The compressing test is the most important test for assuring the engineering quality of a building
material. The results of the compressive strength test on the bricks made from varying % of
sludge mixture are shown in below tables and the graphical representations are also showed
below for corresponding tables. The results indicate that the strength is greatly dependent on the
amount of sludge in the brick and the firing temperature. The optimum amount of sludge that
could be mixed with cement to produce good bonding bricks was 20% by weight .As shown,
with up to 50% sludge is added to the bricks, the strength achieved as high as that of normal clay
bricks. It is concluded that sludge can be blended with cement in different proportions to produce
a good quality of brick under a certain firing temperature. Compressive strength goes on
decreasing as percentage of sludge increases in bricks. As per the IS code classification of the
bricks compressive strength requirement is 4 N/mm2. Without compromising the compressive
strength of 4 N/mm2, the maximum percentage of sludge which can be added is 30% by weight
with 20% cement.
Tables and Graphs:
BRICK
SPECIMEN
(Sludge: cement :C-sand)
PROPORTION
Water
Absorption (%)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
(N/mm2)
1
50:20:30
15%
3.1
2
50:20:30
15%
3.3
3
50:20:30
15%
3.4
4
50:20:30
15%
3.6
5
50:20:30
15%
3.5
Table 3: Properties of case-I bricks
SLUDGE:CEMENT:C-SAND(50:20:30)
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-1N/mm2
1-2N/mm2
2-3N/mm2
3-4N/mm2
4-5N/mm2
compresive strength
3.1
3.6
3.4
3.3
3.5
water absorption
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
Graph 1: Graph showing Compressive strength and water absorption for case 1 bricks
BRICK
SPECIMEN
PROPORTION
(Sludge: cement :C-sand)
Water
Absorption (%)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH (N/mm2)
1
40:20:40
19%
3.6
2
40:20:40
19%
3.9
3
40:20:40
19%
4.1
4
40:20:40
19%
3.8
5
40:20:40
19%
4.0
Table 4: Properties of case-II bricks
SLUDGE:CEMENT:C-SAND(40:20:40)
compresive strength
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-1N/mm2
1-2N/mm2
2-3N/mm2
3-4N/mm2
4-5N/mm2
compresive strength
3.6
3.9
4.1
3.8
4
water absorption
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
Graph 2: Compressive strength and water absorption for case2 bricks
BRICK
SPECIMEN
PROPORTION
(Sludge: cement :C-sand)
Water
Absorption (%)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
(N/mm2)
1
30:20:50
15%
3.9
2
30:20:50
15%
4.3
3
30:20:50
15%
4.4
4
30:20:50
15%
3.7
5
30:20:50
15%
4.1
Table 5: Properties of case-III bricks
compresive strength
SLUDGE:CEMENT:C-SAND(30:20:50)
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-1N/mm2
1-2N/mm2
2-3N/mm2
3-4N/mm2
4-5N/mm2
compresive strength
3.9
4.3
4.4
3.7
4.1
water absorption
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
Graph 3: Graph showing Compressive strength and water absorption for case 3 bricks
BRICK
SPECIMEN
PROPORTION
(Sludge: cement :C-sand)
Water
Absorption (%)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
(N/mm2)
1
50:10:40
19%
4.3
2
50:10:40
19%
4.5
3
50:10:40
19%
4.4
4
50:10:40
19%
3.9
5
50:10:40
19%
4.1
Table 6: Properties of case-IV bricks
SLUDGE:CEMENT:C-SAND(50:10:40)
5
compresive strength
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-1N/mm2
1-2N/mm2
2-3N/mm2
3-4N/mm2
4-5N/mm2
compresive strength
4.3
3.6
4.4
3.9
4.1
water absorption
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
Graph 4: Graph showing Compressive strength and water absorption for case 4 bricks
BRICK
SPECIMEN
PROPORTION
(Sludge: cement :C-sand)
Water
Absorption (%)
COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
(N/mm2)
1
40:10:50
15%
3.6
2
40:10:50
15%
4.2
3
40:10:50
15%
3.4
4
40:10:50
15%
3.2
5
40:10:50
15%
4.1
Table 7: Properties of case-V bricks
compresive strength
SLUDGE:CEMENT:C-SAND(40:10:50)
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-1N/mm2
1-2N/mm2
2-3N/mm2
3-4N/mm2
4-5N/mm2
compresive strength
3.6
4.2
3.4
3.2
4.1
water absorption
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
Graph 5: Graph showing Compressive strength and water absorption for case 5 bricks
Fig-1: Figure showing the comparison of normal brick and sludge added brick
The bricks made with clay normally have a bulk density of 1.8–2.0 gycm3. The measurements of
particle density for different proportions of sludge fired at four temperatures are demonstrated in
Fig. 4. As shown, the particle density of the bricks is inversely proportional to the quantity of
sludge added in the mixture. This finding is closely related to the quantity of water absorbed as
demonstrated in above table. When the mixture absorbs more water, the brick exhibits a larger
pore size, resulting in a light density. The firing temperature can also affect the particle density
of the bricks. The results show that increasing the temperature results in an increase in particle
density. Shows that increasing the sludge proportion and temperature resulted in increases in
brick weight loss on ignition. The weight loss criterion for a normal clay brick is 15%. With less
than 10% sludge addition, the produced bricks all meet the criteria. Visual observation showed
that an uneven surface was found for the sludge-brick. It is speculated that the formation of this
unwanted surface was mainly due to the organic component burnt off during the firing process.
For a normal clay brick, the loss of weight after firing at 800 8C is mainly attributed to the
organic matter content in clay.
Conclusion:
Sludge produced in the plant was effectively used in the manufacture of bricks and the quantity
of waste generated was minimized. Sludge generated from textile beneficiation treatment plant
can effectively replace bricks making earth up to 50% by weight without any compromise on
brick characteristics like water absorption, compressive strength and efflorescence. The addition
of sludge to the soil serves the twin benefits of safe disposal of sludge from industry and
conservation of brick making earth. Test bricks are more durable than reference bricks. The
sludge produced each day from sand beneficiation treatment plant will be sufficient to make
5000 to 8000 bricks at 50%’ replacement by weight.
The results showed that increasing the sludge content results in a decrease of brick shrinkage,
water absorption, and compressive strength. Results also showed that the brick weight loss on
ignition was mainly attributed to the organic matter content in the sludge being burnt off during
the firing process. Thus it could be concluded that the sludge alone cannot be used for brick
manufacture. But the properties of the bricks have shown considerable improvement after the
addition of stabilizers like cement .The various effects of sludge are to be considered in future
studies and its health and environmental effects are to be taken into account.
References:
1) Deng-Fong Lin and Chih-Huang Weng” use of sewage sludge ash as brick material”
2) Alleman, J. E., and Berman, N. A. (1984). ‘‘Constructive sludge management:
Biobrick.’’ J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 110(2), 301–311.
3) Alleman, J. E., Bryan, E. H., and Stumm, T. A. (1990). ‘‘Sludge-amended brick
production: Applicability for metal-laden residues.’’ Water Sci. and Technol., 22(12),
309–317.
4) Tay, J.-H., and Show, K.-Y. (1999). ‘‘Constructive sludge disposal option converting
sludge into innovative civil engineering materials.’’ Proc.,
5) Rania Hamza, Salah El- Haggar, Safwan Khedr , ―Utilization of Marble and Granite
Waste in Concrete Bricks‖, Singapore,2009
6) N. Okuno, S. Takahashi. “Full scale application of manufacturing of bricks from
sewage”. J Water Sci Technol. Vol. - 36(11), pp. 243- 250, 1997.
7) Wiesbusch, C. F. Seyfried. “Utilization of sewage sludge ashes in the brick and tile
industry”. J Water Sci Technol. Vol. - 36(11), pp. 251-258, 1997.
8) H. Patel, S. Pandey. “Exploring the reuse potential of chemical sludge from textile
wastewater treatment plants in India-A hazardous waste”. American J Environ Sci. Vol. 5(1), pp. 106-110, 2009.
9) Tay J.H., ”Bricks manufacture from sludge”. J. Environ.Eng. 113 (2), 278– 283,1987
10) Alleman J. E., and Berman N.A., ‘‘Constructive sludge man-agement: Biobrick.’’ J.
Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 110(2), 301–311,1984
11) A.k.dwivedi & prof. S.s.jahgirdar, “Textile Mill Sludege as Fine Aggregate in Concrete”
Global Journal of Researches in Engineering
12) Fakher J. Aukour ,Incorporation of Marble Sludge in Industrial Building Eco-blocks or
Cement Bricks Formulation” Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering
13) M. Jamshidia, a. Jamshidib and n. Mehrdadibaschool , “Application of sewage dry sludge
in concrete mixtures”,Asian Journal of Civil Engineering (Building and Housing)
14) Aeslina abdul kadir, abbas mohajerani, “Bricks: an excellent building material for
recycling Wastes – a review “,Proceedings of the iasted international conference
15) Shrikant s jahagirdar, s. Shrihari, b manu , “Utilization of Textile Mill Sludge In Burnt
Clay Bricks” , International Journal of Environmental Protection
16) Fakher J. Aukour , “Incorporation of marble sludge in industrial building Eco-blocks or
Cement bricks Formulation” , Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite
University
17) IS: 1498-1970. (Reaffirmed 1992). Classification and Identification of Soil, BIS. New
Delhi.
18) IS: 3495-1976. Part 1 to IV. Methods of Tests of Burnt Clay Building Bricks. BIS, New
Delhi.
19) IS: 2117-1975. Guide for Manufacture of Handmade Common Burnt Clay Building
Bricks. BIS. New Delhi.
20) IS: 2720-1985. Part V. Determination of Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit. BIS. New Delhi.
21) Ana Briga-Sa , David Nascimento , Nuno Teixeira , Jorge Pinto , Fernando Caldeira
,Humberto Varum , Anabela Paiva , “Textile waste as an alternative thermal insulation
building material solution” , Construction and Building Materials 38 (2013) 155–160