Abstract
Induced porosity of fired clay using melonhusk to temperatures of 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900 and 1000 OC came under interest in this study. Samples of two colors-brown and white, were tested for porosity and bulk density levels before and after firing. Samples were prepared into cores 20mm radius 50mm height and tested for pre-fired porosity; batch-mixed with 500µm melon husk at 0%, 15%, 20% and 25%, prepared with 5% grog into cubes 50x50x50mm and fired in a gas kiln for post-fired porosity tests. Pre-fired porosities were 53.75% and 50.34%,and bulk densities 1.225 g/cm3 and 1.315 g/cm3for brown and white clay, and their1000 OC post-fired porosity marginal valueswere25.99 ± 10.05 %, 45.475 ± 9.705 %, 60.535 ± 1.165 % and 62.01 ± 1.36 % at 0 wt. %, 15 wt. %, 20 wt. % and 25 wt. % melon husk premix respectively. It was concluded that premixing clay with melon husk biomass at minor increments to 20 % enhances porosity in porous ceramics fired at 1000 OC to a value twice that of homogenous fired clay.
Keywords
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