Study of the recovery and recycling of tailings from the concentration of iron ore for the production of ceramic

Abstract The ceramic industry is the one that stands out in the use of industrial tailings, replacing pure raw materials by part these materials. Both technologically and economically, this segment is a good option for the recycling of solid waste. This work aims to study the feasibility and sustainability, from the economic and technological points, for the use of iron ore tailings as additives in the ceramic industry. To study the chemical, physical, morphological and optical properties of the tailings and clay, chemical, mineralogical and granulometric analysis were carried out. Specimens were formulated with different ceramic compositions at levels of 0 and 5% of tailings added in commercial clay and sintered at a temperature of 950 °C. The ceramics were characterized for color and mechanical properties. Results indicated that the addition of tailings from concentration of iron ore for the production of red ceramics was highly feasible both technically and environmentally.