Effect of sand as non-plastic material on ceramic properties of clay bricks

The influence of sand as a substitute for clay on the physico-mechanical as well as ceramic properties of clay bricks was investigated. Sand was substituted for clay up to 20 mass-%. Briquettes were moulded, dried and then fired at different temperatures up to 1000 °C, with a soaking time of 2 h. The results revealed that the substitution of sand for clay allows controlled drying with shorter times required for complete dryness, and also improves dry and firing shrinkage, bulk density, apparent porosity, and crushing strength. The batch containing 10 mass-% sand exhibited the best results and was therefore selected as the optimum batch for making sand clay bricks.