Recycle in ceramic tiles mixes

• Keywords: End-of-Waste, Recycle, Reuse, New raw materials

To be able to foresee the future, in matter of environment, sustainable development, product innovations and technologies is fundamental to deeply know and understand the current situation and the existing trends. This is the work that Centro Ceramico has been developed since 1980, building a map of waste materials that can be used in traditional ceramic industry.

Current EU Directives, in matter of wastes, encourages Industries towards Green Economy, where “reuse” and “preparation to reuse” are the key concepts of a “Innovating to Zero” approach, whose aim is to reach a zero emission future, zero wastes, zero non recyclables products.
To be able to compete, the ceramic sector will need, in the near future, zero impact materials with more innovative and revolutionary performances.

At this aim, Centro Ceramico has been working for several years on the development of a new concept of ceramic mix, where at least 60% of raw materials are made of End-of-Waste materials.
New ceramic products obtained by using this mix, have similar or superior properties, compared to conventional porcelain tiles and lead to a significant industrial costs reduction.

First important results were obtained thanks to the competences achieved during the development of internal studies, graduation thesis and Ph.D thesis. This allowed to participate to funded Regional and European projects and to fulfill the Industries needs in this field.

Since 2015, Centro Ceramico has extended the subject “Recycle” to sustainable filter membranes for wastewater treatment. Indeed, the aim of the EU Project REMEB is the validation of an absolutely innovative ceramic membrane bioreactor (MBR), that uses inorganic membranes obtained from ceramic- and agricultural-wastes.

Main Scientific Papers

1. E. Rambaldi, S. Fazio, F. Prete, M.C. Bignozzi: “Innovative ceramic tile mixes: 100% green” – cfi-Ber. DKG, E57-E60, 2016
2. E. Rambaldi, G. Bonvicini, M.C. Bignozzi: “Green ceramic tiles: the sustainable use of natural resources as basic requirement”, oral presentation at Qualicer – XIV World Congress on Ceramic Tile Quality, Castellón (E), 8-9 February 2016
3. E. Rambaldi: “Innovative glass ceramics as green products for the building industry: an overview”, invited lecture at SERES 2014, 3^rd International Ceramic Glass Porcelain Enamel Glaze and Pigment Congress, Eskisehir, Turkey, 15-17 October 2014.
4. E. Bernardo, L. Esposito, E. Rambaldi, A. Tucci: “Sintered glass-ceramic articles from plasma vitrified asbestos containing waste”, Advances in Applied Ceramics: Structural, Functional and Bioceramics, 110(6), 2011, 346-352.
5. E. Bernardo, A. Dattoli, E. Bonomo, L. Esposito, E. Rambaldi, A. Tucci, “Application of an industrial waste glass in “glass-ceramic stoneware”, International journal of applied ceramic technology, 8(5), 2011, 1153-1162.
6. E. Rambaldi, L. Esposito, F. Andreola, L. Barbieri, I. Lancellotti, I. Vassura, “The recycling of MSWI bottom ash in silicate based ceramic”, Ceramics International, 36, 2010, 2469-2476.
7. E. Bernardo, L. Esposito, E. Rambaldi, A. Tucci, Y. Pontikes, G.N. Angelopoulos, “Sintered esseneite-wollastonite-plagioclase glass-ceramics from vitrified waste”, Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 29, 2009, 2921-2927.
8. E. Bernardo, L. Esposito, E. Rambaldi, A. Tucci: “Glass-based stoneware as a promising route for the recycling of waste glasses”, Advances in Applied Ceramics: Structural, Functional and Bioceramics, 108 (1), 2009, 2-8.
9. E. Bernardo, L. Esposito, S. Hreglich, E. Rambaldi, G. Timellini, A. Tucci: “Tailored waste-based glasses as secondary raw materials for porcelain stoneware tiles”, Advances in Applied Ceramics, 107 (6), 2008, 322-328.
10. E. Bernardo, L. Esposito, E. Rambaldi, A. Tucci, S. Hreglich: “Recycle of waste glass into glass-ceramic stoneware”, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 91(7), 2008, 2156-2162.

Contact:

Dr. Elisa Rambaldi: rambaldi@centroceramico.it
Direct phone number: +39 051 0250119