Processing of porcelain stoneware tile using sugarcane bagasse ash waste

Large amounts of waste materials are discarded in the sugarcane industry. This work investigates the reuse of sugarcane bagasse ash waste as an alternative raw material for porcelain stoneware tile bodies, replacing natural quartz by up to 5 wt.%. The tile pieces were fired at 1230 degrees C using a fast-firing cycle (< 60min). The technological properties of the fired tile pieces (e.g., linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent density, and flexural strength) were determined. The sintering process was followed by SEM and XRD analyses. The results show that up to 2.5 wt.% sugarcane bagasse ash waste can be used as a partial replacement for quartz in porcelain stoneware tile (group BIa, ISO 13006 standard), providing excellent technical properties. Hence, its application in high-quality ceramic tile for use in civil construction as a low-cost, alternative raw material could be an ideal means of managing sugarcane bagasse ash waste.