Experimental study of the firing of red clay bricks using liquefied petroleum gas.

An experimental study of the firing of red brick using liquefied petroleum gas as fuel was performed in a fixed kiln Improvement alternatives to the traditional firing techniques were analyzed, including the design of a thermally efficient kiln and the use of gas burners to reduce the pollution generated by using trash or other industrial or agricultural wastes as fuels. Seven field experiments were performed by varying the type of kiln, type of liquefied petroleum gas, brick load, and burner type. The response variables were the amount of pollutant emissions, the fuel consumption, and the number of traditional bricks manufactured. The results show an increase in the thermal efficiency, based on the use of 600 liters of fuel to fire a load of 17500 bricks. We conclude that the arrangement of bricks that minimizes the spacing between them in a fixed kiln increases the thermal efficiency and produces quality bricks.