Benefits of using moringa oleifera ash as a raw material in the manufacture of ceramic building materials

Abstract

The purpose of this work has been to explore how beneficial is the use of moringa ash as a substitute material for clay in the manufacture of ceramics for masonry. For this, ceramic pastes with 0%, 4.5% and 9.0% ash were formed, which were moistened and subsequently subjected to a molding process using the extrusion technique. After a process of natural drying of the specimens, they were fired at 800°C, 900°C and 1000°C in a heating oven with electrical resistance. The research process included the characterization of the raw materials using techniques such as X-ray diffraction and fluorescence (XRD/XRF), as well as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The characterization of the finished product was carried out by physical-ceramic analysis associated with dimensional changes in the material, density and open porosity, as well as characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD. The results obtained show that moringa ash is chemically rich in potassium (26.29%) and calcium (26.03%) with a significant amount of sulfur (3.15%) and chlorine (2.20%) being present these elements both in amorphous fraction (80.1%) and crystalline (calcite, arcanite and sylvite). In relation to the ceramics obtained, it was identified that the addition of moringa favors the sintering and vitrification processes in a better way with respect to the formulation with only clay, this as the firing temperature increases and despite the existence of carbonate phases and residual organic matter in the ash. It is possible to obtain a ceramic 11% less heavy than the reference material.