Reuse of solid petroleum waste in the manufacture of porcelain stoneware tile

This study investigates the incorporation of solid petroleum waste as raw material into a porcelain stoneware tile body, in replacement to natural kaolin material by up to 5 wt.%. Tile formulations containing solid petroleum waste were pressed and fired at 1240 °C by using a fast-firing cycle. The tile pieces were tested to determine their properties (linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent density, and flexural strength), sintered microstructure, and leaching toxicity. The results therefore indicated that the growing addition of solid petroleum waste into tile formulations leads to a decrease of linear shrinkage, apparent density, and flexural strength, and to an increase of water absorption of the produced tile materials. It was also found that the replacement of kaolin with solid petroleum waste, in the range up to 2.5 wt.%, allows the production of porcelain stoneware tile (group BIa, ISO 13006 standard). All concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr (total), Hg, and Pb of the fired porcelain stoneware tile pieces in the leachate comply with the current regulatory limits. These results indicate that the solid petroleum waste could be used for high-quality porcelain stoneware tile production, thus giving rise to a new possibility for an environmentally friendly management of this abundant waste.