Light microscopy image segmentation using active contours driven by local image information for environmentally...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Civil Engineering

Background:

• Wastewater sludge presents a significant disposal challenge.
• Developing sustainable building materials is crucial for environmental protection.
• Utilizing waste materials in construction can reduce landfill burden and resource depletion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of recycling dry wastewater sludge in fired clay brick production.
• To optimize the thermal and mechanical properties of ceramic bricks incorporating sewage sludge.
• To develop and validate a novel image analysis method for porosity assessment.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of varying proportions of sewage sludge as a pore-forming agent in brick mixtures.
• Microscopy image analysis using active contours for porosity estimation.
• Assessment of thermal properties via infrared lock-in thermography and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
• Evaluation of mechanical strength, specifically compressive strength, against ASTM C62 standards.

Main Results:

• Sewage sludge incorporation increases brick porosity, enhancing thermal insulation properties.
• Increased porosity leads to a reduction in mechanical strength.
• Bricks with 15% sewage sludge content meet the compressive strength requirements for first-class bricks (ASTM C62).

Conclusions:

• Recycling wastewater sludge in fired clay brick production is a viable and sustainable approach.
• This method offers dual benefits of effective waste management and production of energy-efficient building materials.
• The developed image analysis technique accurately quantifies porosity in complex ceramic microstructures.