The sector of ornamental rocks generates large amounts of solid waste materials that have to be discarded. These wastes are usually destined to rivers, lakes, and environment, resulting in economic and environmental problems. A feasible technological alternative has been the incorporation of these wastes into clayey pastes for manufacturing of red ceramics. In this work was done a study on the microstructural variation during the firing process of red ceramic incorporated with ornamental rock waste. A series of ceramic pieces containing up to 20 wt.% waste were prepared by uniaxial pressing and fired at temperatures between 850 ºC and 1150 ºC. The microstructural variation was analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the fired microstructure of red ceramic is modified with the addition of ornamental rock waste and firing temperature.
microstructure; red ceramic; ornamental rock waste
