Sustainable Mining: Reuse of Clay from Abandoned Areas in the South of Brazil for Ceramic Production Based on a Simplex Design

The environmental impact of clay mining can be minimized using extractive mineral circularity practices. Combining the available knowledge of the characteristics of different clays with statistical tools was a decisive step for the improved use of mining resources. Through blends, all the mined materials can be incorporated to produce quality ceramic products. This study identified two types of clay from abandoned mining areas in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. These raw materials were valued together with plastic clay, which is widely used in the region, to develop 10 different formulations using a mixture design method. The clays were characterized using average granulometric distribution, mineralogical composition, and chemical, thermal and plasticity analyses. The specimens were shaped by extrusion, dried in an oven, fired in a muffle furnace and characterized based on their shrinkage, water absorption and compressive strength values. Two clays with varying characteristics—one with low workability and the other with a high silica content—exhibited difficulties (generating defects) in the extrusion shaping process, which compromised the final quality of the ceramic paste. Results showed that incorporating up to 45% by mass of the low-workability clay resulted in an increase in water absorption. The more siliceous clay improved dimensional control; however, its use at high contents (~80%) decreased the mechanical resistance. Nevertheless, when used in controlled amounts, these clays can be beneficial to the production of blocks and bricks because they have the potential to improve some properties of the finished ceramic products.