Effects of charcoal on physical and mechanical properties of fired test briquettes

Abstract

Organic combustible additives are frequently used to generate porosity in fired clay bricks. This study aims to investigate the effects of charcoal addition to fired test briquettes on their compressive strength, water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, and apparent density. The test results indicate that the amount of charcoal additive and the firing temperature are the key factors determining properties of the test fired briquettes. The study shows that low-density, porous, and lightweight briquettes can be made from Hang Dong clay mixed with charcoal additive.