DANIEL BUENOAdding paper scraps to the composition of single-fired ceramics and using them to make ceramic tiles is a new idea presented in a study conducted at the graduate studies department of the School of Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The proposal is focused on two environmental concerns, namely finding a potential use for paper scraps – a common byproduct of the paper industry – and reducing the use of limestone, a non-renewable mineral ingredient, in ceramics manufacturing. The maximum percentage of paper scraps used in the composition of the ceramic tiles was 20%. Above that level, the tiles would crack or break during the manufacturing process. The research, conducted by master’s student Rodrigo Daros and by Professor Humberto Gracher Riella, also showed that the process using paper scraps is economically viable. The scraps cost R$0.02 per kilogram at most, as compared to the price of limestone – R$0.13 per kilogram.
