Shells as an Additive in Tile Production

Barredo, Dupo, Orduna, Soriano

III – Biochemists

Animal Bones and Shells as an Additive in Tile Production

Background of the Study

Concrete is a composite construction material. It is composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, limestone, water and chemical admixtures.

The key to achieving a strong, durable concrete rests in the careful proportioning and mixing of the ingredients. A concrete mixture that does not have enough paste to fill all the voids between the aggregates will be difficult to place and will produce rough, honeycombed surfaces and porous concrete. A mixture with an excess of cement paste will be easy to place and will produce a smooth surface; however, the resulting concrete is likely to shrink more and be uneconomical. 

Building commercial and residential infrastructures in our country is fast growing. One of the building materials is ceramic tile that is used as floorings in bathrooms, dining area, function halls, etc. Because of this, there is a demand of ceramic tiles and its industry is booming. On the other hand, every year, various solid wastes in our country have been a great problem to our government. One example is the shells of Perna viridis commonly known as tahong found near at the sea. These shells are known fossil that contains ninety seven and a half percent (97.5%) calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is a good source of calcium oxide (CaO) that made these shells rigid and firm. The presence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) would make it an ideal component for tiles. This information brought the idea to the researchers to use the Perna viridis (tahong) shells as raw material for ceramic tile making. Due to its high concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the proponents therefore would like to substitute it for the main material in ceramic tile making.