How to face the new industrial challenge of compatible, sustainable brick production: Study of various types of commercially available bricks

In the view of a sustainable production responding to the important challenges to which industrial research is currently facing, this research is addressed to define the more appropriate brick types, among those here studied, in terms of mechanical resistance and durability, as well as the esthetic qualities. More in detail, five industrial bricks, produced with three types of clay and fired at four temperatures (600, 950, 980, 1050 °C), were analysed with a combined multianalytical approach to determine relationships between mineralogical-textural and physical-mechanical properties and decay behavior. Samples fired at 1050 °C show more complete mineralogical evolution and have the best mechanical resistance, but are the most sensitive to the water absorption. Instead, samples fired at the lowest temperature (600°C) have the best pore interconnections and the lowest coefficient of capillarity, however, the absence of new silicates and melting make them the weakest under load and decay tests. Lastly, bricks produced at firing temperatures of 950°C and 980°C generally show intermediate behavior. These results indicate how bricks produced form the same or similar mix design and fired at different temperatures show different reactions to decay and mechanical resistance, allowing the industry to identify the limit of applicability of these materials in various contexts.