Valorisation of Waste Glass in Eco-friendly Clay Brick: Influence on Physico-mechanical Properties and Water Absorption

Authors

  • Kai Ying Chew Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    • Mohd Fadhil Majnis Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
      • Mustaffa Ali Azhar Taib Pusat Latihan Teknologi Tinggi (ADTEC) Taiping, 34600 Kamunting, Perak, Malaysia
        • Ayu Haslija Abu Bakar Department of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
          • Maliza Ismail Jamail School of Architecture and Built Environment (SABE), Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

            DOI:

            https://doi.org/10.24191/mjcet.v8i2.8542

            Keywords:

            Eco-friendly clay brick, Waste glass, Sustainable materials, Valorisation of waste, Circular economy, Construction sustainability

            Abstract

            Clay bricks are widely used as building material all around the world. Natural clay is experiencing a constant reduction due to its continual use in the manufacturing of clay bricks. The depletion of clay resources has become a global issue, prompting many countries to limit the use of natural clay. This research study investigates the effect of waste glass addition on the physical-mechanical and water absorption properties of eco-friendly clay bricks, incorporating 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% of waste glass into the clay. The temperature of 900 °C was used for the firing process of clay bricks. Compressive strength, linear shrinkage, bulk density, apparent porosity and water absorption of the eco-friendly clay bricks were tested. Incorporating 20 wt% waste glass into clay bricks improved mechanical and physical properties: compressive strength (+29.4%), bulk density (+11.3%), apparent porosity (−16.0%), and water absorption (−24.6%). The digital micrographs demonstrated a reduction in the porosity with the addition of waste glass. This study revealed that the addition of waste glass induced the formation of a glass-phase fused bond with the body of clay when subjected to high temperature. Waste glass can be added to clay brick as a partial substitute for natural clay, improving the physical-mechanical and water absorption properties of clay bricks.

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            Published

            2025-10-31

            How to Cite

            Valorisation of Waste Glass in Eco-friendly Clay Brick: Influence on Physico-mechanical Properties and Water Absorption. (2025). Malaysian Journal of Chemical Engineering and Technology, 8(2), 81-98. https://doi.org/10.24191/mjcet.v8i2.8542

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