Production of ceramic bricks using nickel slags as contribution to decarbonization

Purpose: The study suggests that the high concentration of mining and metallurgical enterprises on the territory of the Russian Ural region determines the need to consider industrial waste, including nickel slag, as a possible raw material for the production of ceramic bricks. The article describes the properties of clays and nickel slag obtained at metallurgical enterprises in the Orenburg region and the features of their use as components in the composition of ceramic bricks. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this purpose, such tasks as determining the technological parameters of production, conducting the X-ray phase and microstructural analysis of the obtained samples were solved. Findings: Compositions of ceramic mass using clay from the Khalilovsky deposit (Orenburg region) with the addition of nickel slag (20 and 40% by weight) have been developed, and their physical and mechanical properties (compressive strength, bending strength, water absorption and density) have been determined. With the help of modern research methods involving high-tech equipment, the microstructure is considered and the phase composition of the finished samples is determined. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the composition of the selected clay and nickel slag in the obtained rational composition ensures the production of ceramic bricks of grades M175 and M200. Originality/value: This is the first study on the use of nickel slag for the production of ceramic bricks. The results relate primarily to Russian feedstocks, but a methodology is presented that can be applied to other countries as well as to other silica-containing feedstocks. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.