Microstructural Characterization of Fired Clay Bricks in the Chontalpa Region, Tabasco, Mexico

Abstract

In the Mexican state of Tabasco, clay-like materials are of particular interest in the handcraft and construction industries. Combining both and due to the abundance of clay on this region, fired clay bricks are commonly used in construction. These are done in an artesian way without proper quality control. We present a chemical content analysis study for three particular areas in the Chontalpa region in Tabasco, where the mud used to produce the fired clay bricks is obtained. It is found that the mineralogical composition and firing temperature influence the brick porosity promoting textural and physical changes.

Keywords:

• Aggressive environments
• Building materials
• Crystalline phases
• Durability
• Fired clay bricks
• Firing temperature
• Microstructural characterization
• Mineralogical composition
• Moisture
• Pollution
• Porosity
• Radiation solar
• Raw clay
• Textural properties
• Vitrification

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to acknowledge M. E. Espinosa Pesqueira and J. Pérez del Prado for their technical assistance with X ray diffraction and electronic microscope analyses in the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Mexico.