Use and characterization of sugar beet molasses as a strength enhancer in glazed porcelain ceramic floor tile bodies
Öz
Context—Sugar factories produce large quantities of sugar beet molasses as a byproduct. Although molasses is used in some industrial sectors, our research has shown that it has not been used as a strength enhancer in glazed porcelain ceramic floor tile body sludge granules for ceramic press machines.
Objective—The aim of this article is to investigate the use of sugar beet molasses as a strength enhancer in ceramic floor tile body sludge granules for ceramic press machines in ceramic factories, and to fill this gap in the literature.
Method—Press machines are used in the shaping process of ceramic floor tile production. Due to the lower-than-required moisture content and dry strength values of the granules, approximately 10% losses occur in ceramic tile production during and after glazing, and at the firing stage. To minimize these losses and achieve this at the lowest possible cost, sugar beet molasses, a byproduct of sugar factories, were added to standard floor tile body sludge at weight percentages of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5% to increase its strength. Subsequently, the changes occurring before and after the addition were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, SEM analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TG), and physical properties (strength, color measurement, density, flow time, sieve residue, particle size, dry strength, fired strength, shrinkage, water absorption, etc.) and incorporated into the process. The analysis showed that standard floor tile body sludge containing 0.3% sugar beet molasses had higher strength than standard body floor tile sludge without molasses.
Results—In a ceramic factory that consumes approximately 250 tons of granules per day with ceramic press machines, an average of 7500 tons of glazed porcelain ceramic floor tile body granules are used monthly. Considering that the 10% loss due to strength loss in ceramic press machine production can be recovered, the waste of 750 tons of granules per month will be prevented. The studies have shown that using waste sugar beet molasses as a strength enhancer in glazed porcelain ceramic floor tile body slurry granules in ceramic press machines will provide significant economic benefits to the company as well as support sustainability in the sector.
Conclusion—The use of sugar beet molasses will contribute to the sustainable development of the ceramics and sugar industries, prevent environmental pollution, and simultaneously reduce the cost of ceramic tiles. By reusing waste molasses, the company will achieve significant economic gains and will pioneer environmentally friendly production practices.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Kimya Mühendisliği (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Erken Görünüm Tarihi
8 Temmuz 2026
Yayımlanma Tarihi
-
Gönderilme Tarihi
3 Şubat 2026
Kabul Tarihi
5 Haziran 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Sayı: Advanced Online Publication