Elaboration of ceramic material with sludge from the wastewater treatment plant of the tomato processing industry

The tomato processing industry generates huge quantities of sludge annually (1.5% of the tomato) which represents an environmental problem, especially in the large producing areas such as Extremadura in Spain. The substitution of clayey raw materials for other wastes, in this case tomato sewage sludge, in the production of traditional ceramics, could be cost-effective from the utilization and recycling of these wastes as a secondary raw material. Different quantities of sewage sludge from the tomato processing industry have been added to the body of the clay to produce ceramic materials. It has achieved a ceramic material with greater porosity to improve its thermal and acoustic insulation capacity.