A method for preparing ceramsite by using municipal sludge as raw material, including the following specific steps: drying; preparing ingredients including raw sludge, fly ash, kaolinite, steelmaking slag, zeolite, hematite, calcareous shale, waste incineration fly ash, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, waste glass, calcium carbonate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium benzoate; mixing and stirring uniformly, and putting the stirred materials into a granulating machine for granulation; drying and preheating the material pellets after granulation, and then quickly transferring to a sintering device for first sintering at a low temperature and then sintering at a high temperature; crushing large chunks of the cooled materials; and separating and screening the crushed materials. The method of the present invention reduces the generation of the large chunks of the cooled materials in the obtained ceramsite, thereby reducing the subsequent crushing work and saving energy consumption accordingly.

Drill cuttings, initially cleaned to remove a majority of drilling fluids therefrom, but which have residual organic species, including hydrocarbons, therein are used in clean technologies to make a wide variety of ceramic and concrete products, such as tiles, slabs, blocks, bricks, pavers, decorative edgings, planters, modular barriers, embankments, medians, dividers, precast products and the like for a variety of commercial sectors. In the case of the concrete products, the organic species in the drill cuttings, including hydrocarbons, are first minimized or degraded in the drill cuttings using an oxidative process, such as photocatalytic oxidation, use of an oxidant or combinations thereof, prior to mixing the drill cuttings with cement and water, to form various concrete products. The products produced have acceptable compressive strengths and minimize or eliminate any leaching of the drill cutting contaminants therefrom. In the case of the ceramic and advanced ceramic products, the hydrocarbons and other contaminants are melted during the process of firing the ceramic products in the kiln. The kiln temperature is carefully controlled to minimize safety issues, which would otherwise be associated with the presence of at least the hydrocarbons in the products.

A ceramsite produced by using a river/lake/sea sludge and seashell powder as raw materials and a preparation method thereof are provided. The ceramsite is made of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 15-50 parts of shell powder, 5-15 parts of kaolin, 1-5 parts of peat ash, 15-30 parts of siliceous shale, 15-40 parts of furnace slag, 10-20 parts of fly ash, 15-40 parts of zeolite, 10-30 parts of river/lake/sea sludge, and 10-25 parts of peat. The shell powder is pulverized to a particle size of 60-200 mesh in fineness. A content of silica in the siliceous shale is 87.0%-89.5%. The preparation method of the ceramsite includes the following steps: taking raw materials, pulverizing, stirring, granulating, calcining, and naturally cooling, so as to obtain the ceramsite.

A functional ceramic material made from a raw material mixture which includes 0.1-0.5 wt % iron powder, 20-25 wt % bentonite, and a remainder of sludge (based on dry weight) which contains bacteria. To make the functional ceramic material, the raw material mixture is calcined at low temperature and anaerobic conditions. Use of the material for purifying a medium is also provided.

Compositions and methods for producing a manufactured product, a method for making a liquid absorbent, and processes for disposal of flammable liquids with a flue gas desulfurization by-product. The compositions for the manufactured products combine a binder and the by-product. The composition contains a greater percentage by weight of the by-product than the binder. The methods for producing manufactured products include dewatering the gypsum-depleted waste stream to reduce a water content, and forming the manufactured product. The method for making a liquid absorbent includes dewatering, granulating, drying, heating, and packaging a granulated gypsum-depleted composition as the liquid absorbent. The processes for disposal of flammable liquids include distributing a by-product into contact with flammable liquid, absorbing the liquid, transporting, and igniting the flammable liquid. The artificial soils are a combination of by-product and animal waste, human waste, or another bio-solid.

Compositions and methods for producing a manufactured product, a method for making a liquid absorbent, and processes for disposal of flammable liquids with a flue gas desulfurization by-product. The compositions for the manufactured products combine a binder and the by-product. The composition contains a greater percentage by weight of the by-product than the binder. The methods for producing manufactured products include dewatering the gypsum-depleted waste stream to reduce a water content, and forming the manufactured product. The method for making a liquid absorbent includes dewatering, granulating, drying, heating, and packaging a granulated gypsum-depleted composition as the liquid absorbent. The processes for disposal of flammable liquids include distributing a by-product into contact with flammable liquid, absorbing the liquid, transporting, and igniting the flammable liquid. The artificial soils are a combination of by-product and animal waste, human waste, or another bio-solid.

A functional ceramic material made from a raw material mixture which includes 0.1-0.5 wt % iron powder, 20-25 wt % bentonite, and a remainder of sludge (based on dry weight) which contains bacteria. To make the functional ceramic material, the raw material mixture is calcined at low temperature and anaerobic conditions. Use of the material for purifying a medium is also provided.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a ceramic article containing industrial, domestic or natural sludge, the ceramic article, and treated domestic or natural sludge suitable as raw material for the production of the ceramic article. The sludge (which definition excludes digestate that is obtained from a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) process comprising liquefaction of the organic fraction of MSW by addition of one or more enzymes) has been pretreated by a process comprising the optional step of drying the sludge to a moisture content of at most 10% by weight, resulting in dried sludge, and heating the sludge or dried sludge in a spouting bed incinerator and reducing the content of organic matter to less than 5% by weight. The invention furthermore relates to a process wherein the pretreatment comprises using the domestic or natural sludge as a food source for larvae.

A method for preparing lightweight clay-based aggregates, the aggregates being suitable for use notably in civil engineering works, in particular road uses, and construction. The method for preparing lightweight aggregates includes at least the following steps: a) a step of granulating a clay-based mixture, so as to obtain aggregates, b) a step of drying the aggregates obtained, so as to obtain dried aggregates, c) a step of heat treatment of the dried aggregates, this step having two successive substeps: i) a first substep of heat treatment carried out under a reducing atmosphere at a temperature Ti of between 900 C. and 1200 C. approximately, ii) a second substep of heat treatment carried out under an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature T2 of between 1050 C. and 1300 C. approximately, and d) a step of cooling the aggregates.