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.

Disclosed are a low-shrinkage, high-strength, and large ceramic plate and a manufacturing method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: (1) preparing a ceramic raw material powder; (2) subjecting an acicular wollastonite to surface coating with a silane coupling agent and to pre-dispersion with a fumed silica to obtain a pre-treated acicular wollastonite; and (3) thoroughly mixing the ceramic raw material powder and the pre-treated acicular wollastonite and granulating the resulting mixture, the amount of the pre-treated acicular wollastonite added being 10 wt % to 30 wt % of the ceramic raw material powder, and subjecting the resulting granules to dry pressing and sintering to obtain the large ceramic plate. The acicular wollastonite is incorporated into the manufacturing of the large ceramic plate to take full advantage of the reinforcing effect and low sintering shrinkage characteristics of the acicular wollastonite. The invention reduces sintering shrinkage and increases product strength.

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.

An apparatus and method for debindering a cellular ceramic green body. The apparatus includes a flow modulation member to selectively restrict circulation of a heated oxygen-containing atmosphere through a top of a cellular core section of the green body. The method includes heating the green body in a circulating oxygen-containing atmosphere while selectively restricting circulation of the atmosphere through the top of the cellular core section of the green body.

An apparatus and method for debindering a cellular ceramic green body. The apparatus includes a flow modulation member to selectively restrict circulation of a heated oxygen-containing atmosphere through a top of a cellular core section of the green body. The method includes heating the green body in a circulating oxygen-containing atmosphere while selectively restricting circulation of the atmosphere through the top of the cellular core section of the green body.

The present invention relates to a composite material, particularly a composite material for ceramic tiles, stone cladding, surface tops (e.g. worktops), and the like. The composite materials are typically derived from waste products. The composite materials of the present invention are formed from a glass component and a non-glass mineral component (e.g. ceramics and/or glaze). Generally the composite materials do not require any binders (especially synthetic binders) to hold the materials together. Therefore, the composite materials and products made therefrom are typically recyclable.

Calcined kaolin comprising a narrow particle size distribution and a fluxing agent are disclosed herein. In some examples, the calcined kaolin comprises particles, wherein 90% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 10 microns; 80% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 5 microns; 40% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 2 microns; and 20% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron. The calcined kaolin exhibits improved brightness, whiteness, particle size distribution, mullite index, and +325 mesh residue level compared to conventional calcined kaolin. Methods of making and using the calcined kaolin particles are also provided herein.

A method for manufacturing high-purity aluminum hydroxide and alumina material is disclosed, which includes the steps of: reacting aluminum metal with a mixture of organic base and water to form aluminum hydroxide suspension; removing water by filtration to form aluminum hydroxide slurry, and for manufacturing alumina material, further drying/baking the slurry to form aluminum oxide powders. The method is amenable to mass production of high-purity aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide containing total silica and non-aluminum metal impurities less than 0.005% and having a bulk density higher than 3.0 g/cc. In addition, the invention also provides high-purity aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide prepared by using the method disclosed and bulk products prepared therefrom.

A method for manufacturing high-purity aluminum hydroxide and alumina material is disclosed, which includes the steps of: reacting aluminum metal with a mixture of organic base and water to form aluminum hydroxide suspension; removing water by filtration to form aluminum hydroxide slurry, and for manufacturing alumina material, further drying/baking the slurry to form aluminum oxide powders. The method is amenable to mass production of high-purity aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide containing total silica and non-aluminum metal impurities less than 0.005% and having a bulk density higher than 3.0 g/cc. In addition, the invention also provides high-purity aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide prepared by using the method disclosed and bulk products prepared therefrom.

A low-temperature fast-fired lightweight ceramic heat insulation plate and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method comprises: performing ball milling and powder spraying on a raw material containing foamable ceramic waste slag to prepare foamable powder, the foamable ceramic waste slag accounting for 80-100 wt % of the weight of the raw material; uniformly mixing 100 weight portions of the foamable powder with 3-15 weight portions of granular powder of a low-melting-point organic matter to obtain mixed powder materials; pressing the mixed powder materials under 10-20 MPa to prepare a ceramic green body; and firing the ceramic green body at a temperature of 1100-1170 C. to prepare the lightweight energy-saving ceramic heat insulation plate.