The domestication of cost-effective, green, and sustainable building materials is significant towards its massive adoption in the developing countries. The feasibility of developing porous ceramics for cost-effective thermal insulation of buildings was explored in this study using waste materials including granite shifting and sawdust as well as chemical reagents including water glass and sodium hydroxide. Granite shifting and sawdust were dried, processed into powdered form, milled and sieved. Samples of porous ceramics were formulated using varying percentages by weight of granite shifting and sawdust mixed with a constant percentage by weight of water glass and sodium hydroxide in three different cases. The homogenized powder of the formulated composition was uniaxially pressed at 10Mpa. The samples were dried and then sintered in a gas kiln at 8500C for 3 hours. The result revealed water absorption (21.1−56.5%), compressive strength (1.2−7.9Mpa), bulk density (1.44−1.81g/cm3), apparent porosity (38.1−81.3%), and thermal conductivity (0.13−0.54W/m.K). These results indicated that the obtained porous ceramics is a potential material for cost-effective thermal insulation of buildings where a suitable combination of thermal conductivity, porosity, and mechanical strength is required.

The vast need for refractories in Nigeria makes it imperative to domesticate its production in the country in order to reduce over-reliance on their importation. In this research, refractory porcelain crucibles were produced from indigenous ceramic raw materials from Ikere Ekiti and Awo (locations in South Western, Nigeria). Chemical analysis was carried out on the raw materials using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF) to determine their chemical compositions. Five body compositions, labeled as samples A-E were formulated and the crucibles were produced using slip casting. They were dried and fired in a gas kiln up to 13000C for 6 hours. The result of the standard tests carried out on the locally produced porcelain crucibles showed total shrinkage of 10%-15%, water absorption of 0.36%-0.72%, compressive strength of 1.43N/mm2-1.65 N/mm2 and refractoriness of 1680.20C-1717.50C. The result showed that ceramic raw materials sourced from the selected deposits in South Western Nigeria are suitable for the production of porcelain crucibles with good refractory properties.