Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252

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Construction and Building Materials

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Ecological bricks from dimension stone waste and polyester resin

Maiccon Martins Barros a,b, Marcelo Ferreira Leão de Oliveira a,
Roberto Carlos da Conceição Ribeiro c, Daniele Cruz Bastos b,⇑, Márcia Gomes de Oliveira a
a
Division of Materials Processing and Characterization, National Institute of Technology – INT, Avenida Venezuela 82, Saúde, 20081-312, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
b
Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste – UEZO, Avenida Manuel Caldeira de Alvarenga, 1203, Campo Grande, 23070-200, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
c
Centre of Mineral Technology – CETEM, 21941–908, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

h i g h l i g h t s

A new ecological brick was developed with good thermal stability.

The resistance of the brick was 350% higher than that established by NBR 8492.

The new ecological brick was developed with a fire resistance.

In the water absorption test the brick had a lower value than specified in NBR 8492.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this work, the viability of using dimension stone (limestone) waste by mixing them with polyester
Received 30 July 2019 resin to produce a new type of ecological brick, in the model of soil-cement bricks, was tested. First,
Received in revised form 3 October 2019 limestone waste were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry/derivative ther-
Accepted 12 October 2019
mogravimetry analysis (TG/DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and
scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Second, the polyester resin was analyzed by FTIR and TG/DTG.
Then the materials were mixed manually in a plastic beaker with the aid of a glass stick, and the lime-
Keywords:
stone/polyester composites were compounded in ratios of 70/30, 80/20, 85/15 and 90/10 (weight per-
Limestone waste
Ecological brick
centage). The amount of curing agent (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, MEKP) used for each composition
Polyester resin was 0.6, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2 mL, respectively. After the mixing step, the specimens were cylindrically
Soil-cement brick shaped for the compression test (ASTM D695). The 70/30 composite presented the highest compressive
strength, with a value of approximately 54 MPa, followed by 80/20, 85/15 and 90/10. The 90/10 com-
posite, despite presenting a lower result than the other composites, achieved the value required by the
standard at 600%, and its use will imply a lower cost due to the use of only 10% resin, plus the benefit
of 90% waste no longer discarded in the environment. Due to these factors, the 90/10 composite was
selected to be produced in real scale (prototype) and properly characterized. The bricks thus obtained
were submitted to tests of compression (NBR 8492), water absorption (NBR 8492), TG/DTG and
flammability (ASTM D635). The compressive strength of the limestone/polyester (90/10) brick was
280% and 350% higher when compared to the soil-cement brick and to the requirements for building
bricks, respectively. The mean value of water absorption for the soil-cement brick was approximately
16.3%, close to the limit required by the standard (20%). In contrast, the value for the limestone/polye-
ster (90/10) ecological brick was only 4%. The flammability test results showed that pure polyester
resin has a tendency to propagate flames, but in the limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick, no
propagation occurred because inorganic matter increased fire resistance.
Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Brick manufacturing is an essential part of the construction

industry, but it contributes heavily to environmental degradation.
⇑ Corresponding author. As pointed out by Murmu and Patel [1], a brick kiln emits about
E-mail address: danielebastos@uezo.rj.gov.br (D.C. Bastos). 70–282 g of carbon dioxide, 0.001–0.29 g of black carbon,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117252
0950-0618/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
2 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252
0.29–5.78 g of carbon monoxide (CO) and 0.15–1.56 g of particu-
late matter per kilogram of bricks fired, depending on the type of
kiln and fuel used. Furthermore, it consumes about 0.54–3.14 MJ
of specific energy per kilogram of bricks produced, again depend-
ing on the type of kiln and fuel.
According to Rana et al. [2], the term ‘‘dimensional stone” is col-
lectively used for different types of natural stones used as struc-
tural or ornamental elements in buildings and monuments. A
dimensional stone should be strong, workable, polish-able and
resistant to physical and chemical weathering. It is mainly used
in the construction industry for flooring, paving, cladding, funerary
monuments, statues etc. Different types of igneous, metamorphic,
and sedimentar rocks such as granite, marble, limestone, sand-
stone, slate, travertine etc. are used as dimensional stones. Granite,
marble and limestone are the most commonly used dimensional
stones around the world.
As pointed by Kumar et al. [3], during dimensioning, each stone
industry unit generates both solid waste and stone slurry. Solid
waste results from the rejects at the mine sites or at the processing
units, whereas stone slurry generates as a semi liquid substance
consisting of particles originating from the sawing and the polish-
ing processes. They either end up in landfills or other disposal sites
where they degrade the environment.
Apart from conventional fired and unfired bricks, autoclaved
bricks and geopolymer bricks are the most recent developments
in the brick industry [1,4–8].
The limestone industry is included in the natural stone industry
sector, more specifically in the sub-sector of dimension stone, com-
prising the extraction and processing of rocks for ornamental
applications. This economic activity is an important sector in the
global economy, especially in Brazil, a country that has a large
expanse of acid soils with low fertility [9,10].
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and
aragonite, both comprised of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), but
assembled in a trigonal and orthorhombic system, respectively.
Limestone can also contain quartz, sand, chert and clay [11].
Bruno et al. [4] presented an innovative and energy-efficient
thermo-mechanical process for the manufacture of masonry bricks.
The proposed process combines ‘‘hypercompaction” of raw earth at
a high pressure of 100 MPa with quick firing at low temperatures
and times. A series of laboratory tests was performed to assess
the pore fabric, compressive strength, water durability and mois-
ture buffering capacity of hypercompacted bricks quickly fired at
five different temperatures (280, 455, 640, 825 and 1000 °C). The
results suggested that the process has the opportunity of improv-
ing production quality while significantly reducing manufacturing
time, energy consumption and environmental impact.
Soltan et al. [12] aimed to optimize the industrial applications
of granite and kaolinite rock tailings in the brick industry. For
this end, three rock tailings types were selected to be character-
ized and equally mixed for testing. The physical characteristics
of the fired batch, at 1200 °C, showed that it can be used in
the manufacture of building clay bricks. The bricks at 1200 °C
had acceptable linear shrinkage (2.55%), bulk density (2.01 g.
cm3), apparent porosity (22.57%), water absorption (11.23%)
and crushing strength (20.5 MPa), suitable to withstand severe
weathering.
Geopolymer interlocking rubberized bricks were produced and
tested for compressive strength, dimension, modulus of rupture,
water absorption, initial rate of absorption and efflorescence by
Mohammed et al. [6]. The bricks presented low compressive
and flexural strength and high water absorption capacity. The
bricks were rated as non-effloresced and classified as third-class
bricks, which can be used as non-load bearing material. The
authors recommended utilizing nano silica to increase the bricks’
strength.
Amin et al. [5] prepared a geopolymer body by calcining the fine
waste obtained from the cyclone residue from making wall tiles,
mixed with slaked lime and caustic soda. The recipe that resulted
in the maximum 28-day compressive strength consisted of 10%
Ca(OH)2, 1% NaOH and 38% water. This recipe resulted in a maxi-
mum compressive strength of about 9 MPa, which is above the
minimum requirements for building bricks.
Zhao et al. [8] studied the use of hematite tailings with sand and
lime for production of autoclaved bricks. In autoclaved brick pro-
duction, the molded blocks are heated in an autoclave. Autoclaved
bricks that are aerated (containing about 50–60% air) are very light
and have low thermal conductivity. These bricks are also non-toxic,
reusable, renewable and recyclable, and hence are more eco-
friendly than conventional burnt clay bricks, which are environ-
mentally unsustainable. However, production of autoclaved bricks
requires specialized equipment and the cost per unit is higher than
that of conventional bricks.
Soil-cement bricks are attractive for housing construction,
mainly in developing countries [13]. These bricks result from the
mixture of sandy soil, cement and water in predetermined propor-
tions, and show good thermo-acoustic performance, besides being
resistant, durable and inexpensive. In addition, soil-cement bricks
do not need to be fired, since they are self-assembled and dispense
with finishing [14].
Siqueira and Holanda [15] investigated the reuse of waste grits
as raw material replacing Portland cement by up to 30 wt% in soil-
cement bricks. The grits were obtained from a pulp mill located in
southeastern Brazil. It was found that the grits were mainly com-
posed of calcite (CaCO3) particles. The results indicated that waste
grits can be used economically, safely, and sustainably at weight
percentages of up to 20% to partially replace Portland cement in
soil-cement bricks.
Many products/processes can use dimension stone waste as
reinforcing fillers. Producers of polymer composites stand out for
receiving mineral loads that reduce production costs and improve
the mechanical properties of these materials [16–19].
Thermosetting polyesters such as unsaturated polyester are fre-
quently used as matrix materials in polymer composites, as fiber
reinforced plastic and polymer concretes, plastic paints and sheet
molding compounds. The resins provide some advantages because
of their large range of mechanical properties, low cost, good corro-
sion resistance and low weight. Room temperature curing involves
the generation of a high free-radical flux using organic peroxides
such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) or di-benzoyl perox-
ide [20].
The goal of the present work was to test the viability of
using dimension stone (limestone) waste by mixing them with
polyester resin to produce a new ecological brick in the model
of soil-cement bricks, with curing and pressing at room
temperature.
2. Experimental procedures
2.1. Characterization of Materials:
The orthophthalic unsaturated polyester resin used in this work
was acquired from Lokal Fibra, with density of 1.10–1.20 g.cm3
and melting point between 135 and 165 °C). MEKP, also purchased
from Lokal Fibra, with density of 1.17 g.cm3, was used as curing
agent. The aggregate materials used were limestone waste, origi-
nating from cutting dimension stone, from Rio Grande do Norte,
Brazil, with density of 2.76 g.cm3, supplied by the Centre of Min-
eral Technology (CETEM, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). To reduce the costs
of the process, limestone waste were used as received, without
sieving or treatment.
 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252 3

The FTIR spectra of the polyester and limestone waste were
obtained with a Nicolet Nexus 470 spectrometer in transmission
mode in the 4000–400 cm1 range and spectral resolution of
4 cm1, using 64 scans, and KBr pellets.
Thermogravimetric curves of the weight loss versus tempera-
ture of polyester resin and limestone were obtained using an
SDT-Q600 thermogravimetric analyzer from TA Instruments, oper-
ating from 40 to 900 °C at a heating rate of 20 °C/min under N2
atmosphere.
XRD patterns of limestone waste were obtained with a Rigaku
diffractometer with Cuka radiation (k = 1.5418 Å) operating at
40 kV and 40 mA. The spectra were recorded at 2h diffraction
angles in the range of 2–15° with a step of 0.03° and a counting
time of 1s per step.
Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of limestone were
obtained with a JSM-6510LV microscope using backscattered elec-
tron detectors (BEI). The acceleration voltage was set at 20 kV,
using cryogenically fractured samples, metallized with gold before
the analysis. The images were obtained at 300 and 1500
magnification.
The chemical composition of limestone waste was character-
ized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) with a Bruker instrument, using
the Omnian semiquantitative method.
2.2. Processing of composites
2.2.1. Preparation and characterization of materials
Limestone waste were previously dried in an oven with forced
air circulation at 80 °C for 24 h and stored in a desiccator for
another 24 h before processing.
The materials were mixed manually in a plastic beaker with the
aid of a glass rod, and the limestone/polyester composites were
compounded in ratios of 70/30, 80/20, 85/15 and 90/10 (weight
percentage). The amount of curing agent (MEKP) used for each
composition was 0.6, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2 mL, respectively.
After the mixing step, the specimens were molded as estab-
lished by ASTM D695 [21]. The compressive strength tests of the
cylindrical specimens were performed in an EMIC universal testing
machine, model DL-3000. The strain rate during the test was
1.0 mm.min1 with a 10 kN load cell and temperature of 23 °C.

Fig. 1. Brick preparation steps (a, b, c); compression (d); limestone/polyester ecological brick (90/10) with brown, natural color (gray) and green pigment, respectively (e)(For
interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
4 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252

2.2.2. Prototype preparation and characterization
After the compressive strength test results, we determined that
the 90/10 limestone/polyester proportion should be used for
preparation of the ecological bricks in real scale (prototype), since
the composition contained the largest amount of limestone waste
and had good mechanical properties (600% above the requirements
for building bricks).
The mixtures were produced manually with the aid of two woo-
den sticks and a plastic bucket. Coloring tests were carried out on
the bricks by mixing 5% (by weight) of brown and green powdered
pigment with the limestone/polyester/curing agent.
The specimens were molded using a steel mold adapted for an
EMIC universal testing machine, model DL-3000, with a load of
30 kN, as indicated in Fig. 1(a–c). This is a type B rectangular par-
allelepiped form (with two holes), with dimensions of
24 cm  12 cm  7 cm according to the standard ABNT NBR 8492
[22], with the aid of a piston to compact the material in the mold.
The bricks were completed after a total curing time of 12 h at room
temperature (Fig. 1d).
Compressive tests of the limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological
bricks (Fig. 1e) and soi-cement bricks were carried out following
the ABNT NBR 8492 [22] standard in an Instron universal testing

Fig. 2. FTIR results: polyester resin (a) and limestone waste (b).
 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252 5

machine, model 3380, with a capacity of 100 kN. The strain rate the saturated and dry mass of the test specimens corresponds to
during the test was 500 N.s1 with a 100 kN load cell and a temper- the total water absorption capacity, calculated on a dry basis.
ature of 23 °C. The individual water absorption values of each test specimen,
The water absorption tests were performed based on NBR 8492 expressed as a percentage, were obtained by Eq. (1), while mean
[22]. The selected bricks for this test were dried in an oven, absorption was determined by the arithmetic mean of 3 replicates.
between 105 °C and 110 °C, until there is no change in mass. The
A ¼ ½ðm2  m1 Þ=m1   100 ð1Þ
weights were measured after the bricks reached room tempera-
ture, thus obtaining the mass m1 of the dry brick, in grams. Then where:
the specimens were immersed in a water tank for 24 h. After this
period, they were removed from water, wiped superficially with A ¼ waterabsortionð%Þ
a cloth and weighed within 3 min, thus obtaining the mass of the m1 ¼ massofdrybrickðg Þ
saturated brick m2, in grams. The percentage difference between m2 ¼ massofsaturetedbrickðgÞ

Fig. 3. TG (-) and DTG (–) curves: polyester resin (a) and limestone waste (b).
6 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252
The thermal stability of the bricks (90/10) was evaluated by ther-
mogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry analysis (TG/DTG),
using a Netzsch STA 409 PC Luxx analyzer, with platinum pan, tem-
perature ramp between 40 and 900 °C, heating rate of 10 °C/min and
nitrogen atmosphere.
For the horizontal firing test (flammability test), the polyester
and limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick specimens were
prepared according to ASTM D635 [23], by compression molding
in a Marconi MA098/A400 heated hydraulic press (adjusted to
170 oC) and a MA098/R15 cooled hydraulic press (adjusted to
25 °C), using 9 tons of pressure in both presses. The heated pressing
time was 7 min. The specimens were produced in the dimensions of
125.0 ± 5.0 mm  13.0 ± 0.5 mm  5.0 ± 2.0 mm (length  width 
thickness), using a silicone mold. For the specimens that continued
to be fired after the flame reached the 25 mm reference mark, the
linear burning rate (V) was calculated according to Eq. (2):
V ¼ 60ðL=tÞ ð2Þ
where:
L = Burning range from the 25 mm mark, in millimeters;
t = Burning time from the 25 mm mark, in seconds.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Characterization of materials
Fig. 2 shows the FTIR results. Fig. 2a shows the infrared graph of
the polyester resin. The adsorption bands at 3441.7 cm1,
Fig. 4. Limestone waste: XRD results - (1) calcite, (2) dolomite, (3) quartz and (4)
kaolinite.
Fig. 5. SEM micrographs of limestone waste: 300 magnification (a) and 1500 magnification (b).
2996.1 cm1, 2884.8 cm1 and 1728.0 cm1 indicate the presence
of CAOH, CAH(ACH3, ACH2) and C@O groups, respectively,
according to Wang et al. [24]. Fig. 2b shows the infrared
graph of limestone waste, whose results are in accordance with
the main characteristic limestone bands [25]: 2960.0–2850.0
(CAH stretching) and 1490.0–1410.0/880.0–860.0 (carbonate ion
stretching).
Fig. 3(a) shows the TG and DTG curves of polyester resin, with
Tonset around 335 °C and Tendset around 445 °C, and with
peak of the DTG curve at around 390 °C. Total mass loss of
approximately 95%, with residual mass of 5.57%, is typical of this
material [26].
Fig. 3(b) shows the TG and DTG curves of limestone waste, with
Tonset around 700 °C and Tendset around 810 °C, with peak in the
DTG curve at about 783.4 °C and residual mass of 6.52%, typical
values of this material [25,27].
The limestone diffractogram (Fig. 4) shows predominant peaks
of calcite carbonates (CaCO3). Its composition is characteristic of
calcitic carbonaceous rocks. In addition, there are also peaks of
dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) and quartz (SiO2), as also reported by
Soares et al. [28]. The highest intensity peak is located at a 2h angle
equal to 29.4° relative to calcitic limestone [29,30].
Fig. 5 shows the limestone waste SEM micrographs, with 300
and 1500 magnification, respectively, revealing the angular size
and morphology. The presence of particles that stand out by size
and morphology is probably related to calcium carbonate grains
[27].
The limestone sample was characterized by XRF (Table 1). As
reported in Table 1, calcium oxide constitutes the major part of
the limestone composition, with magnesium oxide below 5%, char-
acterizing calcitic limestone. The chemical composition of the
limestone shows typical characteristics of carbonate rocks, consist-
ing predominantly of CaO (89.49%). Traces can be identified,
among them iron, aluminum and alkali metal salts (K and P), also
found in limestone by Souza and Bragança [31].
Table 1
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results for
limestone waste.
Oxides Concentration (%)
CaO 89.49
MgO 2.60
SiO2 1.08
Fe2O3 0.48
P2O5 0.10
K2O 0.07
PF 5.98
 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252 7

3.2. Characterization of composites The use of this formulation (90/10) will imply lower cost due to
the use of only 10% resin, plus the advantage of 90% waste (lime-
3.2.1. Compressive strength – ASTM D 695 stone) no longer being discarded in the environment. Due to these
The compressive strength results of the composites are pre- factors, this composite was selected to continue the studies,
sented in Table 2. involving production in real scale (prototype).
The limestone/polyester 70/30 composite had the highest com-
pressive strength (54 MPa), followed by the 80/20, 85/15 and 3.2.2. Prototype preparation and characterization
90/10 composites, respectively. This fact is associated with the Table 3 compares the results of the compressive strength of the
high compressive strength of the orthophthalic polyester resin, of soil-cement bricks and the prototype (90/10) with the values
about 91.44 MPa [32]. established in the standard.
The composite 90/10, with only 10% resin content, showed The results of compressive strength of the soil-cement brick
lower compressive strength values, which can be attributed to (2.5 MPa) were 125% higher than the value required by the
the fact that resin content was insufficient to cover all aggregate standard (2.0 MPa for average values), and are in agreement with
(limestone) particles, as also reported by Gorninski [33]. Presa [34], who achieved a value of 2.2 MPa. The values found for
All results were higher than those required by the NBR 8492 limestone/resin (90/10) ecological brick (7.0 MPa) were 350%
standard for ecological bricks (2.0 MPa). The limestone/polyester higher than the requirements for building bricks (NBR 8492).
90/10 composite, despite presenting a lower result than the other Water absorption (NBR 8492) was calculated using Eq. (1). This
composites, has a value above that required by the standard at is an important property because it affects the stability and dura-
600%. bility of bricks. Soil-cement bricks showed values of 16.3%. This
result is according to the literature: 16.3% and 13.72% [34]. This
Table 2 value is closer than the limit established by NBR 8492 (20% for
Compressive strength values for limestone/polyester composites: 70/30; 80/20; 85/ average values and 22% for individual values). In contrast, lime-
15 and 90/10.
stone/polyester (90/10) ecological bricks had values well below
Limestone/polyester composites (% w/w) Compressive strength (MPa) 4%. This can be attributed to the presence of polyester resin, which
70/30 54 ± 4 has a hydrophobic character and low permeability to water. The
80/20 50 ± 2 increase in resin content tends to decrease water absorption [33].
85/15 39 ± 2 Fig. 6 shows the TG/DTG curves of the limestone/resin (90/10)
90/10 12 ± 1
ecological bricks. Two events can be observed, one possibly related
to the limestone and the other to the polyester resin. The first
Tonset, at around 335 °C, is directly related to the polyester resin,
Table 3 as is the first Tendset, of around 425 °C, close to that found in the
Compressive strength: soil-cement brick; limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological characterization of the polyester resin. For the second Tonset and
brick and value estabilished by NBR 8492. Tendset, the approximate values are related to the start (700 °C)
Brick Compressive strength (MPa) and end (810 °C) of decomposition of the limestone. The peak at
365 °C in the DTG curve is associated with the polyester resin
NBR 8492 2.0 ± 0.0
Soil-cement 2.5 ± 0.2 and the peak at 778 °C with the limestone. The residual mass found
Limestone/polyester (90/10) 7.0 ± 0.0 for the composite was 49.41%, close to that identified for pure
limestone, attributed to its high proportion (90%) in the composite.

Fig. 6. TG (-) and DTG (–) curves of limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick.
8 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252
Fig. 7. Flammability results: Polyester resin before burning (a); polyester resin after burning (b); limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick before burning (c) and
limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick after burning (d).
Regarding the results of the flammability tests (Fig. 7a–d), the
polyester resin burned to completion.
All specimens with 100% polyester resin burned with great
intensity after removal of the igniter flame (V = 24.8 ± 1.3 mm.
s1). In all specimens, the flame exceeded the reference mark of
25 mm before 30 s, leading to total carbonization, as shown in
Fig. 7b. Drips and large soot emission were observed. For the lime-
stone/polyester (90/10) ecological bricks, all the specimens had
flame interruption at the exact moment of the ignition flame
removal. In all specimens, the flame did not exceed the 25 mm ref-
erence mark, as shown in Fig. 7d. No dripping was found, while
small soot emission was observed.
According to Gorninski [33], polyester, like most organic com-
pounds containing carbon and hydrogen, burns easily, releasing a
large amount of smoke in the process (presence of aromatic
groups).
For all the limestone/polyester (90/10) specimens, no flame
propagation was observed, possibly due to the large presence of
the inorganic matter, limestone, which acts as a flame retardant [35].
4. Conclusions
In this work it was possible to develop a new ecological brick
based on dimension stone (limestone) waste and polyester resin,
using methyl ethyl ketone peroxide as catalyst, produced and
pressed at room temperature, in the model of soil-cement bricks.

The compression test (ASTM D695) showed the following
results: the 70/30 composition presented the highest compres-
sive strength, followed by 80/20, 85/15 and 90/10, respectively.
The best composite determined for scale production (prototype)
was 90/10 due to the greater use of limestone waste.

The compression test (NBR 8492) of the prototype showed that
the resistance of the limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological
brick, of 7.0 MPa, was 350% higher than that established by
NBR 8492.

In the water absorption test (NBR 8492), the limestone/polye-
ster (90/10) ecological brick had a lower value (4%) than speci-
fied in NBR 8492 (not to exceed 20%) and soil-cement bricks
(16.3%), possibly due to the presence of the hydrophobic polye-
ster resin.

The thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry analysis
(TG/DTG) of the limestone/polyester (90/10) ecological brick
showed the existence of two Tonset and two Tendset temperatures,
characteristic of polyester and limestone, respectively. The
residual mass was close to the value found for pure limestone,
attributed to the high proportion in the composite.

As for the flammability test (ASTM D635), the pure polyester
resin had a tendency to propagate flames, but there was no
propagation when producing the limestone/polyester (90/10)
ecological brick, likely because the inorganic matter acted as a
flame inhibitor.
In summary, a new ecological brick was developed with high
compressive strength, low water absorption, good thermal stability
and a fire resistance, using 90% limestone waste, thus contributing
to sustainability.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
We thank CNPq, Faperj, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia (INT),
Centro de Tecnologia Mineral (CETEM).
 M.M. Barros et al. / Construction and Building Materials 232 (2020) 117252 9

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