CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

The ceramic industry is based mainly on the product of clayey ceramic materials for use in the
civil construction such as bricks, ceramic blocks, wall tiles, roofing tiles and pipes (Santos,
1989). Common clays are basically raw materials used for the manufacture of ceramics.
Ceramics tiles are widely used in homes as well as floor tiles, WC, Jugs, and plates etc. The main
constituents of clay are silica (SiO2) and Alumina (Al2O3) used in the production of ceramic
wares with the addition of other materials to attain the desire product standard. Other materials
such as glass waste which were sometimes being disposed in landfills have been used in
substitute of conventional raw materials in ceramic production (Ogunro A.S et. al., 2018).

As indicated by 2010 information, the global generation of municipal solid waste was 1.3 billion
tons, out of which glass represent 5% of the waste. In Nigeria, the volume of glass waste in alone
is staggering, reaching approximately 2.5 million tons annually (Stan Edom, 2024). The need to
re-cycle, re-purpose and reuse the glass waste while engaging and training the youth does not
only address the challenge of urban waste, but of job creation. Glass waste is a huge challenge
confronting this nation; due to the large volumes used and discarded every day and their non-
degradable nature. Glass waste is not just a problem in Nigeria. It is a major issue all over the
world. Most glass waste ends up in landfills, taking of valuable space and potentially leaching
harmful chemicals into the environment. Since the effect of those glass waste is inevitable. The
need for effective and sustainable method to manage the menace is urgent. One solution is to
encourage the use of more recycle glass in manufacturing Recycling has proven to be the best
way to solve the plastic waste problem. In fact, recycled glass can be used to make new glass
bottles and jars, as well as fiber glass insulator and concrete. At the dump site and landfill sites,
glass waste cover a large space compared to the other waste product and their non-biodegradable
nature worsen the situation. The three Rs (that is reduce, reuse or recycle) have usually been used
to manage the glass waste problem. In Nigeria, the larger percentage of the glass waste generated
were been dumped as landfill with small amount considered for recycled (Adeleye S.A 2020).
Glass waste is a major contribution to the municipal solid waste collection (Farid Lachibi et. al.,
2023). As has been demonstrated by other researchers, it can be used as a fluxing agent in
ceramic production such as stoneware, tiles, bricks, concrete, and cement.
Tiles are most common material for floors, walls, room for decorative purposes. They are thin,
flat pieces of materials that are usually square or rectangular in shape. Tiles are made from
variety of materials including clay, stone, glass, metals and other synthetic materials. Ceramic
tiles are the most popular materials for interior floor decoration (China Building Sanitary
Ceramics Association, 2021). In daily life, peoples contact with ceramic tiles depends mainly on
their vision (Arthacho et. Al., 2020). Therefore, the design of tiles is primarily focus on the
visual aspect and sustainability. Some studies have correlate the visual features of design with
human preferences (Muggr and Schoormans, 2012; Guo et. al., 2019).

Ceramic tiles are considered common because of its strength (about 350 to 400Kg/cm²), have
high abrasion resistance, (6-7 on Mohr scale), light weight, low water absorption, specific heat of
about 0.12 as well as their ability to resist fire.

In ceramic tile compositions, an optimum combination or mixture of various ingredients and raw
materials is considered as the key step, because the physico-chemical properties of tiles depend
on such optimum conditions. In other words, in the development and manufacture of ceramic
tiles, some basic physical properties such as firing shrinkage, water absorption, bulk density,
bending strength etc. act as the quality control parameters, which ultimately depend on the
chemical compositions of the raw materials (S.A Jahan et. al., 2008).

The rate at which ceramic tiles demand is increasing day by day, and researchers are becoming
interested in developing a lucrative tile with high mechanical strength for household uses and for
decorating purpose (Das et. al 2005; Ologun et. al 2005 and Shah and Maity 2005). Using glass
waste as aggregate in tile production reduces the need for sand, which can be scarce in some
areas.

Certainly, glass waste in tile production adds strength, durability, and reduce the amount of glass
going to landfills. In other words, ceramic Glass waste has the potential to use in construction at
a certain level of replacement to achieve desirable properties.

1.2 Statement of purpose

The growing amount of glass waste in Nigeria presents a significant challenge. Landfills are
filling up and the waste material could be causing environmental damage. One common solution
is to use waste glass as a constituent in the production of tiles. However, the properties of tiles
made with the material have not been fully evaluated. The physical and mechanical properties of
tiles made with varying amount of waste glass to determine if this is a possible solution. The
recycling of glass waste helps saves a lot of energy and natural resources. The result of the
research will provide valuable information on the feasibility of using waste glass in tiles
production as well as developing new manufacturing processes and techniques.

1.3 Aim and objectives of the study

1.3.1 Aim of the study

The aim of this research is to evaluate the effect of waste glass in tiles production.

1.3.2 Objectives of the study

i. To determine the properties of glass

ii. To determine the optimum binder content in tile production

iii. To determine the strength property of the tile

iv. To determine the durability property of the tile

1.4 Scope and limitations of the study

The study will evaluate the properties of waste glass in tiles production. This research will
involve conducting a laboratory test to determine the compressive strength, durability, optimum
binder content and glass properties of tiles produce from waste glass. The work will focus on
tiles produce with varying amount of waste glass (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) and a comparison on the
result is made.

The study does not reflect the environmental impact of using waste glass, does not covers the
economics of using waste glass in tile production, and the result of the study may not be
applicable to all types of tiles or waste glass.
1.5 Significance of the study

The study is aimed at evaluating the properties of waste glass in tiles production. This will
provide knowledge on the tile production on addition of the waste glass which will enable the
most suitable tile produce to be chosen, and thus creating new opportunities for recycle.