Brick Making Raw Material Proportioning Scheme: The Key to Producing High-Quality Bricks

Brick Making Raw Material Proportioning Scheme: The Key to Producing High-Quality Bricks

The raw material proportioning is crucial for producing high-quality bricks, directly determining their strength, durability, and appearance. A good formula, like a precise recipe, requires balancing the proportions of several basic raw materials.

Core Raw Materials and Their Roles:

Aggregates (sand, crushed stone, etc.): Form the "skeleton" of the brick, providing volume and most of its strength. They must be clean, hard, and have a reasonable particle size distribution (i.e., good "gradation").

Cementitious Materials (cement, lime, etc.): Act as the "glue," reacting with water to firmly bind all aggregate particles together. This is the key source of strength.

Water: Initiates the chemical reaction of the cementitious materials and makes the mixture easy to shape. The amount of water must be precisely controlled.

Admixtures (fly ash, slag, etc., optional): Can partially replace cement, reducing costs, and sometimes improving certain brick properties, such as increasing density.

Common Reference Mix Proportions (by weight) and Adjustment Strategies:

A widely used basic formula is: aggregate approximately 70-80%, cement approximately 15-20%, and water as needed.

To increase strength: Increase the cement proportion appropriately, or use higher strength cement.

If the raw materials are fine or waste residue: Add an appropriate amount of coarse sand or small stones to improve gradation and prevent cracking.

To produce lightweight bricks: Add a foaming agent or use lightweight aggregates (such as expanded clay).

Water control is crucial: More water is never better. Ideally, the mixture should "clump together when squeezed by hand, but crumble when dropped." Too little water results in a dry, loose material that cannot be compacted; too much water causes the brick blanks to deform easily, resulting in low strength and high porosity after drying.

Summary and Recommendations:

Conduct small-scale tests first: Before mass production, test dozens of bricks using the proposed formula, and check their strength and appearance after curing.

Consistent Raw Material Sources: Sand from different sources has varying moisture content and particle size; the mix ratio must be readjusted after changing sources.

Precise Measurement: Always use a scale to weigh raw materials, especially cement and water; never estimate by feel.

Mastering scientific raw material ratios is the first step to ensuring consistent brick quality and winning in the market. Starting with a basic formula, make minor adjustments based on local raw materials and product requirements, and you will find your own "golden formula."