UTILISATION OF INDIGENOUS CERAMIC MATERIALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PROTOTYPE WATER CLOSET

Abstract

A system for dealing with human body wastes is necessary in every human community, and the need becomes more pressing in more densely populated areas like Nigeria. As a matter of fact, there are abundant locally sourced ceramic raw materials in Nigeria that can be used for the local production of functional and durable water closets to aid healthy waste disposal. However, the fact that these locally sourced ceramic raw materials are underutilised is limiting the locally sourced production of water closet, hence, encouraging the dependence on importation of foreign water closets. Emphasis was made on the suitability of the abundant locally sourced ceramic raw materials from South-west Nigeria, while existing slip cast production method was adopted. Data for the research was collected in a systematic, scientific and orderly progression as locally sourced selected materials were used as bases on which the raw materials characterisations were carried out. The selected locally sourced raw materials included: kaolin, feldspar, silica, ball clay. The raw materials were combined at various percentages which resulted in five major batch body compositions A, B, C, D and E. Physical properties of the materials were tested and chemical composition analysis was conducted to know their behavioural dynamics, durability and environmental constraints of the compounded batch body compositions. The results show that batch body composition D comprising forty percent kaolin, twenty five percent feldspar, ten percent silica and twenty five percent ball clay recorded the highest shrinkage showing more densification and good quality. The increase in the modulus of rupture of batch body composition D and E could be attributed to bond formation at the glassy phase. The bulk density was highest in batch body composition D. Hence, it was concluded that the raw materials used were suitable for the production of ceramic water closet and batch body composition D came out best among all the batch body composition tested in the study, showing high quality, densification and durability. Therefore, batch body composition D was adopted for the production of the model size water closet using the selected locally sourced materials. Some successful water closets were produced. This justifies the design model to be a workable design. The results of the work reported in this study showed clearly that the quality of the materials investigated compares adequately with required standards. Therefore, this study recommends the establishment of effective ceramic industries and resuscitation of moribund ones adopting the batch body composition D and the establishment of properly developed raw materials industries to reduce dependency on importation.