Use of mollusk shell waste as an auxiliary flux material in the manufacture of electrical siliceous porcelain: an exploratory study

Commercial maricuture activity produces a large volume of a solid waste known as mollusk shell waste, which poses environmental concerns if not disposed of properly. This investigation reports an exploratory study on the feasibility of using mollusk shell waste as an auxiliary fluxing material to produce electrical siliceous porcelain. The siliceous porcelain formulations containing up to 5 wt.% of mollusk shell waste exhibited good chemical compatibility compared to traditional formulation.  Additionally, it was found that electrical siliceous porcelains fired at 1300 °C had good technical properties in terms of water absorption (0.24 - 0.47 %), apparent density (2.32 - 2.43 g/cm3), and volume electrical resistivity (0.38 - 0.50 x 109 W.m). Such novel electrical siliceous porcelains could be a promising approach to sustainable valorization of mollusk shell waste, making a relevant contribution to the circular economy and promoting environmental sustainability.