2017 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 33-39
Sediment occupies the storage capacity of reservoirs and reduces the sustainability of the surface water resource. The countermeasure is simply dredging, but it has not been carried out due to financial reasons, especially in developing countries. One of the solutions is to convert the sediment into a valuable commodity. In this study, fabrication of a vessel for water purification filter using sediment in Joumine reservoir as raw ceramic powders, was attempted. Adaptability of the sediment in Joumine reservoir in Tunisia as a ceramic raw material was confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis. The best sintering temperature was 900°C from the viewpoint of density, porosity and crystal structure. A slip casting was successfully applied to make a green body using the sediments. However, large shrinkage of the green body was observed because the sediment powders are fine. When 30 % of Tunisia sand with the size of 50-100 μm was added to the slurry, reduction of shrinkage of the green body was achieved. Therefore, upsizing and fabrication of complex shapes become possible. Suitable sintering condition was 900°C for more than 1 hour. The sintered body was well-densified and prevented water immersion. It indicates possibility that sediments in Joumine reservoir in Tunisia is usable as a vessel of water purification filter.
