A new brick-type using grape stalks waste from wine production as pore-agent

Under the motivation of the Agenda 2030, increasing efforts have been addressed to the introduction of green products into the marketplace, enhancing awareness on eco-labelling and supporting the industrial sustainable development. This study investigates the re-use of waste generated by wine production (10 vol % of milled grape stalks were added to a standard clay body) as a new primary resource in making high porous bricks. Results demonstrate that the combustion of grape stalks during the firing process gives several advantages, in particular related to the formation of macro-pores (up to 4 cm). Large pores, in fact, make this experimental new brick-type a high-quality material both in terms of insulating performances, drastically reducing the heat transmission, and of resistance in environmental stressed conditions, specifically where salts or temperatures around 0 °C (for cycles of ice formation) can occur.