New Process to Use Sewage Sludge to Optimize Building Materials Written by AZoBuildFeb 11 2021 At South Ural State University, a team of researchers has optimized building materials with advantages for the environment. Samples of the ceramics obtained by adding sewage sludge. Image Credit: Danil Rakhimov. Sludge from water treatment plants was added by the researchers to the clay batch, achieving durable ceramics, which can be manufactured on an industrial scale. The study findings have been reported in the highly renowned Materials journal (Q1). Both for Ecology and Construction In the modern urban water sector, sludge forms at drinking water treatment stations due to the natural treatment of water with coagulants. The water contents of sludge, which is formed in considerable volumes of up to 5% of a station’s performance, is high. In Chelyabinsk, such sludge is transferred to sewage treatment plants; rather, it can be used effectively in the construction industry following dehydration.