PHYSICOCHEMICAL PATTERNS OF STRUCTURE FORMATION AND PORE GENERATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF THERMALLY EFFICIENT LIGHTWEIGHT CERAMIC BLOCKS BASED ON MONTMORILLONITE CLAYS USING SECONDARY POLYMER PORE-FORMING ADDITIVES

The present study examines the physicochemical regularities underlying the formation of a controlled macroporous structure of thermally efficient ceramic blocks based on montmorillonite clays using secondary polymer pore-forming additives. It is shown that during thermal treatment the “clay–polymer porogen” system is characterized by a complex pore-generation mechanism, including polymer thermodestruction, gas-phase expansion of the pore matrix, and subsequent sintering of the ceramic framework. An approach for predicting the density and strength of the material based on porosity parameters and pore size distribution is proposed. The obtained results substantiate the feasibility of producing lightweight ceramic blocks as an alternative to autoclaved aerated concrete while simultaneously reducing resource consumption and environmental impact through the utilization of polymer packaging waste.