NIIST develops technology to produce glazed tiles and bricks with fly ash

The National Institute of Inter-disciplinary Science and Technology has developed a process that uses fly ash from power plants to make red colored glazed tiles or bricks. NIIST says that this process conserves up to 80 per cent of natural clays and use fly ash instead.   

The cost calculations based on the pilot plant demonstration trials show that the price of the fly ash products will be in the similar range as clay products. The plant should be preferably in the premises of the thermal power plants and the process is suitable for pond ash and stored ash as also with dry fly ash. All machineries and the binders/additives are available in the country. 

The institute calculates that investments of around Rs 2.5 crore would be needed to set up a plant that can produce 60,000 bricks/tiles/glazed tiles. You can sell a brick at Rs 2 – 2.5 per piece, tiles Rs 4 – 5 per piece and glazed products Rs 6 – 8 per piece.  

Returns /Benefit: 15-18% returns on investment over a period of 5 years, NIIST says.  

For details, contact: 

CSIR – National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST)  

Government of India Industrial Estate PO, Thiruvananthapuram, India