How to Crush and Reuse Old Bricks: A Guide to Brick Recycling

Introduction to Brick Recycling

The construction industry generates massive amounts of waste annually, with bricks constituting a significant portion of demolition debris. Rather than sending these materials to landfills, recycling old bricks through crushing and reprocessing offers both environmental and economic benefits. This comprehensive guide explores the technical processes, equipment requirements, and practical applications for transforming waste bricks into valuable resources.

Recycled brick materials can be repurposed for various applications including aggregate for new concrete, road base materials, landscaping features, and even as raw material for new brick production. The key to successful brick recycling lies in proper crushing, grinding, and classification to achieve the desired particle size distribution for specific end uses.

Initial Processing: Crushing and Size Reduction

The first step in brick recycling involves primary crushing of demolition waste to reduce large chunks into manageable pieces. This typically requires jaw crushers or impact crushers that can handle the abrasive nature of brick materials. The initial crushing stage reduces brick pieces to under 50mm in size, preparing them for secondary grinding processes.

After primary crushing, the material must be carefully sorted to remove contaminants such as wood, metal, plastics, and other construction debris. Magnetic separators effectively remove ferrous metals, while air classifiers and manual sorting stations handle non-ferrous contaminants. Proper cleaning at this stage ensures the quality of the final recycled product.

Fine Grinding: Transforming Crushed Brick into Usable Powder

For many applications, crushed brick requires further processing to achieve specific fineness requirements. This is where advanced grinding equipment becomes essential. The choice of grinding mill depends on the desired final particle size and production capacity requirements.

For applications requiring medium-fine powders in the 30-325 mesh range (600-45μm), such as brick dust for cement replacement or agricultural amendments, the MTW Series Trapezium Mill offers an ideal solution. This robust equipment handles input sizes up to 50mm with processing capacities ranging from 3-45 tons per hour depending on the model.

The MTW Series features several technological advantages including anti-wear shovel design that reduces maintenance costs, curved air channel optimization that minimizes energy loss, and integrated bevel gear transmission with 98% efficiency. Its working principle involves main motor-driven grinding rollers revolving around the central axis while rotating themselves, creating centrifugal force. Shovel blades throw materials between the grinding ring and rollers where they’re crushed through extrusion, with a precision classification system controlling final particle size.

Ultra-Fine Grinding for High-Value Applications

For specialized applications requiring ultra-fine brick powders, such as pozzolanic additives in high-performance concrete or functional fillers in industrial products, finer grinding is necessary. The SCM Ultrafine Mill excels in this area, producing powders ranging from 325-2500 mesh (45-5μm) with exceptional uniformity.

This advanced mill handles input sizes up to 20mm and offers processing capacities from 0.5-25 tons per hour across different models. Its technological advantages include high energy efficiency (30% less energy consumption compared to jet mills), intelligent control with automatic feedback on product fineness, and precision grading with vertical turbine classifiers that ensure no coarse powder contamination.

The SCM Ultrafine Mill operates through a main motor driving three-layer grinding rings to rotate. Material is dispersed into the grinding path by centrifugal force, pressed and crushed by rollers, then gradually ground through multiple layers. Final powder collection is accomplished through cyclone collectors and pulse dust removal systems.

Equipment Selection Guide

Choosing the right equipment for brick recycling depends on several factors:

• Required final product fineness: Coarse aggregates (3-10mm), fine aggregates (0.1-3mm), or ultra-fine powders (5-45μm)
• Production capacity needs: Small-scale (under 5 t/h), medium-scale (5-20 t/h), or large-scale (20+ t/h)
• Contamination levels: Degree of non-brick materials in the feedstock
• End application specifications: Chemical composition requirements, particle shape needs, moisture content limits

For most brick recycling operations, a two-stage process using primary crushing followed by either the MTW Series Trapezium Mill (for medium-fine products) or SCM Ultrafine Mill (for ultra-fine products) provides the optimal balance of capital investment and operational efficiency.

Applications of Recycled Brick Materials

Processed brick materials find diverse applications across multiple industries:

Construction Applications

Coarse crushed brick (3-10mm) serves as excellent aggregate for drainage layers, road base, and pipe bedding. Medium-fine fractions (0.1-3mm) work well in new brick production, mortar mixes, and as partial replacement for sand in concrete. Ultra-fine brick powder (under 45μm) demonstrates pozzolanic properties, making it valuable as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete production.

Agricultural and Landscaping Uses

Crushed brick finds applications as pathway materials, decorative landscaping features, and soil amendment. The porous nature of brick materials improves soil drainage and aeration in certain applications.

Industrial Applications

Fine brick powders serve as functional fillers in plastics, paints, and coatings. Their mineral composition and particle characteristics can enhance certain material properties while reducing production costs.

Quality Control and Testing

Successful brick recycling requires rigorous quality control measures. Key parameters to monitor include:

• Particle size distribution (sieve analysis)
• Chemical composition (XRF analysis)
• Pozzolanic activity index (for fine powders)
• Contamination levels (visual and chemical testing)
• Moisture content
• Bulk density and specific gravity

Regular testing ensures that recycled brick products meet specifications for their intended applications and maintains consistency in performance.

Economic and Environmental Benefits

Brick recycling offers significant advantages:

Environmental Benefits

• Red landfill waste and associated environmental impacts
• Conservation of natural resources by replacing virgin aggregates
• Lower carbon footprint compared to new brick production
• Reduced energy consumption in material processing

Economic Advantages

• Lower material costs for construction projects
• Revenue generation from waste materials
• Reduced waste disposal costs
• Job creation in recycling operations

Conclusion

Brick recycling represents a sustainable approach to construction waste management that converts demolition debris into valuable resources. With advanced crushing and grinding equipment like the MTW Series Trapezium Mill and SCM Ultrafine Mill, operators can process old bricks into precisely graded materials suitable for diverse applications. As construction industries worldwide increasingly prioritize sustainability, brick recycling offers both environmental responsibility and economic opportunity.

Properly implemented brick recycling programs contribute to circular economy principles while providing cost-effective alternatives to virgin materials. By understanding the technical processes, equipment requirements, and market applications outlined in this guide, operators can successfully establish and operate profitable brick recycling operations.