Bricks manufacturing: Drying
The damp bricks, if burnt, are likely to be cracked and distorted. Hence the moulded bricks are dried before they are taken for the next operation of burning. For drying, the bricks are laid longitudinally in stacks of width equal to two bricks. A stack consist of eight or ten tiers. The bricks are laid along and across the stock in alternate layers. All bricks are placed on edge. The bricks should be allowed to dry till they become leather hard or bone-dry with moisture content of about 2 percent or so.
The important facts to be remembered in connection with the drying of bricks are as follows:
- Artificial drying: The bricks are generally dried by natural process. But when bricks are to be rapidly dried on a large scale, the artificial drying may be adopted. In such a case, the moulded bricks are allowed to pass through a special dryers which are in the form of tunnels or hot channels or floors.
- Circulation of air: The bricks in stacks should be arranged in such a way that sufficient air space is left between them for free circulation of air.
- Drying yard: For the drying purpose, the special drying yards should be prepared. It should be slightly on a higher level and it is desirable to cover it with sand.
- Period for drying: The time required by moulded bricks to dry depends on prevailing weather conditions. Usually it takes about 3 to 10 days for bricks to become dry.
