6. CO2 emissions from manufacturing processes

The industrial production of ceramics includes numerous processes, each of which has an influence on the balance of emissions of CO ₂ and other atmospheric pollutants. The high-temperature firing process (also known as sintering) is significantly the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, and the drying process also has a significant contribution, particularly in the case of the manufacture of terracotta products. On average, both processes require 0.6 – 0.8 kWh · kg ^–1 of fired products.

Generally speaking, cooking accounts for around 50% of industrial emissions. These emissions are due to the combustion of energy resources (mainly gas), and a significant proportion is due to gas emissions from the thermal transformation of mineral materials. This is illustrated in figure...