Architectural Ceramics: Sustainable Materials, Processes and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The architectural ceramics industry, including the manufacture of floor and wall tiles, bricks, and terracotta products, is among the most energy- and resource-intensive sectors of the construction materials industry. Conventional ceramic production relies predominantly on virgin raw materials—such as clays, feldspars, and quartz—and high-temperature firing processes, generally above 1100–1200 °C, which result in significant energy consumption and substantial CO₂ emissions. In response to growing construction demands and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, the development of low-carbon, resource-efficient ceramic technologies has emerged as a major research challenge for both academia and industry.

In this context, architectural ceramics occupy a unique position at the intersection of structural performance, aesthetic quality, and sustainability. Ceramic products are required to meet stringent standards in terms of mechanical strength, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, and long-term durability while maintaining economic competitiveness on an industrial scale. These demanding requirements have traditionally constrained the incorporation of alternative raw materials, as their use may influence sintering behavior, phase evolution, microstructural development, and overall performance throughout the service life of the products.

This Special Issue, “Architectural Ceramics: Sustainable Materials, Processes and Applications”, aims to address these challenges by bringing together original contributions focused on the design, processing, characterization, and performance evaluation of sustainable ceramic materials for the built environment. By enhancing the scientific understanding of waste valorization, alternative raw materials, and low-temperature sintering technologies, this collection seeks to support the transition toward circular and energy-efficient manufacturing practices in the architectural ceramics industry. Ultimately, it aims to provide practical and innovative solutions that reconcile industrial performance requirements with the pressing need for resource conservation, carbon reduction, and sustainable development.

Suggested Themes

We welcome contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Sustainable and low-carbon ceramic materials for building applications;
• Valorization of industrial, mining, agricultural, and construction wastes in ceramic products;
• Circular economy approaches and resource-efficient ceramic manufacturing;
• Advanced glass-ceramics and recycled ceramic materials;
• Alternative raw materials and geopolymer-based ceramics;
• Low-temperature sintering and energy-efficient processing technologies;
• Additive manufacturing and digital fabrication of architectural ceramics;
• Ceramic tiles, bricks, roof tiles, and terracotta products for sustainable construction;
• Functional architectural ceramics with enhanced thermal, acoustic, antibacterial, photocatalytic, or self-cleaning properties;
• Microstructure–property relationships and phase evolution in ceramic materials;
• Durability, aging behavior, and long-term performance of ceramic products;
• Life-cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprint, and environmental impact analysis;
• Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital tools for ceramic process optimization;
• Smart and multifunctional ceramics for energy-efficient buildings;
• Heritage ceramics, restoration materials, and conservation technologies;
• Industrial case studies and scale-up strategies for sustainable ceramic production.

Types of Contributions

This Special Issue welcomes the following types of manuscripts:

• Original research articles reporting novel experimental, theoretical, or computational findings;
• Review articles providing comprehensive overviews of recent advances and future perspectives;
• Communications presenting innovative preliminary results or emerging concepts;
• Case studies addressing industrial applications, pilot-scale demonstrations, or technology transfer;
• Perspective articles discussing challenges, opportunities, and future research directions in sustainable architectural ceramics.

Submissions addressing interdisciplinary aspects and bridging materials science, manufacturing technologies, environmental engineering, and sustainable construction are particularly encouraged.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Brahim Safi
Dr. Peter Futáš
Prof. Djamila Aboutaleb
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Ceramics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• architectural ceramics
• sustainable ceramics
• recycled ceramic materials
• waste valorization
• circular economy
• low-temperature sintering
• energy-efficient processing
• sustainable construction