The particle size of ceramsite is generally 5～20㎜. Ceramsite is generally used to replace crushed stone and pebbles in concrete. Ceramsite can be divided into the following types according to different original particles:

　　(1) Fly ash ceramsite

　　Using solid waste as the main raw material, adding an appropriate amount of binder and water, processing it into spheres, sintering and swelling or natural curing to form light coarse aggregates with a particle size of more than 5㎜, it is called fly ash ceramsite.

　　(2) Clay ceramsite

　　Using clay, sub-clay, etc. as the main raw materials, processed into particles, and swollen to form light coarse aggregates with a particle size of more than 5㎜, it is called clay ceramsite.

　　(3) Shale ceramsite

　　Also known as expanded shale. Using clay shale, slate, etc., after crushing, screening, or pulverizing into spheres, and swelling to form light coarse aggregates with a particle size of more than 5㎜, it is called shale ceramsite. Shale ceramsite is divided into the following types according to the process method: ordinary shale ceramsite made by crushing, screening, and swelling; spherical shale ceramsite made by pulverizing, forming spheres, and swelling.

　　Clay ceramsite, fly ash ceramsite, and shale ceramsite are suitable for light aggregate concrete used for insulation and structural insulation, and can also be used for structural light aggregate concrete. Currently, the main use of shale ceramsite is to produce light aggregate concrete small hollow blocks and lightweight partition boards.

　　(4) Garbage ceramsite

　　With the continuous development and growth of cities, the amount of urban garbage is increasing, and the treatment of urban garbage has become an increasingly prominent problem.

　　Garbage ceramsite is produced by processing urban domestic garbage, granulating, and roasting to produce sintered ceramsite. Or, garbage slag is added to cement granulation, and natural curing is used to produce non-fired garbage ceramsite. Garbage ceramsite has the characteristics of abundant raw materials, low cost, low energy consumption, light weight, and high strength. In addition to being used to make new wall materials such as wall panels, blocks, and bricks, garbage ceramsite can also be used for heat insulation, floor slabs, lightweight concrete, water treatment purification, etc., and has a broad market.

　　(5) Coal gangue ceramsite

　　Coal gangue is black waste rock with low carbon content discharged during coal mining. It is a solid waste with a large discharge volume in China. Its discharge and accumulation not only occupy a large amount of arable land but also cause great pollution to the surface and atmosphere. The chemical composition of coal gangue is similar to that of clay, and coal gangue contains higher carbon and sulfur, with a large loss on ignition. Only within a certain temperature range can a sufficient amount of molten substance with suitable viscosity be produced, which has expansion properties. Based on its characteristics, China has developed coal gangue ceramsite. Coal gangue ceramsite is produced by crushing, preheating, swelling, cooling, grading, and packaging of coal gangue that meets the swelling requirements. The quality of the obtained ceramsite products meets the standards, and some technical indicators exceed the standards, reaching the quality of similar foreign products. This product is innovative, advanced, and environmentally friendly.

　　(6) Sewage sludge ceramsite

　　A large amount of sewage sludge is produced after wastewater treatment plants treat wastewater. Some sewage sludge is made into agricultural fertilizers, some is directly used for greening, and some is discharged into the sea or incinerated, which will cause secondary ecological environmental pollution. At present, using sewage sludge as the main raw material, ceramsite made by drying, grinding, forming spheres, and sintering is called sewage treatment sewage sludge ceramsite. Using sewage sludge to replace part of the clay to produce ceramsite saves clay, protects farmland, and plays an environmental protection role.