Automated morphometrical characterization of material phases of fired clay bricks based on Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Powder X-ray Diffraction

•Automated characterization of microstructure applying a SEM-EDX-PXRD based protocol.•Morphometrical quantification of material phases down to grains with ~1 μm diameter.•Comprehensive morphometrics of microstructures of 5 different Central European bricks. In this work, the microstructure of fired clay bricks made of five different Central European raw materials were investigated combining Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Powder X-ray Diffraction. Based on these extensive experimental data, a largely automated process for characterization and morphometrical quantification of material phases building up the brick’s microstructures could be developed, showing a large microstructural variety of brick materials used in Europe. The comprehensive set of data collected allows for a deep understanding of these materials and provides a reliable basis for the development and optimization of fired clay bricks using micromechanical models.