Fine Fire Clay
Fine fireclay was specifically developed to allow large basins and counter tops, kitchen sinks and shower trays to be made in a ceramic body.
Unlike vitreous china it has a water absorption of greater than 5% and hence is not normally used for the manufacture of toilets. The body is produced using a mixture of clay, kaolin, flux and fillers.
All these minerals can be supplied by Sibelco from its world class deposits.
A combination of these minerals gives the fine fireclay the following major properties:
- Dimensional stability – greatly improved by using a fine fireclay body because the body does not flux.
- Strength – an essential property of both the unfired and fired body.
- Unfired strength (clays)
- Fired strength is produced by the formation of a glassy matric during the firing process (fluxes).
- Rheology (clays, kaolin).
- Particle packing – working with our minerals to provide the optimum packing to give a good cast rate and firing rate (all).
- Chemistry – the basic building block from which our development of bodies begins (all).
- Cast rate – directly related to productivity in the manufacturing process (kaolin, chamotte).
- Consistency – an essential property of our minerals and improved by our tight process control (all).