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).