Vitreous China

Vitreous china is the main production body for producing ceramic sanitaryware and has been in general use since the 1950s.

As its name suggests it is vitreous and has a water absorption of less than 0.5%.

The body is produced using a mixture of clay, kaolin, fluxes and fillers. All these minerals can be supplied by Sibelco from its world class deposits.A combination of these minerals gives the vitreous china the following major properties:

• Vitrification – fluxing the materials into a vitreous homogeneous mass (fluxes: feldspar, nepheline syenite, petalite).
• 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: feldspar, nepheline syenite, petalite)
• Rheology – (clays).
• Particle packing – working with our minerals to provide the optimum packing to give a good cast rate and firing rate. This is provided by controlling the particle sizes of all materials used in the body (all).
• Dimensional stability – one of the most difficult properties to control but our range of materials allows us to do this, assisted by control of the alumina to silica ratio.
• Chemistry – the basic building block from which our development of  bodies begins. Provided by the correct mix of minerals (all).
• Cast rate – is directly related to productivity in the manufacturing process (clays and kaolin).
• Consistency – an essential property of our minerals (all).