Clay
Product Benefits
The type and the features of the clay’s minerals (e.g: mix layers minerals or illite) influence many parameters inside the ceramic tile body. The Ball Clays are selected and characterized for their “plasticity” which dictate the bending strength of the body.
Within Sibelco group we have wide range of clay deposits:
Ukraine ball clays
- Higher bending strength on both green and dried stage which can increase the module of rupture of porcelain tile body aiming to reduce the losses during tiles production.
- White firing colour which improve the colour of fired tiles.
- Low firing shrinkage which can increase the tile size and support the flatness of big size tiles.
- Low level of organic matter that allows fast firing cycle.
- High fusibility features, that can reduce the final porosity of ceramic body and increase the speed of the firing cycle with natural gas saving and more production yield.
German clays
- Low level of organic matter that allows fast firing cycle
- Stable product along supplies which support the stability of production process
- Good logistic network and supply chain: truck, train, barge and vessel
UK clays
- White firing colour which improve the colour of fired tiles reducing the usage of engobe in case of porcelain glazed tiles
- The fact to provide a stable (=constant) product from batch to batch helps the customer in have a more stable “smooth” production process so he doesn’t have to change and/or adjust production parameters due unstable supply = Constant product (?)
Russian clay
- High Alumina clay with good plasticity thanks to their clays mineral like smectite that can be used in combination with other ball clays in order to reach the required body strength.
- White firing colour which improve the colour of fired tiles reducing the usage of engobe in case of porcelain glazed tiles.
- Constant product
Technical Details
| CLAY | Country of origin | Chemical Analysis % | Carbon | Modulus of Rupture (Dried @ 110°C) MPa | Residue %< | Particle Size %< | % Water Absorption | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Products | SiO2 | TiO2 | AI2O3 | Fe2O3 | Na2O | K2O | L.O.I | 125µm | 63µm | 10µm | 2µm | 1100°C | 1200°C | |||
| Ball clay Ukraine DBK1 | UA | 62 | 1.4 | 24 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 7 | <0.1 | 10.5 | 4.8 | – | 95 | 75 | – | <0.4 |
| Ball clay Ukraine DBM3 | UA | 58 | 1.3 | 27 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 7.7 | <0.1 | 11 | 4 | – | 98 | 90 | – | <0.2 |
| Ball clay Ukraine DBM3N | UA | 61 | 1.3 | 25 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 7 | <0.1 | 11 | 4.8 | – | 95 | 75 | – | <0.3 |
| Ball clay LT-3 | RU | 58.1 | 1.5 | 27.2 | 1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 10.7 | 0.25 | 7.8 | 2.8 | – | 87 | 69 | – | 5 |
| Ball clay LT-PK | RU | 60.6 | 1.2 | 25.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 10.5 | 0.2 | 7.2 | 3.2 | – | 87 | 69 | – | 8 |
| HV2 | UK | 64 | 1.5 | 23.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 6.6 | 0.2 | – | 0.5 | – | 90 | 66 | 0.8 | – |
| Blend E | UK | 66 | 1.5 | 22 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 6.8 | 0.5 | – | – | – | 88 | 67 | – | – |
| BK | UK | 70.9 | 1.6 | 18.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 5.5 | 0.2 | – | – | – | 82 | 59 | – | – |
| FT PD | DE | 66.4 | 1.4 | 21.8 | 1 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 6.1 | <0.1 | 6.6 | – | 3.5 | 85 | 68 | – | – |
| FT P | DE | 66.5 | 1.4 | 22 | 1 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 6.5 | <0.1 | 5.5 | – | 3 | 90 | 77 | – | – |
| FT 1306 | DE | 61.1 | 1.6 | 24.4 | 2 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 7.6 | <0.2 | – | – | 1.7 | 94 | 88 | – | – |
| FT 202/3 | DE | 60.9 | 1.2 | 24.9 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 7.2 | <0.1 | 5.6 | – | 1 | 90 | 71 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| FT 202 | DE | 67.3 | 1.3 | 19.2 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 2.1 | – | – | 4.5 | – | 2 | 80 | 60 | – | – |
| FT PMP | DE | 66.8 | 1.5 | 21.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 5.9 | <0.1 | 5.6 | – | 3.1 | 81 | 60 | – | – |
| W104 | DE | 72.2 | 1.3 | 16.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 4.7 | <0.1 | 3 | – | 6.8 | 70 | 50 | 9.2 | 2.1 |
| SL STA | DE | 66.1 | 1.7 | 19.5 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 7 | <0.3 | 10 | – | 3.5 | 71 | 68 | 5.7 | 0.5 |
| SL WFM | DE | 70.8 | 1.5 | 18.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 5.3 | <0.1 | – | – | 35 | – | – | – | – |
| Ball clay ST | TH | 60.91 | 0.39 | 26.2 | 1.04 | 7.04 | 0.19 | 3.28 | – | – | 81.77 | 43.93 | ||||
| Premiere WT | USA | 58.1 | 1.2 | 26.0 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 7.9 | 0.3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Premiere RD | USA | 65.0 | 0.9 | 16.5 | 7.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 0.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Premiere AT | USA | 63.1 | 1.2 | 24.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 8.7 | 0.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Premiere BL | USA | 60.6 | 1.3 | 26.2 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 9.4 | 0.3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vantage RD | USA | 65.0 | 0.9 | 16.5 | 7.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 0.2 | – | – | – | 70 | 39 | – | – |
| Vantage WT | USA | 58.1 | 1.2 | 26.0 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 7.9 | 0.3 | – | – | – | 88 | 48 | – | – |
| Vantage RC-30 | USA | 58.5 | 1.3 | 25.8 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 8.1 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – | – | 8.2 | 2.1 |
| Vantage RC-50 | USA | 58.5 | 1.3 | 25.6 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 7.9 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 3.0 |
