Ceramic Tile Slurry Additives for Black Coring Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of ceramic tiles faces challenges with black coring issues due to high organic additive content, which affects mechanical resistance and requires careful handling of swelling clays like bentonites that can cause viscosity and rheology problems, necessitating laboratory testing and limiting their addition.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous slurry comprising 5-30% swelling clay of the smectite family, 10-30% binder, and 0.1-10% water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation is added during mixing or after grinding, acting as a plasticizer and binder to enhance strength without causing black coring or viscosity issues, and can be easily incorporated into the ceramic raw materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If organic binders and plasticizers are added to increase mechanical resistance and plasticity, then the strength and formability of green tiles are improved, but black coring defects occur during firing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing organic binders with inorganic binders (clayey materials, binder clays, ground natural clays) and using inorganic plasticizers (swelling clays like bentonite, illite-chlorite, illite-kaolinite). This substitution fundamentally alters the material system from organic-based to inorganic-based, eliminating the black coring issue while maintaining the required mechanical properties and plasticity for tile forming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses readily available, inexpensive inorganic materials such as ground natural clays and common binder clays that can be easily incorporated into the ceramic slip. These materials provide the necessary binding and plasticizing functions without the drawbacks of organic additives, offering a cost-effective and reliable solution that eliminates the need for complex organic additive management.
2Strength
If swelling clays like bentonite are added to increase green and dry strength, then mechanical resistance is improved, but viscosity and rheology problems occur requiring laboratory testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the approach by using multiple types of inorganic binders and plasticizers in specific combinations rather than relying on a single swelling clay. By using ground natural clays, binder clays, and swelling clays together, the patent achieves the desired strength while controlling viscosity and rheology through the synergistic effects of different materials, eliminating the need for extensive laboratory testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite binder system combining multiple inorganic materials (clayey materials, binder clays, ground natural clays, and swelling clays). This composite approach allows the different materials to complement each other's properties, providing both the necessary strength enhancement and the desired flow characteristics without the limitations of using a single material type.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If inorganic plasticizers like ball clays and illite-chlorite clays are used to avoid black coring, then organic matter content is reduced, but their high cost and periodic shortages occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the binder and plasticizer functions among multiple different inorganic materials rather than relying on a single expensive material. By segmenting the material system into clayey materials for binding, ground natural clays for plasticity, and swelling clays for strength enhancement, the patent achieves the desired performance using a combination of more readily available and cost-effective materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ground natural clays and common binder clays that can serve multiple functions simultaneously - providing binding, plasticity, and some plasticizing effects. These versatile materials reduce the need for specialized expensive materials like ball clays or illite-chlorite clays, making the formulation more universally applicable and cost-effective while still preventing black coring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The slurry increases the strength of both green and dried tile bodies predictably, avoids black coring, and does not require preliminary laboratory testing, providing a stable and efficient process for ceramic tile production with improved mechanical resistance.
Implementation Method 1
addition to the ceramic raw materials of an aqueous slurry comprising a swellable clay of the smectite family
Implementation Method 2
a water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation
Data Source
AI summary
Ceramic tiles may be prepared employing a process characterized by the addition to the ceramic raw materials of an aqueous slurry comprising a swellable clay of the smectite family, a binder and a water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation. The ceramic raw materials mixed and then subjected to wet grinding to produce a slip. The thus obtained slip is then subjected to spray drying.