Development of technical properties and production conditions of porcelain tiles

In ceramic tile manufacturing process, there exist several factors affecting the quality and technical performances. Important steps in control of technical features are raw materials, manufacturing process and equipment. In this thesis, mainly reduction of sintering temperatures/firing cycles and development of product?s standards is aimed. Experimental trials were performed under industrial conditions in Yurtbay Seramik San. Tic. A.Ş. Tile Company. In the first part of the thesis the effect of alkaline/earth alkaline oxide ratio, variation of firing conditions to firing shrinkage, water absorption (%), bulk density, strength and color parameters were investigated with design of experiment. One of the methods of experimental design is the factorial design. Factorial design of experiment is an important to determine main affects and interaction affects of investigated factors. Significance tests of hypotheses were based on ?=0,05 confidence level and datas were analyzed with Minitab 15 program. It was observed that it was possible to lower sintering temperature down to 1175 °C and firing cycles to 35-40 minutes by using talc and dolomitic clay. Therefore, optimum firing conditions were determined and energy consumption was decreased due to factorial design. Optical dilatometer was used for determining optimum firing conditions and shrinkage on porcelain tile bodies. In the second part of the thesis glassy phase composition of appropriate porcelain bodies were taken as a reference according to results of experimental design and new Seger formulations were created. Hot microscope was used for determining sintering and softening temperature. Depending of these results of investigated formulations, it was seen that the softening, sintering temperature and viscosities decreased by increasing the amount of MgO/CaO ratio and decreasing ?RO/?R2O, Al2O3 in glassy phase compositions. Finally technological properties of new porcelain tiles were improved and firing temperature/time was decreased compared to the standard.