Apparently invisible. Chemistry in ceramics.

Apr 28 2024 6

Apparently invisible. Chemistry in ceramics. Podcast artwork

Aware of how complex the problems related to the world of chemistry applied to ceramic production processes can be, we want to share our knowledge with those who want to orient themselves or train for passion or profession.
Through a simple and direct language, the podcast aims to be an educational space with a focus on products, applications and processes.
The journey unfolds along the ceramic production lines.
At each stage a topic.
At each topic a critical issue.
At each critical issue, when possible, a solution.

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Foam formation within ceramic glazes: how to deal with it?

Apr 28 2024 10 mins

Among the several issues that may arise along the glazing line, the excessive foaming within glaze suspensions is one of the most frequent and problematic.The phenomenon is already visible on the surface of the glaze inside the stirring systems but consequences can persist even after the end of the production, that is after the firing cycle.Chemistry speaking, what is foam? What ar

Ceramic glaze application & technical defects: the tv effect

Apr 14 2024 12 mins

Speaking of ceramic glaze applications and technical defects, one of the strangest and most interesting is the "TV effect".It consists of a preferential migration of the glaze towards the perimeters of the tile that produces in those areas a thickening of the glaze.The unaesthetic result is a quite regular surface swelling along the edge of the ceramic material. A result that recal

Excessive viscosity of the slip: causes & remedies

Mar 31 2024 12 mins

Viscosity (or viscous friction coefficient) measures a substance attitude on generating friction between its layers. In other words, it defines the resistance of the fluid to its proper flow.The barbottina's viscosity values - that is the suspension of inorganic raw materials, water and dispersants that after the atomization process will form under the weight of the presses the raw

Glazes/engobes bacterial degradations: technical & aesthetic consequences

Mar 17 2024 9 mins

All process water involved in ceramic production, both tap and well waters, usually contains bacteria.And the same applies to inorganic raw materials used in the grinding process to produce the semi-finished products that will later be applied along the glazing line: frits, clays, feldspar, nepheline, etc. Because of the huge amount of water use, glazes and engobes grinding departm

Digital inks & ceramic production: what do we need to know

Mar 03 2024 10 mins

Thanks to the digitalization of some of its processes, the ceramic industry has evolved pretty significantly over the last few years, and in this perspective the digital printing system plays one of the most important roles.In fact, the use of digital inks has made it possible to almost totally replace the old decoration systems.Their formulation and therefore their production is v

Ceramic glazes, surface tension & chemicals

Feb 18 2024 10 mins

Ceramic slips & rheological behavior

Feb 12 2024 13 mins

In general, wet grinding systems offer best performances and best production results only when the chemical and physical features of slips are constant over the duration of the entire process.More precisely, this happens when the main parameters of the atomized product (such as grain size, density, viscosity, and thixotropy) remain within a very short range.However, slurries may su

Formaldehyde, ceramic production & environmental impact

Feb 11 2024 11 mins

Formaldehyde, despite its wide use in many fields of the industrial production, in high percentage may be a serious problem.In Ceramics, it must be carefully checked since it can seriously and negatively affect the environment.What do we need to know about this topic?

Ceramic suspensions & rheological behavior

Dec 28 2023 13 mins

Rheology is the science that deals with the flow and the strain rate of matter.It’s a branch of Physics that studies the origin, the nature and the deformation’s characteristics of a matter under the influence of external forces, with particular regard to non-Newtonian liquids. Its main goal is to define the correlations between causes (forces) and effects (deformations and flo

Deflocculation of ceramic mixtures

Dec 10 2023 12 mins

The episode focuses on the flocculation phenomena of ceramic mixtures.The problem is marked by a progressive aggregation of solid particles and it often takes place due to phenomena of electrostatic attraction between the clay micelles in suspension.This process leads to a significant increase in viscosity within the system, negatively affecting the proper development of the produc