Clay Products

Clay Products
• Clay is an abundant raw material
• When mixed with water it forms a plastic mass
– Easily shaped
– Easily processed
• Structural clay products
– Bricks
– Tiles
• Whitewares
– Only whiten after high temperature firing
• Porcelain
• Pottery
• Tableware
• China
• Plumbing “sanitary ware” = toilets
• The tiles may be defined as thin slabs of bricks which are burnt in kiln.
• Tiles can be classified in the following two groups.
a. Common Tiles
b. Encaustic Tiles

Common Tiles:
These tiles have different shapes and sizes.
They are mainly used for paving,
flooring and roofing.

Encaustic Tiles:
These tiles are used for decorative purposes in
floors, walls, ceilings and roofs.
Common Tiles:
Manufacture of common tiles
 Preparation of Clay
 Moulding
 Drying
 Burning
Preparation of Clay:
• Selected clay is made free from any impurities such as grit, pebbles, etc.
• Then the clay is pressed and converted into fine powder in pug mills.
• For tiles of superior quality large quantity of pure water is added to the
powdered clay and its mixed well in a tank.
• The mixture is allowed to stand quietly.
• The heavy particles settle at the bottom of the tank.
• The fine particles are taken into the other tanks and the water is allowed to
dry off.
• The fine clay left after such process is used for the manufacture of tiles.
• To make tiles hard and impervious, a mixture of ground glass and
potteryware may be added in required quantity to the clay tiles.
Moulding:
• The clay is placed in the mould with desired shape and pattern.
• Moulding is done either by wooden moulds or mechanical means.
• Wooden moulds should be prepared from seasoned timber. The clay is pressed
into such moulds and the tiles are ready for drying when the mould is removed.
Care should be taken during the removal of moulds.

• Moulding by mechanical means includes provision of machines and the clay is

pressed into such machines to get tiles of desired section and shape. The cutting of
tiles in desired length is carried out with the help of a fine wire. Uniform section of
tiles is produced by this method.
Drying:
• After moulding the tiles are allowed to dry for two days.
• warping is corrected with a flat wooden mallet.
• After the tiles become hard they are lifted and the edges and under surfaces
are cleaned.
• They are stacked under shade for 2 days.
• Drying under shade prevents warping and cracking of tiles due to rain and
sun.
Burning:
• A typical kiln, known as Sialkote Kiln, accommodating about 30000 to 40000
tiles are used.
•It circular in shape and covered by a shed.
• A layer of bricks is laid flat on the row of long narrow flues ( flues are ducts or
openings for conveying hot air).
• Above the layer of bricks tiles are arranged in layers.
• The doorway is closed by brickwork in mud.
• The top portion of the kiln is covered with old tiles.
• Regulation of heat is very important to get good quality of tiles.
• The fire is gentle in the beginning. It removes moisture.
• It is raised to a temp of about 800 deg C. It is slackened for about 6 hrs and
again raised to white heat, temp being 1300 deg C.
• The temp is maintained steady for 3 hrs.
• The process of slackening is again repeated.
• Finally the flues are filled with fuel and the doorways are closed.
• The kiln is then allowed to cool down.
• It required about 72 hrs to complete the process of burning of tiles.
• The tiles are taken out of the kiln. The underburnt tiles are placed on top of the
kiln.
• Its thus an intermittent kiln.
Characteristic of a good tile:

• It should be free from any cracks, flaws or bends

• Regular size and shape.
• Hard and durable
• Well burnt
• Should fit in properly when placed in position.
• Uniform colour
• A strong sound should be produced when struck against each other.
Types of Common Tiles:

• Floor or paving tiles

• Roof tiles

Floor or Paving Tiles :

• Square or hexagon in shape.
• Thickness is between 12mm to 50mm
• Size is between 150mm to 300mm.
• Should be hard and compact to resist wear and tear.
• To prepare coloured floor tiles, colouring substance is added in the clay at the
time of preparation.
• Floor tiles of less strength can be used for walls.
dvantages of ceramic floor or paving tiles:
• Available in an endless range of colours and designs.
• Easier to lay as they are small in size.
• Light Weight.
• They are scratch, stain and damp-proof as well as anti-
slip.
• They don’t require polishing and can be used the very
next day.
oof Tiles:
• Used as covering for pitched roofs.
• Tile roof coverings are heavy; moreover they are apt to absorb water, and to keep the
roof wet.
• To prevent this they should be glazed, which involves reburning and makes them
expensive.

Plain Tiles are flat, either rectangular,

or cut to various patterns.

To fix them on battens, two or more

holes are provided on their surface.
The suitable laps are provided at
sides or edges.
Pan tiles are short and heavy. They are less
curved in section than pot tiles.
The tiles are moulded flat first and then they are
given the required curvature by moulding in
suitable forms.
These tiles are of length 330mm to 380mm and
width 230mm to 280mm.
Pot tiles they are half rounded country tiles
and they are also known as locking tiles.

Semicircular in section and taper along the length

of 300mm with diameter of about 230mm larger
end and 200mm at smaller end.

They are placed on the roof with their concave and

convex sides so that they can become self-locked.

An overlap of atleast 80mm is provided.

These tiles break easily and needs to be replaced

and repaired often.

The roof may be made leak proof by using these

tiles even when the slope of the roof is less.
Mangalore tiles are a type of tiles native to
the city of Mangalore, India.

These tiles are flat in pattern and are provided with

projections to interlock with each other.

They are red in colour prepared from hard laterite

clay.
About 15 Mangalore tiles are required to cover
one square meter of the roof area.

Effective length 320 to 350mm and effective width

210 to 220mm. They provide excellent ventilation
especially during summer and aesthetically as
well.

These tiles are most popular in rural and semi-

urban area and they are used by middle and low
income group.
These tiles are not only eco-friendly but also
cheap, durable and costs only one third that of
Terracotta
Terracotta is a ceramic material that has been used for
building construction and decorative arts since ancient
times in cultures around the world. The name literally
means "baked earth," is it made from natural clay,
which gives it a characteristic reddish-brown color. The
color varies slightly depending on the clay used.
Terracotta may be glazed for extra durability or to
provide color. It is a waterproof and very sturdy
material, and many ancient sculptures made from it are
still in excellent shape.
Manufacture Process: Composition:
• Preparation of clay • Dry clay 50 to 60%
• Moulding • Crushed pottery 20%
• Drying • Powdered glass 8 to 10%
• Burning • Sand 10 to 20%
Preparation of Clay
• The clay with high alumina content are used.
• Powdered glass, sand or old pottery are added in sufficient proportions.
• Addition of these materials is to give strength and rigidity and prevents shrinking
while drying.
• Clay is made free from all impurities and water is added in required quantity and
mixed with spades.
• Wet clay is kept for several days in damp condition for weathering and
tempering.
• Required quantity if colouirng substance is added at this stage to obtain desired
shade of colour in the final product.
Moulding :
• Special porous moulds are made of Plaster of Paris or of zinc.
• The pugged clay is placed in these moulds to get desired pattern or shape and is
allowed to dry.

Drying:
• After a period of time, the terracotta are taken out from the moulds and they are
allowed to dry further in a room or under a shed.
• Proper temperature should be maintained during drying. Gradual drying helps in
retaining the correct shape and size of the blocks.
Burning :
• The dried products are taken into the muffle
furnace.
• A muffle indicates a box or a compartment of a
furnace in which things can be heated without
contact with the fuel and its products.
• A damper indicates a metal plate which is provided
in the opening to regulate the draught.
• The dried articles are placed in the muffle and
heated to a temp of 1200 deg C.
• The temp is maintained for 4 days and then allowed
to cool down for 5 days.
• Glazing materials should be applied by brush on
terracotta products before they are burnt.
ses:
• Hollow blocks of terracotta are used for masonry.
• Cornices and arches.
• Ornamental works.
• Statuettes.
• Porous terracotta us used for sound insulation.
dvantages: Disadvantages:
• It is strong and durable material. • It can cause unequal shrinkage in
• Available in different colours. drying and burning
• Easily cleaned.
• Easily moulded in desired shape.
• Its fire proof.
• Its light in weight.
Varieties of Terracotta:
 Porous terracotta
 Polished terracotta

Porous Terracotta: It is manufactured by mixing sawdust or finely

fragmented cork in the clay and burnt in a kiln, the organic particles are burnt and
they leave pores in the articles. The following characteristic are

• Light weight.
• Fire proof.
• Can be nailed and sawn to various shapes.
• Sound proof.
• Structurally weak.
Polished Terracotta: is also known as fine terracotta. To obtain this
variety the articles are burnt at a temp of about 650 deg C. The first burning is
called biscuiting. They are removed from kiln and allowed to cool down. Then
they are coated with glazing and burnt again to 1200 deg C.

• Hard, strong and durable.

• Leak proof
• Available in different colours
• Resistant to chemical reaction.
• Fire proof.
• Unaffected by atmospheric conditions
Ceramics
A ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic solid prepared by the action of heat and
subsequent cooling.

Ceramic is the product of clay after heating and cooling. The temperature at which
the clay is baked, as well as the baking duration, also vary greatly and determine the
hardness of the end product.

Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be

amorphous (e.g., a glass).

The earliest ceramics were pottery objects made from clay, either by itself or mixed
with other materials. Ceramics now includes domestic, industrial and building
products and art objects.

Ceramic is a broad term that includes earthenware, stone ware, pottery, and, yes,
porcelain.

Refractory Clay is used for making ceramics.

Earthenware:
• Prepared from ordinary clay which is burnt at low temp and cooled down slowly.
• Sand and crushed pottery are mixed with the clay to prevent shrinkage during
drying and burning.
• Earthenware are soft and porous.
• When glazed it becomes impervious and becomes resistant to atmospheric
conditions.
• Used for making drain pipes, electrical cable, partition blocks, etc.
Stoneware:
• Prepared from refractory clay which is burnt at mid temp and cooled down
slowly.
• Sand and crushed pottery are mixed with the clay to prevent shrinkage during
drying and burning.
• Stoneware is more dense and compact than earthenware.
• When glazed it becomes impervious and becomes resistant to atmospheric
conditions.
• Hard and durable.
• Gives good finish and appearance.
• Used for light sanitary wares like washbasin, water closets.
• Used for drain pipes and fittings.
Porcelain:
• High grade ceramic ware. Since its white in colour it is also known as
Whitewares.
• The clay of sufficient purity and possessing high degree of tenacity and plasticity
is used in preparing porcelain.
• It is prepared from clay, felspar, quartz and minerals baked at high temperature
and covered with coloured or transparent glaze.
• The glazing is applied before firing.
• Properties associated with porcelain include low permeability and elasticity;
considerable strength, hardness, toughness, whiteness, translucency and resonance;
and a high resistance to chemical attack and thermal shock.
• Used for sanitary wares, containers and crucibles, reactor chambers and electric
insulators.
• Its classified into 2 types Soft porcelain used for switch block, insulating tubes,
lamp sockets etc. Hard porcelain used for spark plug, electrodes, electric furnace.
Glazing:
• A glaze is a glassy coat of thickness about 0.1 to 0.2mm applied on the surface of
the item and then fused into place by burning at high temperature.
• Glazing is important for earthenware vessels as otherwise they would be
unsuitable for holding liquids due to porosity. Glaze is also used on stoneware
and porcelain. In addition to the functional aspect of glazes, they can form a variety
of surface finishes, including degrees of gloss and matte and color.

Purposes: Methods of glazing:

1. To improve appearance.
• Transparent glazing
2. To make it durable and impervious. • Lead glazing
• Opaque glazing
3. To produce decorative effects.
4. To provide smooth surface.
5. To protect from atmospheric conditions.
Fully Vitrified Tiles:
Vitrified tiles are prepared by creation of 'glass phase inside
the tiles'. In other words, they have glassy stuff inside then.
This gives then more strength and durability.
They are expensive also.

Vitrified tiles refer to the tiles that are made by the process
of vitrification. In this process, high temperatures
are used for baking the tiles.

Vitrified tiles have got the name from the word 'vitrify' referring to the process of
making a glass or similar to a glass. All the tiles that are made using the method of
vitrification fall in the category of vitrified tiles. This tile is known for its capacity to
absorb less water and also for being stain resistant. Vitrified tiles are composed of a
mixture containing silica and clay. This mixture is used to form a non-porous tile
that has a glassy texture.

Vitrified tiles are unglazed tiles. Their polish is achieved by very hard materials and
they are very strong and durable
Difference between ceramic and vitrified tiles:
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are made from natural clay that
is mixed with water and moulded. Creators
apply a glaze to the tile to help protect it from
water and scratches, then fire the clay in a kiln
to harden it. Ceramic tiles can come in a wide
variety of colors and sizes, but they must
always be glazed for protection.

Vitrified Tiles
Vitrified tiles are very similar to ceramic tiles,
but are made with slightly different elements.
The clay is mixed with quartz and feldspar
before it is heated in the kiln. These extra
ingredients melt, creating a glass element
inside the tile. This glass component makes
the vitrified files very hard and resistant to any
type of absorption.