In the development and manufacture stages of floor and wall ceramic tiles, technological properties are basically determined by the combination of raw materials and processing conditions. When process parameters are kept constant, the technique of experiments with mixtures can be used to model those properties of such ceramics bodies. In the present study, ten formulations of three selected raw materials, namely a clay mixture, potash feldspar and quartz sand, were processed under conditions similar to those used in the ceramic tile industry, and characterized. From the experimental results, regression models were calculated, relating each technological property (bending strength, bulk density, water absorption, linear firing shrinkage, thermal expansion coefficient) with the proportions of raw materials. The regression models were then used to delimit the composition range suitable to produce porcelainized stoneware ceramic bodies (restrictions in the final properties), subjected to restrictions imposed by the manufacture process.
mixture design; ceramic tiles; bending strength; response surfaces; optimization
