The majority of Santa Gertrudes region plants use the Corumbataí Formation material as the only raw material for BIIb ceramic tiles manufacture. The formation generally is composed by illite, albite, quartz, hematite and in specific beds by carbonates. The production of low porosity tiles is intricate mainly due to the larger occurrence of dimensional instability problems caused by over firing and pyroplastic deformation. Illite, hematite and carbonates increase susceptibility to these phenomena. This susceptibility was measured through vitrification diagrams. The influence of other raw materials over a feldspar rich lithotype of Corumbataí Formation was analyzed. The following samples were tested: a mine’s outline (C), the more albitic level of this mine (CV), CV and Kaolin-bearing mixtures, CV plus alumina, K-Feldspar bearing CV, CV with diabase, CV plus kaolin/feldspar/quartz, CV plus diabase and kaolin. CV is less sensitivity to temperature variability than C. The addiction of diabase, alumina and K-feldspar did not increase dimensional stability. Kaolin’s addition considerably decreased the susceptibility to over firing and to pyroplastic deformation. The absorption water and linear shrinkage’s variability with temperature of specimens with CV, kaolin, feldspar and quartz were small, but the mechanical resistance decreased. The CV-kaolin-diabase composition decreased the susceptibility of pyroplastic deformation.
ceramic tiles; red clays; Corumbataí Formation; stoneware; porcelain stoneware; vitrification diagram
