Characterization of plastic and superplastic clays as source of raw material for mass composition in porcelain production in the State of São Paulo.

• Grant number: 19/02899-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: November 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Ricardo Christofoletti
• Grantee: Sergio Ricardo Christofoletti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais (IPA). Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Antenor Zanardo ; Carolina Del Roveri ; Cibele Carolina Montibeller ; Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição ; Guillermo Rafael Beltran Navarro ; José Francisco Marciano Motta ; Rogers Raphael da Rocha

Abstract

The segment of the traditional ceramic industry, especially the ceramic tile industry has grown in the last years in the Brazil. It represents the third largest producer and the second largest consumer of the ceramic tiles in the world. The glazed porcelain tile has been outstanding in the current market of ceramic tile, it has being produced mainly at the Santa Catarina State and Santa Gertrudes cluster. The increase in the production of the glazed porcelain tile produced by wet grinding process in the Santa Gertrudes region generated a great demand on the mining sector in the search for suitable raw materials to supply and reach the necessity of the companies. In despite of these raw materials, plastic and superplastic clays make up 10 to 35% of the composition. In this context, the present research aims to discover new reserves of superplastic and plastic clays with special characteristics for the production of the porcelain tile in order to ensure to the industrial and commercial sustainability of the ceramic companies. (AU)