Porous single-fired wall tile bodies: Influence of quartz particle size on tile properties

This study examines the effect of quartz particle size in raw material composition customarily used for the manufacture of porous single-fired wall tile bodies on the characteristics of the green tiles and on the thermal and mechanical properties of the fired tiles. Quartz particle size was varied, while the quantity and particle size of the other raw materials were kept constant. Tile compacts were formed by uniaxial pressing and fired at different peak temperatures. The resulting fired microstructure was then characterised and tile thermal and mechanical properties were determined. Microcrack formation around quartz particles leads to hysteresis of the coefficient of thermal expansion during heating and cooling. The studied mechanical and thermal properties are shown to be a function of the magnitude of the hysteresis and porosity. This relationship is independent of the operating variables (pressing pressure, operating temperature, and quartz particle size) used. The results obtained confirm that the green and fired properties of porous single-fired wall tiles may be considerably enhanced, while holding low shrinkage and high porosity, compatible with low moisture expansion, by reducing quartz particle size and appropriately adjusting the pressing pressure and peak firing temperature. This should enable thin and/or large-sized porous wall tiles to be manufactured, without (immediate or delayed) curvatures, and with a higher breaking load than that required by the standards. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.