TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF RAW CLAY BASED CERAMIC TILES: INFLUENCE OF TALC

Local clay from Burkina Faso has been used as a basic raw material in the formulation of ceramic tile with a natural talc (0 - 4% wt) as a flux. The used sintering temperatures are between 950 and 1100 degrees C with one hour as hold at heating rate of 5 degrees C.min(-1). The different technological properties (shrinkage, water absorption and mechanical strength) are improved when the sintering temperature exceeds 1000 degrees C. The mixture with 4% wt of talc provides better properties than the other grades. The tiles obtained at 1050 degrees C with 4% wt of talc have similar characteristics to those obtained at 1100 degrees C without talc. An energy gain with a difference of temperature of 50 degrees C could be made with the use of talc as the adjuvant.