ceramic industry

Mohammed Khalid
Mohammed Adnan
Mohammad Abd Al
 Introduction
Ceramic is a name taken from the word keramikos, •
which is a Greek word meaning pottery maker. Ceramic
tiles are clay tiles that are fired at high temperatures,
then the surface of the tiles is painted with a strong and
thin layer at the same time. The thickness of which is
.much less than the thickness of the tiles
 The process of making ceramics is as
follows
Sand and feldspar are mixed with water and ground •
in large mills to produce granules with large surface
areas that help the chemical reactions that take place
during the burning process, and then they are
poured into tanks so that the granules do not leak
.out
Black clay is mixed with water, sodium silicate, •
and sodium carbonate. This process takes
place in high-speed mixers of varying sizes,
according to the amount of raw materials
used. After that, the resulting mixture is
sieved to get rid of the insoluble granules, and
to get rid of iron impurities, which turn into
brown iron oxide during the burning process,
which leads to the appearance of brown spots
on the surface. The mixture is passed on a
magnet, then the mixture is stored for twenty-
.four hours to ferment
After that, the mixture is poured into molds to •
obtain the final shape, then the mixture is left
for a while to obtain the required thickness,
after that the excess mixture is removed by re-
preparation, The pieces are dried at a
temperature of 90°C. After that, the pieces are
subjected to the process of spraying “glaze”,
which is a glassy substance that forms a layer
over the surface of the tiles to give it color and
luster and resist heat and corrosion. This is the
pre-burning stage and it has two methods
Either the tiles are fired first and then sprinkled with •
glaze and then burned a second time, or they are
sprinkled with glaze and then burned. The quality of the
tiles depends on the quality of the glaze, which is used in
two ways, either by spraying with air-pressure The final
stage is the firing stage using large natural gas ovens,
where the tiles are gradually burned so as not to be
shocked by the high temperature and break. The firing
furnaces are long, where the tiles are exposed to a low
temperature of 100 m or 200 m, and it is called the initial
heating zone, then it gradually moves to the heating area
where the temperature rises, which may reach 1200 m at
the latest, where the glaze layer melts and interacts with
the piece of tile and reaches its solid state that we see on
.it in its final form guns or by immersing in a glaze bath
The pieces are taken out of the oven gradually as well, •
as the temperature gradually decreases until it cools
down completely and reaches a temperature of 100 C,
then it is removed from the oven. In order for the
burning process to take place properly, the burning
temperature must be from 750 °C to 1200 °C, and the
heating and cooling is done gradually and in an
atmosphere far from dust. After that comes the sorting
stage, where the validity of the pieces is confirmed after
they leave the oven after the burning process, and to
ensure that they are free of defects, as the pieces that
have manufacturing defects are returned to the
preparation department again after crushing them.
There are pieces that have defects in terms of colors,
graphics or Even its geometry is not symmetrical enough
 Advantages and disadvantages of ceramics

:Water resistance •
The glass material that covers the ceramic •
from above is one of the features that makes
it resistant to water absorption, so it is used
.efficiently in kitchens and bathrooms
:Ease of cleaning •
Since its surface is polished, it does not absorb •
or absorb liquids, and dust and dirt do not
stick to it. Therefore, ceramics are easy to
.clean and maintain
:heat insulator •
Ceramic is heat resistant and non- •
combustible, so it is the first choice in
kitchens. It is also resistant to chemicals, so it
.is also used in hospitals and laboratories
:acceptable price •
It is considered cheap in view of its quality and •
compared to some other types of floors such
as marble and porcelain, so it is widely used in
.all types of projects
Ceramic defects •

: Loud voice •
One of the disadvantages of ceramic floors is that it does not •
absorb sound, as it makes a loud sound when moving on it.
Therefore, it is less used in places that require more quietness,
.such as schools
coldness •
It is considered one of the types of floors that do not retain •
.heat, as it is often cold, especially in the winter
:Slipable •
Due to the smoothness of the surface, it is considered a slippery •
floor, especially in the presence of water. However, there are
some types currently that have an uneven surface and are non-
.slip