What are the main raw materials for ceramics? What is their main role?

The raw materials used in the ceramic industry from its source, one is a natural mineral raw materials, one is processed through chemical methods of chemical raw materials. Natural mineral raw materials are usually divided into plastic materials, barren materials, fluxing materials, organic materials.

(1) plastic material - clay

Clay is a mixture of various minerals. Clay according to the customary classification of four kinds, and has some of the following properties:

①Kaolin: is the purest clay, plasticity is low, the color of the burned from gray to white.

②Clay: secondary clay, fine particles, plasticity, containing more impurities.

3 barren clay: harder, not loose in water, plasticity is small, not easy to become a plastic clay mass.

4 shale: properties similar to barren clay, but more impurities, burned gray, yellow, brown, red and other colors.

(2) barren material

Barren material refers to silicate raw materials mixed with water without viscosity and barren material. It can reduce the plasticity of the material and reduce the contraction of the body in the drying and firing, play a skeleton role.

(3) flux material

Flux material, also known as flux, in the roasting process can reduce the plasticity of the material sintering temperature, at the same time to increase the compactness and strength of the product, but also reduces the refractoriness of the product, volumetric stability and resistance to deformation at high temperatures.

(4)Organic materials

Organic materials can improve the plasticity of the material.