Caracterização de argilas e composição de massas cerâmicas preparadas com base na análise de curvas de consistência de misturas argila-água

Abstract

Ceramic products made with natural clays are quite diverse (bricks, vases, tiles) and most of the raw materials have high content of iron, thus presenting reddish shades, especially after firing. This research studied clays from a ceramic block factory located in the Tatuí-Sorocaba ceramic region (S. Paulo, Brazil). The samples were characterized by physicochemical, geochemical, mineralogical and ceramic tests in order to evaluate their influence on the composition of masses, which were formulated and processed in the laboratory based on the consistency analysis of clay-water mixtures. This method proved to be a promising tool for quality control, better use of raw materials, and to identify the alternatives for adjusting the proportion of mass components.