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A Low-Cost Novel Talc-Based Opaque Glaze for Ceramic Floor Tiles

  • Research Article-Chemistry
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Abstract

Zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4) is widely used commercially as an opacifying agent in the ceramic tile industry. But due to the high price of ZrSiO4, its alternatives are being discovered. In this research, a novel approach of replacing zirconium silicate with talc [Mg3Si4O10 (OH)2] in ceramic floor tile glaze has been investigated to make the glaze cost effective. Zirconium silicate is gradually replaced by six different weight percentages of talc in glaze compositions. All the prepared compositions were fired in a roller kiln under industrial conditions. After firing, all the samples were collected from the kiln exit and were subjected to various quality check tests like water absorption, bending strength, chemical test, thermal expansion and shrinkage. The color index for the fired samples is measured by CIELEB color space, and it is concluded that better opacity can be achieved by totally replacing zirconium silicate with talc. Resistance of the fired sample tiles to the chemicals attack is also studied, and no significant changes are observed on the surface of the sample tiles. The surface morphology of all the glazed sample tiles is analyzed by SEM and EDX. At the end, both opacifying agents, i.e., zirconium silicate and talc are economically analyzed, and it is concluded that the replacing of zirconium silicate with talc can reduce the cost of opacifier by 82%.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to the management of Frontier Ceramics Ltd., Industrial Area Hayatabad, Peshawar-Pakistan, all the laboratory staff especially to Mr. Saleem Khan Manager R & D for their help and facilitation in the laboratory work during the trials. Authors also acknowledge and thank Engr. Syed Abbas Raza, an MS student at Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, for his help and support during the revision stages of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Khuram Imran Khan, Murtaza Khan, Azhar Hussain and Muhammad Ramzan Abdul Karim have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi Swabi, KPK, Pakistan

    Khuram Imran Khan, Muhammad Ramzan Abdul Karim, Saad Ullah Khan, Sajjad Hussain & Hammad Amjad Khan

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan

    Murtaza Khan

  3. Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, Pakistan

    Azhar Hussain

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  1. Khuram Imran Khan
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  2. Murtaza Khan
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  4. Muhammad Ramzan Abdul Karim
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  5. Saad Ullah Khan
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Correspondence to Muhammad Ramzan Abdul Karim.

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Khan, K.I., Khan, M., Hussain, A. et al. A Low-Cost Novel Talc-Based Opaque Glaze for Ceramic Floor Tiles. Arab J Sci Eng 48, 475–481 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-07261-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-07261-y

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