Estudio del aprovechamiento de minerales arcillosos del Ecuador en la elaboración de barbotinas para uso en el sector cerámico artesanal

Abstract

In the present study was evaluate the use of Ecuador’s clay minerals for formulating ceramic slips aimed to use in the artisan ceramic sector. The selected minerales were characterized using chemical and mineralogical analysis, and an attribute and variables technological control were performed. Different formulations of ceramic slips were prepared using a Simplex Centroid mixture experimental design, and through wet ball milling processes, under controlled rheological conditions. The different ceramic slips included a control slip, and all of the samples were first dried at 110 °C and then thermally treated between 900 °C and 1 100°C to obtain analysis probes. Water absorption capacity, porosity and flexural strength were determined in the probes. It was found that the water absorption capacity keeps a proportional and direct relationship with the porosity, and that the flexural strength improves with an increase in the treatment temperature. Finally, it was determined that the clay minerals found in Ecuador are adept for making ceramic slips with a maximum solids content of 70 %, that can be used to produce ceramic products of low water absorption (≈ 12%), low porosity (≈ 10%) and high mechanical flexural strength (≈ 240 kg/cm2) when treated at a temperature of 1 100 °C.