NON-TRADITIONAL NATURAL RAW MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN

Abstract

The accumulated knowledge about the structure of a substance makes it possible to control its properties, including the purposeful selection of raw materials and materials for its creation, and vice versa, based on the natural or artificial material composition, predict its physical and chemical properties. This approach allows choosing a replacement for rare or even scarce types of mineral raw materials to produce a particular product. The analysis of literature data and sources, a comparative analysis of the Middle Amur Lowland loess-like rocks chemical composition, and one of the white porcelain recipes for the manufacture of laboratory glassware showed a high degree of their similarity. In this connection, it is proposed to consider loess-like loams as one of the porcelain stone types. At the same time, there are some differences – an increased content of coloring oxides in loess-like loam: TiO2 twice and Fe2O3 more than 10 times; reduced content of SiO2 and Al2O3 by 6–7%; the content of CaO and MgO is twice as high as in porcelain; Na2O is 1,7 less, and K2O is 3.4 more than in porcelain. Evaluating loess-like loams as a kind of porcelain stone, we can conclude that the rocks are alkaline according to the total content of alkalis (Na2O + K2O) - more than 3%. Potassium module (K2O/Na2O) is 1,54 – i.e. the rocks are suitable for the manufacture of porcelain. Thus, loess-like rocks are potentially applicable to use them as a corrective raw material in the production of ceramic masses, including coarse building ceramics, colored porcelain and porcelain-like products, with appropriate adjustment of chemical and granulometric compositions. At the same time, in order to clarify the proposed loess-like rocks options feasibility, it is necessary to conduct additional manufacture and technological tests.