This work had for objective to obtain a pressed ceramic tile, of semiporous type, through mixtures of granite and kaolinitic plastic clay. Mixtures were prepared with addition of 0, 20, 30 e 40wt% of granite to kaolinitic clay. For comparison, an industrial ceramic body from Santa Gertrudes, State of S. Paulo, was also evaluated. Specimens were prepared by uniaxial pressing followed by firing at temperatures varying from 1000 ºC to 1200 ºC. The fired specimens were submitted to the following tests: linear shrinkage, mechanical strength (three point bending) and water absorption. Microstructural analysis was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the granite incorporation did not decrease the specified firing temperature to reach 10% of water absorption required by Brazilian standards. It was also observed that the mechanical strength was reduced with increasing granite incorporation. In comparison with the industrial body, both, the kaolinitic clay and the elaborated mixtures presented a chemical composition with lower flux content and higher loss on ignition as well as a refractory behavior during firing.
Clay; kaolinite; granite; microstructure; ceramic tile
