Abstract
Reducing the firing temperature and accelerating the densification process bring economic and environmental benefits. This study used Fluegel’s viscosity model, developed for glasses, to estimate the decrease of the firing temperature produced by the introduction of energetic fluxes in a porcelain body. The experimental results confirmed the prediction of the model, a 30 ºC reduction in the temperature, for the addition of wollastonite. However, for the addition of spodumene, the reduction was slightly higher than the predicted. These results suggested that Fluegel’s model may be used to estimate the effects of the introduction of energetic fluxes in porcelain tile compositions. However, the predictions should be seen as a general orientation. Among the limitations of the model were the extrapolation of limit values established by the model for the composition and, above all, the initial hypothesis that the chemical composition of the vitreous phase in porcelain tiles is constant.
Keywords:
porcelain tile; liquid-phase; viscosity; sintering; Fluegel’s model
