Clays for wall and floor tiles
Clays are one of the most important materials for the production of tiles and paving thanks to their unique properties, which allow for a wide range of uses both indoors and outdoors. Below you will find their main characteristics.
Physical properties
- Plasticity: Clay materials exhibit high plasticity, which is key in the formation of tiles and paving. This property allows for easy shaping and adaptation to various design requirements.
- Resistance: After firing, clays become resistant to mechanical wear, which is essential for paving that must withstand heavy loads.
- Absorbency: Clays tend to absorb water, but after firing, their porosity is significantly reduced, which increases their resistance to moisture and allows them to be used in humid environments.
- Color: Different types of clay offer a wide range of natural shades, from light sand tones to dark red and brown, which contributes to the aesthetic appearance of the products.
Packaging and shipping
- In dry condition, crushed or micro-ground
- Bulk, in 40 kg paper bags (20 bags per pallet in shrink wrap), in big bags approx. 1 ton per pallet.
- Shelf life is unlimited in a dry environment.
- As this is a natural product, slight deviations from the values stated in the technical documentation are possible.
Technical informative parameters
| Product | Refractoriness | Total shrinkage 1250°C (%) |
Water absorption 1250°C (%) |
Organic materials (%) |
Degree of plasticity (Gp) |
| PN-3 | 169 | 4 - 6 | 14 - 16 | 0,3 - 0,6 | 2,0 - 2,5 |
| PN-4 | 168 | 2 - 3 | 15 - 17 | 0,4 | 1,8 - 2,0 |
| WPB | 165 | 5 | 16 | 2,0 - 2,5 | 2,8 - 3,0 |
| WP * | 167 | 5 - 7 | 15 - 17 | 1 - 2 | 2,6 - 3,2 |
| WBT * | 170 | 11 - 14 | 6 - 11 | 2 - 4 | 5,0 - 6,4 |
| WA * | 171 | 15 | 6 | 0,6 | 5,2 - 6,4 |
* A micro-ground version of 0.063 mm is also available
Recommended clays
PN-3 a PN-4
Refractory claystone, low plasticity, very light-burning. It is particularly suitable for products with a porous body (tiles) fired in a single firing. It is also suitable as a raw material for fired slate.
WPB
Very light-burning porous clay. Particularly suitable for products with a porous body (tiles).
WP (+ micro-ground)
Very light-burning porous clay. Particularly suitable for products with a porous body (e.g. tiles) and for products with a dense to sintered body with a firing temperature above 1200°C (e.g. medical ceramics).
WBT (+ micro-ground)
Porous and refractory, medium plasticity, light-burning clay. It is suitable for all ceramic materials (except for quick-firing materials) and for fireclay materials as a binder.
WA (+ micro-ground)
Mixed plastic clay. It is suitable as a clay semi-solid for the production of fireclay goods. Sharpening should be ensured with burnt shale up to a ratio of 1:1 (clay: shale). The clay is also suitable for tile materials, tiling materials, utility ceramics and also for quick-firing materials. The plasticity and melting effects should be corrected with other clays, sharpening agents and fluxes.
