WHAT ARE CERAMIC TILES and WHAT ARE THEY COMPOSED OF?

- Ceramic tiles are thin sheets of ceramic material that vary in thickness, shape and size.
- They are made from mixtures of sands, clays and other natural materials.
- The substances mixed into a paste are used to make its shape, size and thickness.
- The process varies depending on the type of ceramic the manufacturer produces.

 

HOW ARE CERAMIC TILES PRODUCED?

Pressing: These are tiles that are derived by a clay paste that is pressed and compacted by high pressure to attain the required attributes which include size, thickness shape etc.

Extruded: Formed by passing the ceramic paste through a tube to its desired form.

 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TILES AVAILABLE:

MONOCOTTURA	Known as a single fired ceramic tile which is prepared fully before firing.
BI-COTTURA	A double fired tile which is fired once before the glazes and screens are applied after which it is re-fired a second time for the final product.
KLINKER	Unglazed or sometimes fired once with glaze to obtain a semi porous tile.
STONEWARE (RED)	Unglazed tile on a red compact body obtained by pressing.
COTTO	Unglazed tile on a red porous body obtained by extrusion.
GRES PORCELLANATO	It is composed of a mixture of vitreous substances that can sometimes be colour through (full body).  As such, the tile is virtually impermeable and offers  frost resistance characteristics making it the optimal choice for external use as well as heavy commercial use.

THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF TILES THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET TODAY.  THERE ARE OTHERS AS WELL SUCH AS GLAZED COTTO, PRESSED KLINKER OR EVEN MONOPRESSATURA.

 

WHAT ARE THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR CERAMIC TILES?

    There are different standards for all tiles.  These vary according to the use for the tile i.e. commercial, residential, industrial, bathroom or exterior use.  There is something suitable for every use.  Some of the most common standard characteristics are as follows:

Safety	The main characteristic is slip resistance.  This factor depends on the application (home, office, shopping mall or plaza).  Many people believe that a high glossy tile is very slippery.  However if one would use a polished marble or granite slipping would not be at issue.  In the end, slipping is a state of mind and if you are not careful, or you are foolish, accidents can happen even on the most abrasive or rough tiles.
Chemical	Chemical resistance of the tile from liquids such as acids from alkaline batteries to the common household chemicals.
Appearance	When the tile is manufactured the appearance and dimension of the tile is checked to make sure the batch is identical in shading and size.  Appearance is therefore affected by the various reactions that can happen in the kiln.
Mechanical & Surface	Mechanical refers to the resistance to loads; for example the weight of furniture, people, appliances etc. that the ceramic can hold without being damaged. Surface refers to the hardness of the ceramic tile glaze.  How resistant is the tile to the people who walk on it, the objects that are moved or pushed across the surface, will it score or scratch ?  This is measured and tested according to the P.E.I. system (Porcelain Enamel Institute).
Water absorption	Indicates whether the tile is porous and states the level of porosity in percentages from non-porous (impermeable) to very porous (absorbent).
Frost resistance/ temperature change	A tile that is superior in strength and has qualities that resist to frost, thermal shocks and crazing for glazed tiles.  To frost in such a manner where it is exposed to the outside climates.  Thermal shocking or extreme temperature changes for example where there is a ceramic tile counter top in a kitchen and you would take a hot pot directly from the stove and place it on the counter.  Crazing is made up of small visible cracks on the glaze that occurs as a result of environmental conditions and time.