Articles
  • Beneficiation of alunitic kaolin within the floor and wall tile angobe compositions
  • Ilknur Tatara, Nezahat Edizb and Ahmet Aydnc
  • a ETGB Osmangazi Techno-park Osmangazi University Eskisehir, Turkey b Dept. of Mining Engineering Dumlupinar University Kutahya, Turkey c Dept. of Mining Engineering Dumlupinar University Kutahya, Turkey
Abstract
Most of the kaolin in Bal kesir-S nd rg (Turkey) region cannot be used in ceramic industry because of its high alunite content. The alunite within the composition of kaolin has to be removed in order them to be used in ceramic industry. Therefore, this research aimed at removing alunite from the kaolins of Bal kesir-S nd rg region and investigating its possible use in ceramic industry. For this purpose, mechanical scrubbing-screening, flotation and calcination methods were applied to the kaolins of the region to remove alunite. The material obtained was then used in the floor and wall tile angobe recipes of a ceramic tile factory. The angobes, prepared using the factory's standard angobe recipes, were applied to the floor and wall tile bodies of the factory and later they were glazed. After the tests, it was understood that F2 angobe prepared by M2 kaolin, beneficiated through the flotation process and F3 angobe prepared by C3 kaolin, beneficiated through calcination could be alternatives for the commercial angobe currently used by the factory in floor tile production. Similarly, it was proven that W2 and W3 angobes prepared by using M2 and C3 kaolins, respectively, could be seen as alternatives for the angobe currently used by the factory in wall tile production.

Keywords: Kaolin, Alunite, Flotation, Angobe, Ceramic tiles.

This Article

  • 2015; 16(1): 81-88

    Published on Feb 28, 2015