Materie prime ceramiche: giacimenti di materie prime per piastrelle ceramiche in Europa

This chapter overviews the most important European deposits of raw materials used in the manufacturing of ceramic tiles. All the European countries are dealed, with a special attention to Italy, along with the neighbouring areas (Middle East and Northern Africa). The raw materials considered are ball clays, fire clays, china clay, feldspathic and feldspathoidic fluxes, quartz sands, and complementary minerals (e.g. talc, wollastonite, borates, zircon). A short description of the industrial minerals for ceramic tiles produced in the various countries is given in terms of output, main deposits, basic geological features, number of quarries in operation and references. The prospect of raw materials for the tilemaking industry is discussed for the most relevant areas