Technological and compositional requirements of clay materials for ceramic tiles

The ceramic tile industry has been experiencing for the last three decades a dramatic process and product innovation, leading to a drastic upgrading of the technological cycle and the development of new typologies of wall and floor tiles. The evolution of body formulations and the changing requisites of composition, particle size distribution, and technological behaviour of clay materials are overviewed. The effects of this technological innovation are discussed, with particular reference to the applications and the technical requirements of clay raw materials