Mineral Solutions and prepared bodies for ceramic sanitaryware

Improve yields, performance and provide greater design flexibility

With a strategic presence in Asia, Europe and the Americas, Imerys has the resources to serve sanitaryware customers anywhere in the world. Our raw material solutions and prepared bodies deliver improved performance with the ultimate aim of helping our customers achieve higher yields and more creative designs.

Imerys has the largest offer on the market for sanitaryware bodies and glazes: high-quality ball clays - including English references, a benchmark for sanitaryware production, extra white kaolins, a range of chamotte, feldspars, wollastonite and talcs*.

We can help you get the mix of minerals just right for your specific needs, and to lower production costs and speed up processes using our natural minerals. Talk to our ceramics team today to discuss the options.

*Talc products are not available in the USA and Canada. Contact us for an alternative range.

Our solutions are specifically designed for Vitreous China (VC), Fine Fireclay (FFC) and also Super Fine Fireclay (SFFC) applications - a growing part of sanitaryware production reflecting the trend towards bigger and more complex shapes.

Imerys fluid ball clays, kaolins with high casting concentrations and chamottes have proved over the years to be the right combination for FFC production.
In addition, Imerys fine fireclay (FFC) prepared bodies help maintain a lower viscosity reducing the risks of breakage during de-moulding and drying processes.
Our large range of minerals and technical solutions specific to FFC allows:

Higher production yield
Reduced shrinkage
Less cracking
Less deformation
Larger pieces

Ball clays as plasticity enhancers

Our ball clay portfolio includes highly recognized English references, offering a high casting rate, whiteness, high mechanical strength and good rheological properties. Our ball clays provide cohesion and workability for sanitaryware pieces.

Kaolin as casting rate enhancers

Imerys supplies extra white kaolins for sanitaryware which offer fluidity, high casting rate, high dry strength, low cast moisture, high wet strength and low residue solutions.

Chamotte for shrinkage and deformation reduction

Imerys chamottes are used to reduce shrinkage and deformation during the drying and firing process of fine fireclay production, hence facilitating the production of large-sized, complex shape pieces.

Feldspar & pegmatite as fluxing agent

Feldspar and pegmatite are the main vitrifying or fluxing agents used during the firing process of ceramic bodies. Imerys feldspars have low levels of coloured oxides making them particularly valuable for white sanitaryware production. Our feldspar portfolio provides high purity and high fusibility options.

Talc for improved vitrification

Used in sanitaryware, talc improves the vitrification process, allowing manufacturers to reduce firing temperatures and shorten firing cycles. It also contributes to enhancing gloss and whiteness and improves glaze-body fit.

Wollastonite

Imerys wollastonites are excellent, low loss on ignition (LOI) reinforcing and fluxing agents in sanitaryware green bodies, improving the mechanical properties and surface finish of sanitaryware. They are ideal, natural frit additives that improve the durability and surface appearance of glazes.

Lower production costs as there is no need to invest in a slip house, body preparation, raw material silos, quality control etc.
Tailor-made prepared bodies designed to meet manufacturers’ individual needs
Consistency of production

White, coloured, glossy or matt glazes give ceramic sanitaryware pieces their aesthetic appeal and long-lasting performance. Obtaining the expected easy to clean, chemical, mechanical performances along with a distinct look is a daily challenge for ceramics producers.

Simplify the production process as there is no need for complex mixing-milling preparation plants
Guarantee quality with high consistency glazes and bespoke formulas on customer demand
Simplify the purchasing chain by reducing the number of suppliers
Simplify inventory, with fewer stocks and storage space

Imerys main products for sanitaryware

SPK

SPK is kaolin developed as a casting rate enhancer in the production of vitreous china. SPK is designed to optimize casting rate and to reduce cycle times in conventional and pressure casting technologies.

SPK key features:

Exceptionally high casting rate combined with A good casting concentration
Flexibility in the casting process when used in conjunction with complementary kaolins
Good strength and plasticity characteristics when used with a suitable ball clay

Maxicast

Maxicast was developed to optimize casting performance, when used with a suitable ball clay, to meet the demands of pressure casting technology.

Maxicast key features:

Permeability in body to suit economic output from pressure casting machines
Superior wet strengths for instant demolding and handling
Lower cast moistures
Higher fluidity bodies providing better particle packing
Strength, plasticity and CTN approaching conventional casting performance
Consistent textures and firming-up properties

Remblend

Remblend is a reference kaolin for sanitaryware. It offers the perfect balance of properties like fluidity; casting rate, wet and dry mechanical strength. Remblend allows to formulate robust compositions for conventional and high-pressure casting.

Parkaolin

Parkaolin combines a good plasticity with adequate fluidity and casting rate for the production of large series of sanitaryware pieces.

Prosper

Prosper is a coarse-grained kaolin. Typically introduced between 7 to 15% in a sanitaryware formula, it increases the casting rate and the throughput of the production line.

KT-Cast

KT-Cast is a coarse-grained, white firing kaolin that is used primarily in casting bodies based on its fast casting and exceptional deflocculation characteristics.

OptiKast

OptiKast is a coarse-grained kaolin used in ceramic applications. It has fast cast and exceptional deflocculation characteristics.

Ultimate CC

MRD-LW Cast

MRD-LW Cast is a fast casting kaolin from MRD Thailand. Its coarse particle size provides a fast casting rate of SW body and it works well with finer and more fluid kaolin to fine-tune the casting performance.

Kaocast RN61

Kaocast RN61 is a medium-fine kaolin with a very good fluidity. The perfect balance between particle packing and casting rate is the advantage for SW pressure casting.

Kaocast ND50

Kaocast ND50 is a coarse, strong kaolin from our Indian Platform, providing medium casting rates combined with improved plasticity to enhance the green body forming and handling characteristics.

Hycast VC

Hycast VC is a versatile clay, combining good performance in all aspects that are important for ball clays

Hycast VC key features:

Medium-dry mechanical strength
Medium casting rate
Stable rheology given by the presence of organic species

Hycast Plastic

Hycast Plastic key features:

Good drainage: the good rheological properties of Hycast Plastic enables a clean draining slip therefore it eliminates slip hang up which is a fundamental cause of cracking.
High MoR: a strong clay ensures less damage when handling the pieces
Plasticity: important for the finishing of the cast piece (cutting and punching), the forming of the piece and resisting the stresses that occur in the body during drying

The range of ball clays for sanitaryware is completed with specific products:

Hycast LR - having a low residue
Hycast Rapide - for an increased casting rate combined with good mechanical strength. This grade particularly fits the specific requirements in high-pressure casting units.
Vigor CA range - fully refined clays

Old Mine #4

Old Mine #4 is a fine-grained ball clay with excellent plasticity and strength that is very popular in both casting and plastic formed bodies. It is also widely used as a suspension aid in glazes.

Todd Light

Todd Light is a fine-grained ball clay providing excellent strength and plasticity.

Old Mine #4/SB

Old Mine #4/SB is a fine-grained ball clay that is an exceptional casting product with high plasticity and green strength characteristics.

Jackson

Jackson is a fine-grained, high alumina ball clay known for its excellent fired colour, strength and plasticity used in both casting and plastic formed bodies.

Thaicast S1

Thaicast S1 is a semi-refined clay from MRD-ECC Thailand, providing a good balance between plasticity, fluidity and particle size distribution. Suitable for all casting processes.

Modiscast S4

Modiscast S4 is a fully refined, fluid, high strength ball clay from MRD-ECC Thailand with medium to low carbon content. The fine particle size compliments bodies using coarse fast casting kaolin to improve green strength and optimise the drying characteristics.

Sancast 7

Sancast 7 is a strong fully refined ball clay with average fluidity and low carbon. from MRD-ECC Thailand. The medium particle size and good packing behaviour of Sancast 7 provides a firm cast structure with a permeability suitable for high-pressure casting.

Certicast R8i

Certicast R8i is a shredded ball clay blend from our Indian Platform. The balance of medium strength and good fluidity, combined with a medium particle size distribution, is matched to local kaolin characteristics to enhance the firmness and drying characteristics of the sanitaryware body.

Vigor ND51

Vigor ND51 is a shredded ball clay blend from our Indian Platform with very high strength. This can be used in low percentages to adjust and fine-tune the workability and handling of the cast pieces.

Hycast Rapide

Hycast Rapide offers an increased casting rate combined with good mechanical strength. This grade particularly fits the specific requirements in high-pressure casting units.

Vigor DV73

Imerys offers a full range of minerals and technical solutions specific to fine fireclay (FFC), a growing part of sanitaryware production reflecting the trend towards bigger and more complex shapes.

Our solutions allow for:

Reduced shrinkage
Less cracking
Less deformation
Large pieces
Higher production yield

Imerys FFC prepared bodies help maintain a lower viscosity reducing the risks of breakage during de-moulding and drying processes. For decades, Imerys fluid ball clays, kaolins with high casting concentrations and chamottes have proved over the years to be the right combination for FFC production.

Hycast FFC

Imerys’ Hycast FFC reference is a shredded ball clay specifically blended for FFC production.

Hycast FFC key features:

Good fluid properties enabling the preparation of high-density slips
Higher silica content helping the production of a fired piece with a high thermal expansion and enabling a strong body/glaze fit

Nyad® M200/M325

Nyad M200 /M325 is a high purity, coarse wollastonite recommended for ceramic bodies and glazes. The high purity combined with a low loss on ignition enables glaze formation with reduced defects, improved thermal stability and lower coefficient of thermal expansion while maintaining high fired brightness.

Ultrafibe® M20

Ultrafibe® M20 is a high purity, high aspect ratio wollastonite recommended for traditional ceramic formulations to replace calcium carbonate and/or silica. It will increase the green and fired impact strength, reduce shrinkage, reduce drying time, and reduce vitrification temperature.

Imerys main products for sanitaryware glaze

Remblend

Kaoshine BB30

Both kaolins, Kaoshine BB30 and CR, combine a high kaolinite content with a low chromophore oxide content. They offer a high whiteness level.

Nyad® M200 /M325

Nyad M200 /M325 is a high purity, coarse wollastonite recommended for ceramic bodies and glazes. The high purity combined with low loss on ignition enables glaze formation with reduced defects, improved thermal stability and lower coefficient of thermal expansion while maintaining high fired brightness.

Ultrafibe® M20

Ultrafibe M20 is a high purity, high aspect ratio wollastonite recommended for traditional ceramic formulations to replace calcium carbonate and/or silica. It will increase the green and fired impact strength, reduce shrinkage, reduce drying time, and reduce vitrification temperature.