Kaolin for ceramics
Improved control with our highly consistent kaolin
Whether you’re making ceramic sanitaryware, tableware, tiles, large surfaces, electrical porcelains or fiberglass, kaolin is a major raw material in your production process. The kaolins are specifically processed to address the challenges of each ceramic process and to improve the quality of your finished ceramic pieces.
In sanitaryware, the balance between casting rate and fluidity is driving the choice of the kaolin. Our portfolio has been designed to offer the optimum kaolin for any sanitaryware formula.
In white tableware, kaolin is the major component: it offers a combination of properties like whiteness (low iron and titanium), rheology, and unfired mechanical strength.
Our kaolin portfolio offers a large range of kaolin able to answer the specific requirements of the shaping methods: high workability for jiggering, high mechanical strength after isostatic pressing, stable rheology for traditional casting and high pressure casting. Fast firing requires lower deformation, i.e. fine particles and low alkali content.
In glaze, kaolin is the second most important component and provides suitable rheology, plasticity and durability. Kaolin is also used in engobe for whiteness.
We are one of the world’s largest and most experienced providers of kaolin and we produce a range of kaolin products optimized for both traditional and high pressure casting.
Why choose our kaolins? Because you can be sure of their consistent quality. Our raw materials are monitored and controlled at each stage of production to ensure that their performance meets stringent specifications. This provides manufacturers with predictable and trusted performance.
In addition, the high degree of consistency of Imerys’ kaolin means that our technical teams can fully control its chemical, physical and mechanical characteristics and produce various grades according to the needs and requests of our customers. Our large portfolio contains specially engineered kaolins that cover a wide range of casting rates and concentrations to deliver:
- Highly controlled rheology
- Highly controlled casting rate and deflocculant demand
- Good dry strength
- Excellent particle packing and associated good production yields
- Outstanding whiteness
We extract and process kaolin in the UK, France, Ukraine, Brazil, the United States and Thailand. For more information about our kaolin grades and ranges, visit our download center for a datasheet or brochure, or get in touch to discuss kaolin and other mineral solutions with our experienced ceramics team.
Key benefits
Related documents
Imerys kaolin main products
KaoShine BB30
KaoShine BB30 is aimed at more demanding manufacturers in search of super-white bodies for tiles and slabs.
KaoShine BB30 high alumina and low chromophore content, and consequently high level of whiteness, is highly valued by our customers as it means that less zircon or whitener is needed to achieve the required whiteness.
Its low level of contaminants, which results in a decrease in glaze and body defects, leads to an improvement in the manufacturers’ quality yield.
In addition KaoShine BB30 has fine particle size, which improves compaction and dry mechanical strength in bodies.
- Whiteness
- Good pressability
- Better mechanical strength of the body enabling less damage while handling the pieces and ultimately a higher yield.
CR
- Whiteness
- Opacity (for opaque glazes)
- Almost pure kaolinite: no contaminants such as quartz or mica
- Consistency
Rogers
Rogers is a fine grained montmorillonitic kaolin that has high strength, making its use advantageous in casting bodies on a controlled basis.
6 Tile
Find these TDS files at our Download Center.
Kaolinor 1C and Kerbrient are recognized worldwide for their characteristics and their valuable contribution to produce premium quality glazes on several aspects:
- No pin hole presence
- High glossiness
- Smooth surface finish
- Good whiteness
K1C
- Suspensive effect for the glaze application
- Cleanliness – no surface defects – this contributes to the tile quality
- Consistency
- Particle size and shape
- Easy to use
CR
- Whiteness
- Opacity (for opaque glazes)
- Almost pure kaolinite: no contaminants such as quartz or mica
- Consistency
KaoShine BB30
The fine particle size distribution and the blocky shape of the kaolinite particles confer to the KaoShine BB30 enough suspensivity to be used in glaze and with a high fluidity.
In addition the high purity of the kaolin leads to a low chromophore oxide and high alumina contents. This translates into a very white color development and a high quality surface of the glaze. KaoShine BB30 is therefore much appreciated in opaque and semi-opaque glazes.
Allen G
Allen G is an intermediate-grained kaolin used as a suspension aid in ceramic glazes.
Diamond
Diamond is an intermediate-grained montmorillonite kaolin known for its good strength and white-firing characteristics.
Find these TDS files at our Download Center.
SPK
SPK is a 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.
- Exceptionally high casting rate
- 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. Its benefits are:
- Permeability in body to suit economic output from pressure casting machines
- Superior wet strengths for instant unmolding 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
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
Find these TDS files at our Download Center.
Diamond
Diamond is an intermediate-grained montmorillonitc kaolin known for its good strength and white-firing characteristics.
Rogers
Rogers is a fine grained montmorillonitic kaolin that has high strength and good deflocculation, making its use advantageous in casting bodies on a controlled basis.
Find these TDS files at our Download Center.
Related minerals
Kaolin
Kaolin is a rock from which the clay mineral kaolinite is derived. This one has been used for millennia as the principal ingredient in porcelain tableware. Today Imerys kaolins bring critical properties to a host of end applications ranging from paper to paints, fiberglass to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
