Glass-ceramic frits from fly ash in terracotta production.

Preliminary results of an investigation into the possible use of glass-ceramic frits from fly ash and glass cullet in terracotta (stoneware) tile manufacture are reported. Two new ceramics were studied and compared with a plant composition, containing 45 wt.% sodium feldspar. In the first ceramic batch 20% of the feldspar was substituted by frits and in the second the whole amount of feldspar was eliminated and replaced by 35% frits and 10% refractory waste. It was found that the addition of low viscous glass-ceramic frits decreased the sintering temperature by 50-100 degrees C. At the same time, due to formation of an additional crystal phase (i.e. pyroxene or anorthite) the new ceramics showed an improvement of 25-50% in bending strength.