THERMAL TREATMENT FOR CLAYS PERTAINING TO THE MONTMORILLONITE FAMILY, WHICH IS INCORPORATED INTO THE FORMULATION OF CERAMIC PRODUCTS.

摘要

The present invention consists in a thermal treatment performed at a temperature of from about 500 degree C to about 1000 degree C for clays pertaining to the montmorillonite family (montmorillonites, bentonites and beidellites), which is useful in the formulation of ceramic bodies at concentrations higher than 5% and up to 80% by weight, thereby removing flocculation and plasticity problems. The treatment may be incorporated to the formulation of pieces which are both industrially and handmade processed, thereby allowing high density pieces to be produced using a low power consumption during the grinding process. The invention is further useful for porcelanic ceramic bodies.