Properties related phase evolution in porcelain ceramics

Porcelain represents one of the most complex ceramics, formulated from a mix of clay, feldspar and quartz are sintered to conform a glass-ceramic composite. Two porcelain stoneware compositions were studied. Chemical–physical and microstructural analyses were accomplished in order to determine the relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical–technical properties of these stoneware tile products. The phase evolution, in particular the formation and growth of mullite has been investigated. The mechanical improvement in which the glass phase is dominant, it is shown to be influenced mainly by the stresses set up in the glass matrix, induced by the quartz grains which have higher expansion coefficients than that of the glassy phase, rather than the amount or size of mullite.