Delayed curvature and residual stresses in porcelain tiles

Most industrial porcelain tiles suffer changes in their curvature after firing: such process is known as delayed curvature. One of the hypotheses used to explain this phenomenon is based on the relaxation of residual stresses by creep. In this study two types of industrial glazed porcelain tiles have been studied. One of them displayed delayed curvature after firing, whereas the other one presented a stable curvature. The main objective was to determine if the delayed curvatures were caused by the residual stresses generated during rapid industrial cooling. Both types of existing residual stresses (thermal stresses, caused by thermal gradients inside the tile during cooling, and body–glaze fit stresses, due to the thermal expansion mismatch between body and glaze) were measured, as well as related samples properties (elastic modulus, creep behaviour, thermal expansion). The results demonstrated that the residual stresses are not the main cause of the delayed curvature phenomenon.