Design of glass foams with low environmental impact

Raw materials and their granulometry play a fundamental role in ceramic tile production especially as concern the mechanical properties of the final body. Aim of the present work is to accurately investigate the role of the raw materials granulometry on the mechanical properties of a green porcelanized stoneware body. Correlations existing between the particle size distribution and flexural strength and Young's modulus of a standard gres mixture were investigated by using the Design of Experiments method. In particular, a starting mixture of clay, which composition was kept constant, feldspar and quartz, considered in two different granulometry, was used to define a statistical combination of components-mixture. After statistical analysis of the experimental data, regression models were calculated, relating the mechanical properties of the green ceramic body to the starting granulometry. Results obtained from the present study were considered for further investigations in order to produce gres with specific properties.