Course detail

Ceramics - Laboratories

FAST-BJ002Acad. year: 2024/2025

The students will be acquainted in the first six practical tutorials with basic laboratory tests, which are typical for properties determination especially of plastic ceramic raw materials (clays). In the same time they will prepare more samples, which will be in following laboratory tests fired at different temperatures. The students will visit as a part of these laboratory tutorials some selected ceramic plants in an educational trip. Afterwards follow three practical training tutorials, in which will be tested the properties of fired ceramic body in dependence on different firing temperatures.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Radomír Sokolář, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Technology of Building Materials and Components (THD)

Entry knowledge

For successful completion of the course does not require any special knowledge. Only Theoretical fundamentals of ceramic body formation – general overview of ceramic raw materials properties, their processing, shaping methods in ceramics, drying, burning, properties of fired body are recommended.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Aims

Familiarization with basic laboratory tests in ceramics – testing of ceramic raw materials and burned ceramic bodies.
The student would manage the goal of the subject by participating in basic laboratory tests in ceramics – testing of ceramic base material properties, event. Ceramic production mixtures and fired ceramic bodies.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Type of course unit

 

Exercise

39 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Radomír Sokolář, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Introduction, preparation of raw materials mixture, laboratory procedure. 2. Determination of clay granulometry - sedimentation method (method according to Andreasen), hydrometer method according to Cassagrande, sieve analysis. 3. Shaping with casting slip (determination of the rate of ceramic body formation with optimally deflocculated casting slip), deflocculation of casting slips (determination of the optimal content of deflocculant in the casting slip, determination of the efficacy of different deflocculants). 4. Shaping from clay plastic body (determination of optimum water content according to Pfefferkorn, indentation method for determining the plasticity of plastic body - determination of regression dependence between Pfefferkorn and indentation methods). Production of test samples from the plastic body (brick body). 5. Pressing from dry pressing granulate. Determination of optimum pressing moisture. Effect of press chemicals for density of green body. Production of test specimens prepared by dry pressing. 6. Determination of sensitivity to drying. Indirect method of drying sensitivity by Bigot method (critical point and the area of ​​safe and unsafe drying, the suitability of clays according to CSB). The direct method of drying sensitivity (with a maximum speed comparison harmless drying). 7. Hand shaping of ceramics. Introduction to the work of the potter's wheel, glaze preparation. Production of hand made samples from plastic body (Art Pottery). 8. Excursions (production of refractory ceramics, brick production) - production of building ceramics 9. Determibation of the properties of fired brick body depending on firing temperature: appearance and shape, color, firing shrinkage and total shrinkage; determination of compressive strength and flexural strength, 10. Determination of water absorption (by boiling), density (hydrostatic weighing), apparent porosity, apparent density and capillarity of fired brick bodies (task 4) depending on the firing temperature. Determination of capillary action of the body and indirect assessment of its Impermeability. 11. Properties of fired test samples prepared from the dry pressing granulate (task 5) according to EN 14411 (flexural strength, vacuum water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent density, frost resistance, microstructure of the body - optical microscope) - comparison of features with the requirements of dry pressed ceramic tiles. 12. Virtual field trip to the plants in the production of building ceramics - photos showing a short film footage of building ceramics production technology. 13. Inspection of results and reports, summary of the achievements, credit.