Technological characterization of ceramic material originated from São José do Rio Pardo (Brazil)

This paper reports the characterization of a ceramic material originated from the hydrographic basin of the Fartura River, located in the city of São José do Rio Pardo, state of São Paulo, Brazil and, based on the results, proposes a destination for this material in the industry. The characterization was carried out using the techniques: X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Specific Surface Area (B.E.T.), Thermal Analysis (TG/DSC), Real Density by Pycnometry, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Maximum Solids Concentration, Plasticity Index (PI), Green Density (GD), Apparent Density (AD), Apparent Porosity (AP) and Linear Shrinkage (LS). The results indicated that the material is mainly composed of kaolinite, muscovite mica and quartz, in addition to goethite, siderite and titanite. The presence of a higher iron and titania content favored obtaining red-toned bodies after ceramic firing. Based on these results, the high plasticity and other tests performed, the investigated material was identified as a clay material, with good potential for industrial use in the production of lower-cost red ceramics, such as tiles, bricks, and red-fired coatings. (author)