Solutions

Potential Applications of Inputs for the Ceramic Industry

The ceramic industry, in its various segments, is responsible for the consumption of large volumes of industrial minerals and chemical products of various types. Assessing the potential for application of inputs in the ceramic industry involves carrying out a battery of specific tests, designed for each segment. In this context, based on a preliminary analysis of the inputs, we carried out physicochemical tests and application tests at CRC, in order to identify the potential and guide the use of industrial minerals in the ceramic sector. The analyses include applications in ceramic bodies, engobes, and glazes and can be directed to the sectors of ceramic tiles, red ceramics, sanitaryware and porcelain, and refractory ceramics. The tests can also be complemented by market surveys, with indications of volumes consumed, market prices and descriptions of consumption centers.

Product development

We offer support for the development of new products and the improvement of existing products. Using technical knowledge accumulated over more than two decades of experience and the advanced laboratory resources available at the company, we can contribute to the development of innovative products, formulations with optimized technical performance, cost reductions to increase competitiveness, development of equivalent products, among many other possibilities. Our greatest expert assessments is in the development of products and inputs linked to the ceramic sector. However, in the countless success stories recorded in our history, we have operations in several industrial segments, whose developments can benefit from the techniques involved in the characterization of materials and the tools used to develop formulations, such as linear programming (simplex) and design of experiments (DOE).

Quality control

Companies from the most diverse segments consume significant volumes of industrial minerals and other compounds every day. If inputs do not have their technical characteristics well controlled, industrial processes become hostage to the variations presented by raw materials. In this context, periodically carrying out batch laboratory tests can be an important tool to guide receipt and relationships with suppliers. At CRC, we can guide companies in defining the most suitable laboratory tests for each situation, as well as carrying out this routine monitoring, aiming to detect unwanted variations and guarantee the constancy of the supply of raw materials. In addition to laboratory analyses, we present statistical analyses of results over time, thus facilitating decision-making based on statistical parameters.

Analysis of pathologies and manufacturing defects

Defects originating in the manufacturing, or during the application of products, represent financial losses for companies and can compromise the image of manufacturers, if they reach the consumer. When the defects are known, the companies’ technical staff are generally able to act to eliminate the defects in the production process and prevent them from occurring again. However, in some cases, it becomes necessary to investigate these pathologies in greater detail, aiming to identify the origin and the best way to eliminate and prevent them. In this context, at CRC we carry out optical and electron microscopy analyses, combined with other material performance tests, indicated depending on each pathology. The combination of analyses allows the origins of pathologies to be clarified, and can even guide technical expert assessments.