Traditionally, companies at the Santa Gertrudes hub use open-air drying yards, where newly extracted clays are dried by exposure to the sun before entering the body preparation process. This operation is necessary to reduce the natural humidity of the clays before the grinding stage.
Through a R&D project carried out in partnership between CRC, Comgas and Cerâmica Carmelo Fior, a rotary clay dryer is being installed in a ceramics company in Cordeirópolis (SP), so that 100% of the production of ceramic tiles in a manufacturing unit is carried out with forced drying using natural gas.
The installation of the dryer, with a production capacity of 45 ton/h of dry clay, is nearing completion and CRC will be responsible for evaluating the productivity, energy performance of the equipment and the quality of the dried clay obtained.
It is expected that the project can bring a series of advantages to the manufacture of dry coatings, as the use of the clay dryer should guarantee the supply of the factory with clays of constant humidity throughout the year, favor the productivity of the pendulum mills and also contribute to better granulation of the ceramic body. Furthermore, the clay dryer can contribute to reducing the use of drying yards, which has been widely discussed at the Santa Gertrudes hub for environmental reasons.
The project results must be presented at a technical event scheduled for the second half of 2020. Stay tuned for announcements on our website!
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