Energy Effective Granule Preparation in Porcelain Tile Production

In this study, the effect of polymeric dispersant was investigated in ceramic powder blend of porcelain tile to determine the best dispersing formulation. The aim was to outperform the currently used dispersing formulation （sodium silicate） in order to directly save energy and production time （higher slurry solids at same viscosity）. Polymeric dispersant was tested in formulation with sodium silicate at different ratios. Finally, by using 0.25% dispersing agent in the ratio of 90% sodium silicate to 10% polymeric dispersant the best value was achieved. Compared to the current dispersant system it allows increasing the solids by 2% （from 65% for the current dispersing system to 67% with polymeric dispersant）. By increasing the solid ratio, the energy spent for preparation of granule in spray drier is decreased.