Compacted ceramic materials with low porosity
The invention relates to a high-performance compacted ceramic material, comprising between 40%-85% by weight of glassy phase, having a density between 2.3 and 3.0 g/cm3, and characterized in that it has an internal porosity of less than 4% by volume. This material is highly resistant to mechanical and chemical action, sparingly permeable and prevents staining, so it is extremely suitable as a building material, particularly for kitchen countertops.
1. A compacted ceramic material comprising between 40%-85% by weight of glassy phase, having a density between 2.3 and 3.0 g/cm 3 , and an internal porosity of less than 0.5% by volume of the total volume of the material, wherein starting materials comprise potassium feldspar in a range of 15-25% by weight out of the starting materials, and sodium feldspar in a range of 35-45% by weight out of the starting materials, and wherein sodium feldspar and potassium feldspar comprise feldspar particles and at least 95% of the feldspar particles have a size of less than or equal to 40 μm.
2. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , having an internal porosity between 0.01% and 0.5% by volume.
3. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , comprising between 50%-70% by weight of glassy phase.
4. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , having a density between 2.5 and 2.8 g/cm 3 .
5. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , wherein the starting materials comprise an amount of feldspars between 50% and 70% by weight of the total starting materials.
6. A building material comprising a compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 .
7. A method for obtaining the compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
a) Grinding the raw materials to reduce them to a particle size of less than 100 microns;
b) Shaping and compacting the raw materials at pressures exceeding 400 kg/cm 2 ;
c) Firing at a maximum temperature comprised between 1,000° C. and 1,200° C.
8. A method according to claim 7 , where the grinding step a) reduces the raw materials to particle sizes of less than 50 microns.
9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the compacting step b) is performed by applying a pressure exceeding 450 kg/cm 2 .
10. A method according to claim 7 , which comprises applying a firing cycle c) until reaching a temperature comprised between 1,100° C. and 1,160° C.
11. A method according to claim 7 , which includes a preparation step for preparing the ground raw material composition, where the composition comprises between 20% and 35% by weight of clays and between 50% and 70% by weight of feldspars.
12. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 1 , wherein at least 99% of the feldspar particles have a size of less than or equal to 40 μm.
13. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 2 , having an internal porosity between 0.01% and 0.3% by volume.
14. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 3 , comprising between 55%-65% by weight of glassy phase.
15. A compacted ceramic material according to claim 5 , wherein the starting materials comprise an amount of feldspar between 55% and 70% by weight of the total starting materials.
16. A method according to claim 8 , where the grinding step a) reduces the raw materials to particle sizes of less than 45 micrometers.
17. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the compacting step b) is performed by applying a pressure exceeding 500 kg/cm 2 .
18. A method according to claim 10 , which comprises applying a firing cycle c) until reaching a temperature comprised between 1,120° C. and 1,150° C.