Transparency
Market Research (TMR), A Market Intelligence And Research Firm,
Has Published A Research Study On “ Ball
Clay Market ” Ball clays are the commercially highly valued
clays that, due to the strength and plasticity they provide to
ceramic bodies, find applications in a variety of industries. Ball
clays have varying proportion of kaolinite, fine quartz, illitic
mica, and small amounts of minerals and organic matter such as
smectite. Contaminant minerals found in ball clays usually include
dolomite, gypsum, titanium and iron oxides, siderite, and pyrite. The
proportion, form, and type of contaminant mineral found in ball clays
influence the range of ceramic applications and usefulness of the
clay.
The global ball
clays market is driven by the continuous demand for ball clays for a
large set of industries and applications. The market is also
benefiting from the flourishing global construction, which
subsequently is leading to an increased demand for floor tiles: one
of the chief application areas of ball clays. The demand for ball
clays is thus high in regional markets that are crucial for the
construction industry, including Asia Pacific and Middle East.
The high plastic
nature and high binding power of ball clays makes them an excellent
binding agent for a variety of application areas. Most of these
applications of ball clays fall in two categories: ceramic use and
nonceramic use.
Ball clays are
commonly used across a number of ceramic applications such as, the
production of floor tiles and sanitary ware. A typical floor tile
contains anywhere between 20 to 60% ball clay, and the rest contains
varying proportion of talc, silica sand, pyrophyllite, and feldspar.
The presence of ball clay in the tile body imparts green strength to
the tile and enables forming so the pressed tile preserves its shape
throughout the entire forming phase of the manufacturing process. The
ball clay in the floor tile also helps the tile body to retain its
shape throughout the firing process as well until a vitreous bond is
formed in the tile through mineral transformations and melting. The
ball clays employed in the production of floor tiles are typically
very fine and range between the shades fire white to off-white. For
some darker styles, however, dark firing clays are used.
Get FREE Sample
PDF file of Ball Clay Market :
The body of a
typical sanitary-ware contains nearly 35% ball clay, 15% kaolin, and
nonplastics such as feldspar and silica in the remaining 50%. Because
sanitary-ware are cast instead of being pressed, the viscosity and
rheological features that ball clay adds to the mixture to be casted
are very important.
For the rest of the
nonplastic material in the base mix for a sanitary ware, ball clay
acts as a suspending agent, which help the coarse and nonplastic
material in not settling out. The green forming characteristics that
the ball clay adds to the mixture plays a crucial role during
casting. Ball clays are also used in the manufacture of unfired
ceramic ware, hobbyware, electrical procelainm and dinnerware, which
gain their green strength and plasticity from ball clays.
Ball clays are also
used in a plethora of nonceramic applications, including the
production of fiberglass, sealants, coatings, rubber, fire-retardant
systems, adhesives, and rubber. Based on the application, ball clays
offer processing characteristics such as stabilization and
rheological modification, desirable oil absorption, extrudability,
bonding strength, tack reduction, increased stiffness and reduced
sag, controlled drying, pigment reduction, and improved surface
appearance. Numerous blends of ball clay can also be engineered for
addressing specific processing qualities, resulting in improvement of
manufacturing process and quality of the end product.
Some of the
key manufacturers of ball clay are, G&W Mineral
Resources, WBB Minerals Ltd., Imerys Minerals Ltd, and Ashapura
Minichem Ltd among others.
About Us :
Transparency Market
Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global
business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of
quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking
insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of
Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources
and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.
Our data repository
is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so
that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a
broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research
employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in
developing distinctive data sets and research material for business
reports.
No comments:
Post a Comment