| Development of Silica Aerogel Added Lightweight Ceramic
Sanitaryware |
Murat Dogdu,a, * Enver Can Kilic,b Cantekin Kaykilarli,c Sevil Yüceld and Hasibe Aygul Yeprema
Pages : 247-256
DOI:10.1080/0371750X.2026.2707155 |
| Abstract |
| This study investigates silica aerogel as a partial replacement for quartz in fine
fire clay (FFC) ceramic sanitaryware bodies with the aim of reducing fired weight
and improving wall-thickness formation during slip casting. Silica aerogel was
incorporated into industrial FFC formulations at 0.55, 3.00, 5.00, 7.50 and 10.00 wt%.
The slips were shaped by slip casting and fired at 1250oC. The compositions were
evaluated in terms of slip litre weight, thixotropy, Ford cup efflux time, wall-
thickness formation, fired weight reduction, shrinkage, water absorption, bending
strength, thermal expansion, firing deformation, colour, XRD phase evolution and
SEM morphology. Silica aerogel addition decreased the slip litre weight and
increased wall-thickness formation, confirming its influence on casting behaviour.
The fired weight reduction reached 28.30% in the composition containing 10 wt%
silica aerogel. However, increasing silica aerogel content also increased water
absorption and firing deformation and reduced fired bending strength. Thus, the
highest addition level provided the maximum lightweighting effect, whereas inter-
mediate additions gave a more favourable balance between weight reduction and
technological performance. XRD results showed that replacing crystalline quartz
with porous amorphous silica modified -quartz and cristobalite polymorph
evolution during firing. Overall, silica aerogel is a promising lightweighting additive
for FFC sanitaryware bodies, provided that its content is optimized with respect to
mechanical strength, water absorption and dimensional stability. |
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