Effect of Calcined Colemanite Addition on the Rheological Behaviour of Porcelain Suspension

A standard composition for hard porcelain production was prepared by mixing 50 wt% kaolin, 25 wt% potassium feldspar and 25 wt% quartz. Calcined colemanite powders were added to the porcelain formulation by replacing the potassium feldspar up to 5 wt% to explore its effect on the rheological behaviour of porcelain slip casting. A rheological study has been carried out in order to optimize the processing of the slip casting by using a rotational stress-controlled rheometer. The measurements were performed at constant temperature (25°C) using a parallel plate configuration. Sweep measurements were then conducted in the shear rates ranging from about 0.1-1000 s¯¹. The stability of the suspensions with ammonium polyacrylate (Darvan 821A) was determined in order to select the suitable dispersant amount. In order to achieve casting of acceptable characteristics on a plaster of Paris mould, the slurry should have the appropriate thixotropic or shear-thinning behaviours. Therefore, the same favourable thixotropic behaviour of slurries of different amount of calcined colemanite powders, the solid contents of the slurries have been optimised.