Vitreous ceramic tiles were produced from clay, quartz and albite mixtures fired at 1150 oC. These ceramic tiles were classified according to the ISO standard. The effect of fluxes additions on the technological properties of ceramic tiles has been studied. The sintering behavior (linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent porosity and bulk density) of the prepared ceramic bodies was followed. Phase compositions and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) attached with an EDAX unit. The densification parameters and hence mechanical properties of the samples were enhanced with increasing of albite content up to 40 wt. % due to liquid phase sintering mechanism. However, higher amount of fluxes above the vitrification range (> 40 wt.%) results in a noticeable decrease in the sintering and mechanical properties.

Keywords: Vitreous ceramic tiles, Water absorption, X-ray diffraction, Microstructure