Glossary by Confindustria Ceramica
info@confindustriaceramica.it
www.confindustriaceramica.it
A - B - C - D - E
- F - G - H - I - J - K
- L - M - N - O - P - Q
- R - S - T - U - V
- W - X - Y - Z
A
anti-slip or slip resistant -
atomisation
anti-slip
or slip resistant: tiles treated to prevent slipping
either by adding an abrasive grit to the glaze or texture to
the surface such as ribs, studs or orange peel finish.
^ Index A
^ Index
atomisation:
spray drying of the ceramic mixture (barbottina) obtained
from the wet grinding of the raw material, so as to obtain an
atomised powder destined for a successive semi-dry pressing
process.
The barbottina is sprayed into an extremely hot air current
so that the drops dry rapidly into partially hollow spherical
granules in order to retain a residual moisture (variable from
4 to 8%) useful as a lubricating agent in the successive pressing
operation.
^ Index A
^ Index
B
barbottina - bicottura
- bio-architecture - bq
(becquerel)
barbottina
or slip: aqueous suspension produced during wet grinding
inside large continuous mills, where water is mixed with the
raw materials. See: atomisation.
^ Index B
^ Index
bicottura:
the complete firing of the piece and its vitreous covering or
decoration can comprise more than a single thermal cycle, where
in most (but not necessarily all) cases each subsequent firing
takes place at a lower temperature than the preceding one. As
such the firing cycles can be single firing, double firing or
triple firing. B. is subdivided into ‘rapid double firing' in
which both thermal cycles are generally less than an hour in
a rolled furnace, and ‘slow or traditional double firing' in
which the thermal cycles take several hours. With respect to
single firing, b. gives the product a shinier glaze, greater
colour definition and weighs less.
^ Index B
^ Index
bio-architecture:
the branch of architecture that uses building techniques and
materials with limited environmental impact, striving to reduce
all types pollution to the minimum whether they be chemical-physical
or electromagnetic. B. takes into consideration all possible
measures to avoid damage to the ecosystem in which the building
is placed, risks to the physical and mental health of the people
who will use it (from workers to final users) and in general
considers its relationship to the environment at the local,
regional and planetary level. Found especially in Europe, North
America and Australia (the Australian architect Glenn Murcutt
won the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2002), B. is gaining popularity
and consensus throughout the world.
^ Index B
^ Index
Bq (becquerel): International
System (IS) measuring unit that quantifies the activity of a
radioactive source. 1 Bq is equal to one disintegration per
second.
^ Index B
^ Index
C
carbon dioxide - clay
-clinker (o Klinker) tiles - cogeneration
- cogenerator
carbon dioxide:
heaviest gas in the atmosphere. It is formed during all combustion
processes, respiration, and decomposition of organic material
through the complete oxidation of carbon. Variations in the
concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere due to various anthropological
activities (combustion, deforestation) provoke modifications
in the climate over time. CO2 has the greatest responsibility
for the greenhouse effect and for global warming.
^ Index C
^ Index
clay:
raw material used in the production of ceramic tiles. Its most
important characteristics are: plasticity, hardening during
the drying process, acquisition of a rigid form after firing,
and shrinkage during the drying and firing process.
^ Index C
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clinker (o Klinker)
tiles: bricks or tiles of small format with elevated
thickness in which the composite mixture is composed of clay
and low-quality kaolin, feldspathic flux and non-plastic materials.
It is differentiated from vitrified tiles for the heterogeneity
of the mixture and for its reduced vitrification but, as with
vitrified tiles, is frost-resistant, impervious to chemical
attack and has a notable mechanical resistance to bending. C.
products are obtained through pressing or extrusion and are
fired at temperatures above 1,200° C. with a cycle of several
hours. They are used for both external and internal paving.
The largest producer today continues to be Germany, the country
in which it was invented around 1930.
^ Index C
^ Index
cogeneration:
production associated with electrical energy and heating. In
specific cases it constitutes an element of high energetic efficiency
which maximises the recovery of heat obtained through the generation
of electrical energy, utilising it directly in the process of
ceramic elaboration.
^ Index C
^ Index
cogenerator:
see cogeneration
^ Index C
^ Index
E
eco-compatibility
eco-compatibility:
defines the capacity to interact with the environment without
upsetting its delicate equilibrium. In other words, our actions
are eco-compatible when we can carry them out in such a way
that the pollution rate and exploitation of environmental resources
remains within the limits of the absorption and regeneration
capacity of the recipient ecosystem in order to avoid an increase
in the level of pollution over time.
^ Index E
^ Index
F
feldspars - feldspathic
materials - Feng-Shui
feldspars:
the most common feldspars found in nature and used in ceramic
tile manufacturing are sodium, potassium and calcium. The peculiar
characteristic of these minerals is their reaction when fired
with quartz and kaolin, triggering the formation of vitreous
phases featuring the “cement” of the ceramic tile. The vitreous
phases in fact make the ceramic items very compact, endowing
them with high mechanical resistance and, in certain conditions,
making them completely impervious.
^ Index F
^ Index
feldspathic materials:
raw material widely distributed across the earth's surface with
no risk of its supply being depleting, derived from the decomposition
of rock - such as quartziferous porphyry, granite, syenite or
gneiss - rich in mineral content, from which clay is composed.
They determine the process of vitreous formation that assures
the high compactness of the product.
^ Index F
^ Index
Feng-Shui:
traditional Chinese art of systemising a space in harmony with
the forces of the cosmos. The first traces of this art, developed
according to the wisdom of the I Ching, the Book of Changes
from the fourth millennium BC, is found in the Confucian era
(VI-V century BC). F.S. derives from the traditional Chinese
concept of the world based on the opposition of the two complimentary
forces Yin and Yang, on the idea of cosmic breath, on vital
energy, and on Chi (Ki in Japanese). The discipline also confers
objects, for example a lamp or a table, with their own individual
energy, which can vary according to form (square, rectangular,
triangular, spherical) or material (wood, metal, brick, plastic).
^ Index F
^ Index
G
giga joule
giga joule (GJ):
MKS system unit of measure for work or for energy. The force
of one Newton fulfils the work of one Joule when its point of
application is moved one metre in the direction of the force,
e.g. 1 Joule = 1 Newton x 1 metre. 1 Giga Joule (GJ) = 1,000,000,000
Joules.
^ Indiex G
^ Index
K
kaolin
kaolin:
kaolin and clay are listed among the main components of ceramic
bodies and glazes. The purest clay minerals are kaolinites and
kaolin can be obtained from kaolinite through purification processes
and by washing with water. The main function of clay-based raw
materials is to give the body (suitably dampened) the plasticity
required to obtain pressed tiles, which already in their green
state, feature suitable mechanical characteristics as to be
processed, transported and handled .
^ Index K
^ Index
L
LCA
LCA: the term LCA
(Life Cycle Assessment), now in common usage, was first used
during the 1990 SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry) congress in Vermont, USA, in order to better characterise
the analyses carried out until then under the name REPA. Based
on the definition supplied by SETAC in 1993 the Life Cycle Assessment
is an objective procedure to evaluate the energetic and environmental
burden of a product, process or activity.
^ Index L
^ Index
Q
quartz - quartziferous
sand
quartz: one
of the most abundant minerals in nature, characterised by high
chemical stability and hardness. It features one of the main
components in ceramic processing, used both in the body and
in the glaze. The main function of quartz-based raw materials
is to form the skeleton of the ceramic body, that is to say
a leaning and structural function for limiting and controlling
changes in dimension that commonly occur during the drying and
firing processes.
^ Index Q
^ Index
quartziferous sand:
raw material widely used in the ceramics industry and which
carries out a structural function, limiting dimensional variations
in the firing due to its presence in the clay mixture. These
sands, whose value is assigned on the basis of purity and fineness,
are found on all five continents and are present in all the
European countries.
^ Index Q
^ Index
S
single firing - sustainability
single firing:
process in which the glaze and clay are fired at the same time.
Prior to the development of s.f. in the 80s, the method generally
used in Italy was double firing. New technology has led to the
creation of a much thinner product, reducing production and
transportation costs. The tile in s.f. is also more resistant
and can be used for commercial pavements subjected to a high
intensity of traffic.
^ Indice S
^ Index
sustainability:
among the definitions of s., that given in the Brundtland Report
has generated various new variations. For example, according
to the editor of Econews Guy Dauncey, “Sustainability is a condition
of existence that allows the present generation (of the human
and other species) to enjoy social well-being, a viable economy
and a healthy environment, (…) without compromising the capacity
of future generations (human and not) to benefit from these
in equal measure.”
^ Indice S
^ Index
T
Total Quality Environmental Management - thermal
bridge
Total Quality Environmental Management
(TQEM): integration of environmental objectives within
a business's essential practices through a management system
where quality is defined on the basis of the identification
of the causes of environmental problems and solutions for their
resolution. An on-going revision of these practices leads to
a continuous improvement of products and processes. According
to the ‘TQEM Primer' of GEMI, there are four key elements in
TQEM:
-
Identification of the client: in TQEM environmental quality is established through the preferences of the client. Purchasers, local communities, ecology groups and the overall public are considered ‘external clients' while office and factory workers represent the ‘internal clients' of a business.
-
Continuous improvement: management and employees of a company need to work systematically for the improvement of environmental performance. The involvement of everyone is fundamental to the successful application of TQEM.
-
Act correctly from the very beginning: the elimination of environmental risks (through prevention) is a vital element of TQEM. As such employees are called on to identify and eliminate all possible environmental problems.
-
Systemic approach: it is important to conceive the various components of TQEM integrally in order to guarantee the correct functioning and mutual support necessary to achieve the desired objectives.
^ Index T
^ Index
thermal bridge: non-isolating
element that provokes a rapid dispersion of heat from one material
to another. A t.b. occurs as the result of discontinuity, joints
or connections, and is the cause of inefficiency, energy waste
and condensation phenomena resulting from sudden local variations
in temperature.
^ Index T
^ Index
V
vernacular architecture -
vitrification -
vitrified stoneware
vernacular architecture: term for the form of architectural production documented in the historical-constructive tradition typical of a specific location, also defined by the term ‘spontaneous architecture' (as opposed to authorial architecture), and which surprises for the happy synthesis of climate-form-material. It is poor but knowledgeable building form, made with material found in the surrounding environment. Thanks to a major attention to environmental and social problematics v. a. has arrived in recent years to the status of history after having been relegated to the lesser place of minor architecture or confined to the disciplinary limits of anthropologic culture. The evolution and slow growth that antique societies underwent allowed them to integrate their practice into a lengthy and well-considered process of reproduction, always adapted to natural constrictions. Edouard Goldsmith (founder of The Ecologist and one of the driving forces of the ecology movement on the international level) affirms: “It is because vernacular society has adapted its mode of life to the surrounding environment that has made it durable, and because industrial society on the contrary has forced the environment to adapt to its mode of life that places its survival into question.”
^ Index V
^ Index
vitrification: progressive
partial fusion of a ceramic mixture, clay, feldspar, enamel etc.
provoked by the increase in temperature during the firing process.
Through this process the quantity of the vitreous phase increases
and the apparent porosity of the material decreases. A ceramic
body is completely vitrified if the glass fills the pores between
the grains completely, cementing them shut. The most important
variables in the vitrification process are the initial size distribution
of the particles, the viscosity of the vitreous phase and, to
a lesser degree, surface tension. The term v. is sometimes substituted
with ‘gresification’, which however indicates a lesser
degree of vitrification, such as that obtained with stoneware
as compared to porcelain.
^ Index V
^ Index
vitrified stoneware or porcelain
stoneware: tile obtained by pressing with very
low total porosity, produced from white-body that may also be
uniformly- or multi-coloured through a mixture of dustings or
granules of different sizes and colours. The composition of the
mixture is very similar to white-body stoneware but the raw materials
are chosen in such a way as to maintain a minimum percentage of
iron oxide. The mixture is pressed with specific loads 50% greater
than those of vitrified white-body enamel. The firing is conducted
with a cycle of less than one hour and a temperature of around
1,200° C. The tile can also be polished, either before or
after installation, in order to highlight its aesthetic qualities.
It is resistant to frost, acids and bases and has an elevated
mechanical resistance.
^ Index V
^ Index
Z
zirconium silicate
zirconium silicate: derived from zirconium sand utilised by the ceramic industry to give opacity and whiteness to the glazing, and whiteness to vitrified stoneware or to the ceramic mass.
^ Index Z
^ Index
