Feldspar

Feldspars make up the most abundant mineral group on earth: they form about 60% of the earth’s crust and are present in all kinds of rocks – magmatic, metamorphic or sedimentary. Based on their mineralogical composition, there are four types of feldspar: potassic, sodium, calcic, barium. Turkey is the biggest producer of feldspar in the world while Europe has several deposit of potassic and sodium feldspar mainly used for industrial purposes due to its high alumina and alkali content.

I.MA.F. knows that feldspar is a fundamental component in the production process of ceramic and glass industry. For this reason it sells feldspars of different particle size for different purposes.

TYPES

Feldspar for ceramic bodies for the production of porcelain and ceramic slabs (particle size from 20 to 75 µm)

Feldspar for ceramic engobes and glazes (particle size from 20 to 75 µm)

Feldspar with low free silica content for the production of quartzites and synthetic marble (particle size from 20 to 75 µm)

Ventilated feldspar for technical porcelain stoneware (particle size from 20 µm to 1 µm)

PROPERTIES

SHOCK RESISTANCE

Feldspar imparts hardness and strength to materials making them resistant to any impact. This is why it is a fundamental component in the production of ceramics and glass.

FUSIBILITY

This is the most important characteristic from the industrial point of view because it allows feldspar to be used in ceramic porcelain, in porous bodies, glazes, varnishes and vitrified products. In this cases the feldspar could be fired at high temperature – 1200 °C.

It also plays a significant role as a flux, lowering the melting temperature in the production process.

LOW VISCOSITY

With its low friction coefficient and a good dispersion it is chemically inert causing no chemical alteration when in contact with the biological environment. For this reason it is perfect for paints and plastic.