Synthetic Wollastonite is a Promising Additive in the Production of Light-Colored Facing Ceramic Bricks

One of the acute problems in the ceramic industry is the shortage of light-melting clays used in the production of white bricks. Therefore, one of the relevant directions is the search for technological solutions for the clarification of existing raw materials. A well-known and proven option is the introduction of wollastonite into the charge, which is a calcium silicate CaSiO₃, where calcium oxide is contained in an amount of about 48%, and silicon dioxide – about 52%. The mineral has a needle-like or tabular habit of particles. This raw material has a number of unique properties and a high level of whiteness. The article deals with the topic of distribution of wollastonite and its application in modern industry. Natural wollastonite is widely distributed in the USA and China, where it is listed as a strategic raw material. There are currently no active deposits on the territory of Russia. One of the most promising is the Slyudyanskoye, however, it has not been functioning for more than 10 years. The introduction of wollastonite into the ceramic mass reduces the firing temperature, minimizes shrinkage, which leads to a reduced percentage of defects in production. The synthesis of artificial wollastonite is currently being implemented on the basis of several technologies. Using one of them, and choosing the opal-carbonate rock of the Partyshevsky deposit of the Rostov region as the main raw material, the authors obtained a trial batch of synthetic wollastonite. Laboratory tests conducted have shown the effectiveness of its use as a clarifier on both refractory light clays and dark-burning low-melting ones. Next, a lot of work is to be done to optimize the technology of wollastonite synthesis and study its effect on the properties of ceramic products.

Yu.A. BOZHKO¹, Engineer, Assistant (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.);
D.A. OVDUN¹, Undergraduate (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.);
M.Yu. PARTYSHEV² (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

¹ Don State Technical University (1, Gagarina Square, Rostov-on-Don, 344010, Russian Federation)
² Individual entrepreneur (Novocherkassk, Russian Federation)

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