Liquid-based glazes - Spanish sector EPD

The glaze is typically prepared in the form of an aqueous suspension that is applied onto the support (the part of the tile made of clay material). Subsequently, it is subjected to a firing process that results in the ceramic tile with the desired final properties.

Glaze formulations typically include a mixture of frits, inorganic pigments, raw materials, semi-finished products, and additives. This mixture is applied as a thin layer onto the ceramic support. Upon firing, it melts and upon cooling forms a compact mass with a predominantly vitreous structure, insoluble in water, physically resistant, and resistant to the chemical agents it will encounter during its use. Additionally, it adds aesthetic and decorative elements to the support on which it is applied.

Just like frits, glazes have a wide variety of uses and applications. Ceramic uses/applications predominate, but they also provide added value in sectors such as construction, automotive, glass decoration and metal surfaces.

The liquid-based glazes are the result of wet milling of the dry mixture of frits, pigments, raw materials, semi-finished products and additives. The dosage of the different elements that make up the glazes will be determined by the final properties that are expected to be obtained after their subsequent application and firing.

Liquid-based glazes are commonly known as slips, which must have certain rheological properties for their subsequent application. The water-solid ratio will be determined, among other factors, by the type of application for which the glaze is intended. These glazes are supplied already wet milled for their application mainly on the ceramic support or are sent to other processes to be micronized.