Wear mechanism and morphologic space in ceramic honing process

• The greater variation in surface occurs without material removal (finest abrasive).
• This behavior may be linked to a greater participation of microplowing mechanisms.
• Due to material heterogeneity, crack propagation depend on the microstructure.
• Surface roughness profile is characterized by the predominance of valleys over peaks.
• Wear mechanisms transition was identified through the morphological space analysis.

The aesthetic and mechanical properties of porcelain stoneware tiles have promoted their rise in the ceramic tile market. Great part of the aesthetic success is due to the gloss development, which occurs during the honing process. The present study, therefore, aims to focus on this stage of manufacturing process by clarifying the correlation among abrasive size, glossiness and roughness. A clearer interpretation of these parameters is offered, proposing a correction of the unit of measure which is being used in industry and the most of available literature for defining abrasive particle size. Herein, it is concluded that finer particles are those that most contribute to both surface roughness decrease and glossiness development. Not only is the roughness described as a function of the statistical parameters, namely kurtosis and skewness, but also a corresponding morphological space diagram is presented. This series of analyses results in the identification of changes in asperities’ morphology taking place in the case of abrasives within a range of 17−23 µm, as a consequence of a transition in wear mechanisms.