Influence of aging on the technological properties of clays in the ceramic industry

The use of stockpiling systems in the ceramic industry provides significant improvements in the properties of clays when compared to the use of freshly mined material. Clays are stored for some time before entering the production plant. This work reports the influence of aging on the technological properties of clays. The moisture content showed the greatest influence to the exposure. The improvement of such technological properties also depended on the initial properties of the clays. Finally, the results suggested that aging would be beneficial during certain periods of the year.

► Aging was found to increase the flexural strength of clays both before and after sintering.
► The effect of aging depended on the place of exposure (indoors and outdoors) and on the type of clay.
► The effectiveness of aging also depends on the initial properties of the clays such as plasticity, particle size distribution, moisture content, and composition.