WHAT IS BALL CLAY AND HOW IS IT USED AND APPLIED IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES LIKE CERAMIC?

The demand for high-quality clay, well suited to the creation of the desired ceramic material, is ubiquitous given the widespread usage of ceramic materials. In addition to supplying and processing the widest variety of clay materials, African Pegmatite also offers an unwavering assortment of minerals of exceptional quality, making it an ideal industrial partner for any endeavour.

Ceramics may be found in just about every aspect of daily life, from the bricks used in construction to the tiles in the bathroom to the plates and bowls on which the world’s population feasts and washes. Pottery making dates back thousands of years. Clay is used in a variety of modern handicrafts, from those made by trained artists to those made in the home.

The term “ceramic” refers to a wide variety of manmade and naturally occurring substances, including but not limited to glass, bricks, cement, pottery, porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, graphite, and diamond. Ceramic, in the simplest terms, refers to anything created by firing clay.

Different types of clay may be distinguished from one another based on their geological origin and the required firing temperature to provide maximum strength and durability. So let’s check what is ball clay and where you can find the best ball clay in India.

What is Ball Clay?

Ball clay is quite malleable, and it has very little mineral impurities. It is always suggested to inquire about ball clay supplier in India and quality of their product before considering them for your business needs. The material’s condition determines the hue it takes on. Typically, they are a dark grey while wet but a pale grey or white when burnt. They don’t require as high of a firing temperature as porcelain clays (1,280 °C) to reach their full hardness.

Because of their extreme shrinkage when dried or fried, ball clays are rarely useful on their own. When combined with other clays, however, such as porcelain, they gain a remarkable amount of workability and plasticity and become incredibly useful. Ball clays are well-known for their rheological stability and their pale tint after curing. They may be used with stoneware clays to create an entirely different aesthetic.

Ball clay in India is widely sought after because of its many valuable applications in the pottery, tile, and sanitaryware industries. Kaolinite accounts for 20%-80% of the weight of ball clays, while mica makes for 10%-25% and quartz sand or other accessory minerals make up the rest. The grain size of ball clays is often quite small.

How Ball Clay got its name

In the early days after its discovery, specialised hand tools were used to extract ball clay. About 30-centimeter cubes were clumped with one another. The’sticky’ quality of the material allowed the cubes to maintain their form. However, they were rolled while being transported. As a result, the clay fragments lost their sharp edges, becoming round balls instead. It is also known as plastic clay in some regions because of its malleability.

Where may ball clay be used?

Tobacco pipes, one of the first applications of ball clay, dating back to prehistoric times. Ball clay’s physical and chemical qualities were once underappreciated, but today they are used in a wide range of products.

• Ceramics: Due to its great flexibility and strength, as well as its white-firing qualities, ball clay is the most crucial ingredient in ceramic production. Many types of ceramics, such as dishware and utensils, rely on their combination with other materials.
• Refractory Clays: Ball clays are stable at very high temperatures without affecting their chemical makeup. That’s why you’ll find them in things like kiln insulation and other refractory goods everywhere.
• Tile Production: Because of its malleability and high binding strength, ball clay in India is perfect for making tiles. Tiles are made with it and other materials including talc, feldspar, silica, and kaolin.
• Electrical Insulators: Ball clays, in addition to being resistant to heat, are also great insulators. That’s why they’re so common in the manufacturing of porcelain insulators and other forms of electrical insulation.
• Other Applications: In addition to these primary uses, ball clays have a wide variety of secondary applications in the fields of building, agriculture, and horticulture. Plastics, sealants, polymers, and even fertilisers all employ it as a filler ingredient.

Conclusion

Although it was formerly a mineral only found in a few locations, ball clay is now essential to modern life. Ball clay from Zillion Sawa Minerals Pvt. Ltd.- one of the top ball clay supplier in India is used to make everything from building materials to ceramics to electrical components. Ball clays, in the technical sense, are fine-grained clays that are both pliable and strong. Ball clay has been used since Roman times, and there have been many advancements in the mining, processing, and usage of this material since then.