TECHNICAL SEMINAR ON THE PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC TILES

TECHNICAL SEMINAR ON THE PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC TILES 30 th JANUARY 2008 Presented by: LOO SHEAU MING Technical Manager CERAMIC RESEARCH COMPANY

OUTLINE OF TODAY S SEMINAR CLASSIFICATION & TYPES OF CERAMIC TILES PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC TILES HOW TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF A TILE? HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TILE? TILE STANDARDS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF CERAMIC TILES DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLAZED TILES AND PORCELAIN TILES DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORCELAIN & HOMOGENEOUS TILES SOME COMMON COMPLAINTS CARE & MAINTENANCE OF CERAMIC TILES

WHAT ARE CERAMIC TILES?

WHAT ARE CERAMIC TILES? Ceramic tiles are manufactured from a mixture of natural raw materials, e.g., clays, feldspars, silica sand, etc, that are pressed into shape and are fired at high temperatures (up to 1220 C) Ceramic tiles are available in a wide selection of colours, sizes, textures and designs. Ceramic tiles are:- 1. DURABLE 2. EASY TO MAINTAIN 3. FIRE RESISTANT 4. IMPERVIOUS & STAIN RESISTANT 5. COLOURFAST 6. SLIP RESISTANT 7. BEAUTIFUL AND VERSATILE

Classification and Types of Ceramic Tiles

CLASSIFICATION OF CERAMIC TILES Currently, almost all ceramic tiles are produced by DRY PRESSING. According to the ceramic tile standard, ISO 13006, ceramic tiles are classified into 5 different groups by its WATER ABSORPTION. W.A. < 3% W.A. 3% to 6% W.A. 6% to 10% W.A. > 10% Group BIa DRY- WA 0.5% PRESSED (Annex G) Group BIIa Group BIIb Group BIII CERAMIC TILES Group BIb 0.5% < WA 3% (Annex J) (Annex K) (Annex L) (Annex H)

TYPES OF CERAMIC TILES Type Group WATER ABSORPTION (%) BREAKING STRENGTH (N) MODULUS OF RUPTURE (N/mm²) PORCELAIN TILES BIa < 0.5 Min. 1300 Min. 35 GRES TILE/ MOSAICS BIb 0.5 to 3 Min. 1100 Min. 30 GLAZED FLOOR TILES BIIa 3 to 6 Min. 1000 Min. 22 GLAZED FLOOR/ QUARRY TILES BIIb 6 to 10 Min. 800 Min. 18 GLAZED WALL TILES BIII > 10 Min. 600 Min. 15 Based on ISO 13006 Classification.

MICROSTRUCTURE OF CERAMIC TILES GLAZE ENGOBE GLAZE GLAZE ENGOBE ENGOBE BODY BODY BODY BODY Glazed wall tile with 14% water absorption Glazed floor tile with 6% water absorption Porcelain tile with 0.1% water absorption HFW : 1.9mm

Properties of Ceramic Tiles

SIZING OF CERAMIC TILES Q: WHY SIZE OF CERAMIC TILES HAVE TOLERANCE? All ceramic products are fired to high temperatures. During the firing process, there is a certain amount of shrinkage of the tiles. This causes the dimensions of the tiles to be slightly different from each other. However, tiles are sorted and packed according to its respective sub sizes, e.g. S, M, or L. However, some tiles are trimmed (rectified) to size, e.g. polished porcelain.

SHADING OF CERAMIC TILES Q: WHY CERAMIC TILES HAVE SLIGHT SHADING VARIATION? The firing process and characteristics of the natural raw materials will produce tiles with slight variation in shade, within a batch or in different batch. Different shades are packed separately under different codes, e.g., Shade 1, 2, 3, etc Random shade on tiles enhance its natural beauty.

RANDOM SHADE IN CERAMIC TILES (MARBLE DESIGNS)

RANDOM SHADE IN CERAMIC TILES (MARBLE DESIGNS)

SURFACE QUALITY OF CERAMIC TILE Q: HOW TO INSPECT/CHECK SURFACE QUALITY OF A CERAMIC TILE? ISO GUIDELINE TO INSPECT TILES:- A tile sample should be inspected/viewed at a distance of 1 meter (approximately one arm length) The tile sample shall be viewed with naked eye or spectacles in an even light intensity of 300 lux at the surface of the tiles. Ceramic tiles should not be viewed at close range or by varying the angle of the tile or using a magnifying glass!

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CERAMIC TILE Q: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TILE? When choosing ceramic tiles, should not only consider aesthetic aspects but must consider technical and physical characteristics of the tile. For heavy traffic areas, like shopping mall, must select glazed tiles with high PEI (Class 4 or 5). PEI value is a rating given to glazed tiles to indicated its abrasive resistance.

P.E.I. CLASSIFICATION FOR GLAZED TILES LOW TRAFFIC VOLUME HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME Class 0 (100 rev) 1 (150 rev.) 2 (600 rev.) 3 (750, 1500 rev.) 4 (2100, 6000, 12000 rev.) 5 (> 12000 rev. and pass stain resistance test Suitable for Not recommended for use on floor. Private homes that are walked on with soft soled footwear or bare feet without abrasive dirt. (e.g. Bathroom and Bedroom) General residential areas where soft soled or normal footwear is worn and with an occasional small amount of abrasive dirt. (e.g. rooms in living areas except entrance halls and other areas subjected to considerable traffic.) All residential and light commercial areas where normal footwear is worn and with a small amount of abrasive dirt. (e.g. residential halls, kitchens, corridors, balconies and terraces) Any areas with regular traffic and some abrasive dirt where conditions are more severe than Class 3. (e.g. entrances, commercial kitchens, hotel, work rooms restaurants exhibition and show rooms) In severe pedestrian traffic over sustained period with some abrasive dirt. (e.g. public areas such as shopping centers, airport concourse, hotel foyers, public walkways and industrial applications ) Based on ISO ISO 10454 Part 7

Abrasive Resistance Test Materials used Alumina powder Steel ball bearings

P.E.I. ABRASION TESTER

INSTALLING CERAMIC TILE Q: WHY SHOULD TILES BE INSTALLED WITH A JOINT SPACING? MS 1294: Part 3 - Code Of Practice For The Design And Installation Of Ceramic Floor And Mosaics, states that the recommended joint width between tiles shall be not less than 3mm wide. Tile installation not carried out in accordance to the recommended code of practice may encounter possible situations that are detrimental to the installation and the tiles. Common tiling failure that could arise from installing tiles without spacing is DE-BONDING.

DEBONDING OF FLOOR TILE CAUSED BY INSTALLATION OF TILE WITH BUTT JOINTS

BEFORE INSTALLING TILES, CHECK THE IMPORTANT INFORMATON ON THE CARTONS:- 1. Product Code 2. Size (Calibre) 3. Shade

MIXING TILES OF DIFFERENT SIZES

MIXING TILES OF DIFFERENT SHADES

MIXING TILES OF DIFFERENT SHADES

MIXING TILES OF DIFFERENT SHADES

Standards & Technical Specification of Ceramic Tiles

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR CERAMIC TILES ASTM - American Standard JIS - Japanese Standard DIN - German Standard BS - British Standard EN - European Standard SASO - Saudi Arabian Standard SS - Singapore Standard - Most of the above countries have adopted ISO 13006. - For Malaysia, the standard is MS ISO 13006.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION Q: WHAT DOES TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TELL US? Shows whether the product complies with the standard specifications. Tells us whether the product is much better than the standard. In short, it tells us the PRODUCT QUALITY and PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF GUOCERA PORCELAIN TILES A. DIMENSIONAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 1. Length & Width 0.5% 0.25% 2. Thickness 5.0% 3.0% 3. Straightness Of Sides 0.5% 0.25% 4. Rectangularity 0.6% 0.30% 5. Surface Flatness - Center Curvature 0.5% 0.25% - Edge Curvature 0.5% 0.25% - Warpage 0.5% 0.25% B. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 6. Water Absorption 0.5% 0.09% 7. Breaking Strength Min. 1300N Above 1500N 8. Abrasive Resistance (Glaze) Min. Class 3 Above Class 3 9. Deep Abrasive Resistance (Polish) (Volume Removed) Max. 175 mm³ 95 mm³ * New safety requirement. C. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 10. Resistance to Chemicals Min. Class B Comply 11. Lead & Cadmium * Should not be present Comply

CE Mark Mark of Safety

Porcelain Tiles

PORCELAIN TILES are fired to extreme temperatures (1220 C) therefore are very strong and durable. Have good compaction with a water absorption of below 0.5%. Have high breaking strength (> 1300N) and are highly wear resistant (Volume loss of < 175 mm³). Therefore, Porcelain bodies are much harder and more durable than glazes. Excellent for installation in high traffic areas.

COMPARISON BETWEEN GLAZE AND PORCELAIN TILES Glazed Tiles Porcelain Tiles WATER ABSORPTION 3 TO 10% BODY IS NOT SO DENSE AND HAVE LOWER STRENGTH NOT FROST RESISTANCE LOWER FIRED SHRINKAGE LOWER SIZING DEVIATIONS WATER ABSORPTION < 0.5% BODY IS DENSE AND COMPACT AND HAVE GOOD STRENGTH FROST RESISTANCE HIGHER FIRED SHRINKAGE BIGGER SIZE DEVIATIONS (However, this does not apply if the tiles are rectified) GLAZED TILES ARE MORE EASY TO CLEAN UNGLAZED/POLISHED SURFACE REQUIRES MORE CARE & MAINTENANCE

HOMOGENEOUS or PORCELAIN?

PORCELAIN TILES Many names used to describe Porcelain tiles this has caused a lot of confusion in the market place. Popular names include:- - HOMOGENEOUS tiles, - IMPERVIOUS tiles, - FULLY VITRIFIED tiles, - FINE PORCELLANATO tiles, - GRANITO tiles, - FULL BODY tiles Homogeneous tile is a product of porcelain tile where the tile have the same colour throughout the whole piece of tile. Porcelain tiles are also available with a glaze, therefore, the name, homogeneous is not suitable to be used to describe the product. Therefore, it is technically correct to use, PORCELAIN to describe tiles with a water absorption of below 0.5%.

Polished Porcelain Tiles by Double Loading Top Layer Bottom Layer Cross-section picture of two pieces of tile produced by double loading showing two distinct body layers. Note: Coloured body DO NOT improve the physical property of the tiles in any way. It only improves its aesthetic appearance,

Q: IS THIS PRODUCT SUITABLE FOR INSTALLATON IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS? Certainly Yes. Porcelain tiles has a water absorption of less than 0.5%. The body is hard and durable enough for use in all high traffic areas.

Deep Abrasive Resistance Test on Unglazed Porcelain Tiles Dispensing Device Abrasive fine alumina TILE SAMPLE Rotating Steel Disc (10mm thick) 150 revolution

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF GUOCERA PORCELAIN TILES A. DIMENSIONAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 1. Length & Width 0.5% 0.25% 2. Thickness 5.0% 3.0% 3. Straightness Of Sides 0.5% 0.25% 4. Rectangularity 0.6% 0.30% 5. Surface Flatness - Center Curvature 0.5% 0.25% - Edge Curvature 0.5% 0.25% - Warpage 0.5% 0.25% B. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 6. Water Absorption 0.5% 0.09% 7. Breaking Strength Min. 1300N Above 1500N 8. Abrasive Resistance (Glaze) Min. Class 3 Above Class 3 9. Deep Abrasive Resistance (Polish) (Volume Removed) Max. 175 mm³ 95 mm³ C. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES MS ISO 13006 GUOCERA STANDARD 10. Resistance to Chemicals Min. Class B Comply. 11. Lead & Cadmium * Should not be present Comply

TYPES OF PORCELAIN TILES 1. SALT & PEPPER - Homogenous type porcelain tile with multi-coloured speckles. 2. GLAZED PORCELAIN - Mainly rustic designs where the glazes have high PEI ratings, resistant to abrasion and slip resistance. - Body may not be coloured but just as durable and strong. 3. POLISHED PORCELAIN - The top surface of the tiles are removed by the polishing stones producing a surface with a mirror-like finish identical to natural marble or granite. - The polishing process opens up the pore in the porcelain body. - This make the product more prone to staining.

TILE SURFACE WITH A GLOSSY GLAZE TILE SURFACE OF A POLISHED PORCELAIN TILE HFW : 1.9mm

SURFACE PORES ON POLISHED PORCELAIN TILE GUOCERA Pores are small and not connected. Stains are not able to penetrate into the body TILE B Pores are large and are connected. Stains are highly likely to penetrate into the body making removal difficult. TILE C Pores are too large. This body stains readily. HFW : 1.9mm

NANO TECHNOLOGY IN PORCELAIN TILE Figure 1: A micrograph of an untreated polished porcelain tile (magnified 50x) showing the exposed surface pores. Figure 2: A micrograph of a polished porcelain tile treated with nano showing the exposed surface pores completely sealed. HFW: 1.9mm

Some Common Defects/Complaints of Ceramic Tiles

CRACKS ON WALL TILES

CRACK ORIGINATING FROM RENDER

CRACK ORIGINATING FROM RENDER

CORING WORK AT JOB SITE

CRACK FROM RENDER

CRACK ORIGINATING FROM RENDER

HIGH DRYING SHRINKAGE OF CLAYEY SAND FROM JOHOR

MS 1294 : Part 1 : 1992 Code of Practice for The Design and Installation of Internal Ceramic Wall Tiling and Mosaics in Normal Conditions The rendering should not have a total thickness exceeding 20mm as this may result in high drying shrinkage stress and consequent in cracking. The completed rendered surface should be left for at least a further 2 weeks before tiling commences.

BRICKS THICK BED (cement/sand 1:1) < 6mm 2mm grout line WALL TILES MORTAR RENDER (cement/sand 1:4) < 20mm

To prevent tiling failures, it is IMPORTANT that installation of ceramic tiles be carried out using the CORRECT INSTALLATION METHOD and CORRECT INSTALLATION MATERIALS

CHEMICAL ATTACK ON GLAZED TILES

CHEMICAL ATTACK ON GLAZED TILES Ring mark

CHEMICAL ATTACK ON GLAZED TILES

Care & Maintenance of Ceramic Tiles

CARE & MAINTENANCE i. Cleaning agents Avoid using acid based cleaners that are corrosive and can attack tile surface and cement based grout. ii. Cleaning method Avoid using highly abrasive materials such as metal scouring pads as these will cause scratches on the glaze surface. iii. Abrasive dirt Ensure floor is kept as clean as possible. Avoid abrasive dirt, like sand particles which can cause damage to the tile surface. iv. Precaution and protection Care should be taken to prevent heavy objects from dropping on them, e.g. protect the tiled area with mats. - CLEAN ALL SPILLS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

PROTECTING TILES AFTER INSTALLATION

TILES BADLY STAINED AFTER INSTALLATION

CARE AND MAINTENANCE For more stubborn stains, refer to the chart below: Type of Stain Grease Marker Pens Type of Cleaning Agent Thinner, Turpentine Thinner, Turpentine, Mild Sulphuric Acid Wine/Colas Potassium Carbonate, Caustic Soda Paint Cooking Oil Thinner, Turpentine Potassium Carbonate Coffee/Tea Potassium Carbonate, Caustic Soda IMPORTANT NOTE : Always test clean using small or diluted amounts of the cleaning agent in a small area before starting actual cleaning on the affected areas.

SCOURING CREAM CLEANER - an excellent general /household cleaner

Thank You