Ceramic Tile

Raw Materials for Ceramic Tile Body and Glaze Performance

Ceramic tile manufacturers need raw materials that support forming, drying, firing and finishing across a wide range of products. Wall tile, floor tile, porcelain tile and mosaic tile each place different demands on body composition, pressability, fired color, dimensional control and glaze quality.

Covia supplies ceramic raw materials for tile body and glaze formulations, including ball clay, sodium feldspar, ceramic silica and ceramic fluxes. These materials help manufacturers balance strength, shrinkage, thermal expansion, rheology, vitrification and finished appearance.

Ceramic Tile Manufacturing Challenges

Tile production depends on consistent body behavior from raw material preparation through pressing, drying and firing. The right formulation must support efficient processing while helping the fired tile meet expectations for strength, size, color and surface quality.

Common technical needs include:

Strength and pressability for efficient tile forming and handling.

Controlled shrinkage and thermal expansion to support dimensional consistency.

Rheology control for spray drying and body preparation.

Fired color management for porcelain, mosaic and light-colored tile bodies.

Glaze quality to help reduce defects related to raw material organics or body composition.

Fluxing control to support vitrification, fired size and performance.

Reliable filler performance for different firing temperatures and tile body types.

Explore our full portfolio of products

PREMIERE®

Ball Clay

CERASIL®

High-Purity Ceramic Silica

MAXUM®

Sodium Feldspar

SPECTRUM®

High Alkali Ceramic Flux

Materials and Formulas

Ceramic tile formulations use different raw material types depending on tile format, body composition, firing cycle and finished product requirements. The right material balance depends on the tile type, forming method, glaze system, firing conditions and performance requirements.

BALL CLAY
Ball clays can provide strength and pressability and influence thermal expansion, shrinkage and rheology during spray drying. Organic content may influence glaze quality and black coring.

FLUXES
Fluxes are selected based on the fluxing power needed for the formulation. Amount and type can vary, and calcium-containing minerals may be used to help control fired size.

FILLERS
Fillers can serve different roles depending on firing temperature and body type. In low-temperature bodies, feldspar can act as a filler, while silica is used across all types of tile bodies.

Ceramic Tiles Backed by Covia

Covia offers ceramic raw materials for tile manufacturers seeking consistent processing, reliable fired performance and dependable supply. Covia also supports ceramic tile manufacturers with technical expertise, laboratory analysis, customer service, packaging options and logistics capabilities to help align raw material selection with production needs.