Ceramic Pressing Clay
PREMIERE®
Pressing clays play a critical role in ceramic manufacturing, as they provide the necessary plasticity and formability for pressed and extruded ceramic processes involving clay that is forced under high pressure into rigid steel or porous molds to rapidly mass-produce uniform items. Covia’s PREMIERE® line of pressing clays is expertly designed to maximize performance in these specific applications, making them ideal for producing dinnerware, floor and wall tile and electrical porcelain.
Composed of a fine-grained blend of kaolinite, illite and quartz, PREMIERE offers manufacturers a highly consistent material. Because the line features a complete range of blends — including high-strength and higher-potassium options — manufacturers can easily achieve their diverse formulation and production objectives. These clays provide excellent strength characteristics over a wide range of moisture levels.
Product Highlight
The lower carbon profile of the PREMIERE line makes them ideal body components for fast firing. An absence of oxidation sources also means minimal disturbance to glazed surfaces, in either single or twice fired processing. The consistency of these clays will provide excellent control over thermal expansion, dimensional accuracy and fired color.
Higher potassium content grades will deliver optimum firing behavior over a wide temperature range and can be used to produce compatible glazes and frits. High-strength grades meet the exacting requirements for the production of large format tile, while providing consistent fired color.
Mineral:
Ball clay
Product category:
Ceramic pressing clay
Applications:
Tile, decorative/tableware, electrical porcelain
High strength across moisture ranges:
PREMIERE produces excellent strength characteristics over a wide moisture range. Specific high-strength grades are also available to meet the exacting requirements of large format tile production.
Minimal glaze disturbance:
The material boasts an absence of oxidation sources during the firing process. As a result, manufacturers experience minimal disturbance to glazed surfaces during both single and twice-fired processing.
Superior dimensional and thermal control:
The high consistency of PREMIERE clays provides excellent, predictable control over the final product's dimensional accuracy. It also ensures highly reliable control over thermal expansion and fired color.
Excellent plasticity:
PREMIERE consistently delivers the crucial plasticity required for shaping ceramic bodies. This makes it exceptionally well-suited for demanding applications like electrical porcelain, floor and wall tile, and dinnerware.
Broad firing range compatibility:
Certain grades feature higher potassium content to deliver optimum firing behavior across a wide range of temperatures. These specific blends can also be utilized to produce compatible frits and glazes.
Customer Support
Covia’s ceramics team helps customers evaluate materials, solve formulation challenges and improve ceramic performance. With technical expertise across ceramic bodies, glazes and enamels, Covia can help manufacturers assess raw material selection and identify opportunities to improve forming, plasticity, strength and firing behavior.
Through laboratory analysis and application support, Covia works with customers to understand product requirements, kiln conditions and performance goals. That support helps ceramic manufacturers make informed decisions about mineral selection, formulation adjustments and production consistency.
Logistics
Covia’s Troup, Texas facility is the source of PREMIERE ceramic pressing clay. From this site, we offer quality-controlled production, reliable availability and logistics capabilities designed for the needs of ceramic manufacturing.
With PREMIERE as part of a broader ceramic raw materials portfolio, Covia can help customers with every aspect of their ceramic formulation and production. We are the dependable ceramics partner, featuring high-quality raw materials, aligned with your goal of excellent product quality and delivery time for greater success.
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Contact Covia today at 1.800.243.9004 or Sales@CoviaCorp.com, or click to fill out this form.