Spodumene-bearing rock as flux for triaxial ceramic bodies

Abstract

In this work, spodumene-bearing rock, a waste from mineral processing, was used as a flux in ceramic bodies, and its reactivity to other raw materials such as quartz and kaolin was analysed. The petrology properties of the pegmatite (parent rock) from which the flux is extracted were characterised. The grindability, fluxing strength and pyroplastic deformation of the spodumene-bearing rock were investigated. In addition, the influence of spodumene-bearing rock on technological properties of the final pieces, mainly in relation to the firing temperature, phases formation and microstructure was also analysed. Then, the firing behaviour to other commercial fluxes such as albite and feldspar was compared. The spodumene-bearing rock was considered an effective flux, capable of reducing the firing temperatures of the tested bodies by viscous flow.