From Clay Minerals to Ceramics: Progress and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

The use of different types of clay for the manufacture of ceramics has been well known since ancient times; man has evolved along with the production of ceramics. Humans have always experimented to improve the applications of clays, introducing them as raw materials to help them enhance ceramics for uses that improve their living conditions. The processes investigated include the pre-treatment of natural clay to purify it and extract its finer parts, the selection of the type of clay according to the desired shape, the introduction of degreasing agents to control tensions and plasticity, the use of fluxing minerals, and so on.

The world of ceramics is evolving towards the sustainable use of raw materials. This is leading to experimentation with the introduction of waste in their formulation, as well as research into the manufacture of glass ceramics and geopolymers. This avoids the generation of waste that affects the environment and reduces the need to extract raw materials from nature.

Finally, clays are the most promising raw material as a complement to increase the reactivity of industrial, mining, construction, and demolition wastes so that they can be used for the production of new materials, such as geopolymers or supplementary cementitous materials. This application is of critical importance for the reduction of CO₂ emissions produced during the manufacture of portland cement, which is fundamental in the battle against climate change. In view of the above, there is still a lot of research to be carried out in the field of clays and their ceramic applications.

Dr. Maite Garcia-Valles
Dr. Pura Alfonso
Guest Editors

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