Processing masinal clay is wet with material prepared from hard clay minerals is generally applied to the treated firms medium and large-scale ceramics. The process is generally about the same the only difference being the clay material and equipment capacity used.
Materials prepared clay from the hard mineral materials processed is pure clay shaped like a soft dry flour so as to facilitate its use, the materials such as kaolin, feldspar, whiting (chalk), quartz, ball clay, etc. Clay bodies that can be produced from materials prepared hard clay form: white Earthenware, white stoneware, porcelain, bone china, and so on depending on the formula (recipe) made of clay.
Processing
Processing of hard materials prepared clay minerals treated in a manner masinal wet technique performed through the following stages:
1. Weighing
Weigh clay materials from processed mineral used to devise formulas (recipes) according to the percentage by weight which has been determined. Perform carefully weighing and carefully to avoid mistakes in weighing each each clay material.
2. Mixing
Combine ingredients that have been weighed and then put into in ballmill which already contains water. Operate the corresponding ballmill standard operating procedures until the mixture becomes a slip smooth and homogeneous. Pour slip into the bucket and ready for the screening process.
Strain mixture of soil clay by using manual sieve or strainer vibration (vibrator) with density at least 100 mesh. Place clay mixture results filtering the tub container or bucket, and ready thickened with filterpress.
4. Thickening
Perform sludge thickening clay that has been filtered the pump slip to in a cloth bag filter filterpress. Take the clay results thickening clay slip plate-shaped clay plastic (clay cake) which has water content such as clay plastic.
5. Penghomogenan
Insert the plastic clay into the Pugmill, so that the mixture of clay be plastic, homogeneous, and solid. The results of this process in the form of plastic clay and homogeneous cylindrical shape. Clay’s next enter plastic into a plastic bag.
6. Storage / Ripening
Perform curing clay plastic lids on tubs or airtight container in order plastic clay moisture is maintained. Perform curing for approximately 7 days or more, the longer curing time, the quality of plastic clay will be well so that the clay into more plastic.
