Investigating the behavior of compressive strength and abrasion resistance of the floor tile at different sintering temperatures

It is very important to control the process of production of floor tiles to achieve the proper properties. In this study, the effect of sintering temperature on densification behavior and mechanical properties of the floor tile was investigated. For this purpose, specimens prepared with the conventional dry pressing method and sintering was performed in the range of 900 to 1200 °C for 2 hours. According to X-ray analysis, quartz and mullite phases were identified as the main phases in the floor tile bodies. Maximum density, linear shrinkage and compressive strength were obtained for the specimen sintered at 1150 ºC, and this sample had the lowest porosity (0.5%) and water absorption (0.3%). The results showed a sharp decrease in the density and compressive strength of samples sintered at 1200 °C. The existence of porosity and cracks in the microstructure of this sample could be attributed to the oversintering phenomenon. According to the results of this study, a linear relationship between the compressive strength and density of samples can be established, which indicates a strong dependence of compressive strength on the density. The high abrasion resistance of the sample sintered at 1200 °C could be due to its glassy surface.