The present disclosure relates to the manufacture of ceramic products by aqueous gelcasting. Exemplary ceramic products include sanitary ware, such as toilets and sinks. The process includes a slurrying step, a mixing step, a molding step involving aqueous gelcasting, a drying step, a glazing step, and a firing step.

Fused, monolithic 3-D products of high-SiO2-containing body materials, called FHD/S, cut to pattern, mating surfaces honed or polished, assembled with mating surfaces in contact, and fusion fired until the contacting parts fuse without added flux. Fused FHD/S products may be used unglazed, or glaze may be applied to selected fused surfaces and then glaze fired. FHD/S body materials may include colorants so that the fused parts exhibit color contrast and variation when used without glazing. Examples include countertops having integral fused vertical back-splashes and front edges, and bowls fused to openings. The inventive 3-D monolithic fused FHD/S products are produced in standard sizes or as custom-fit interior and exterior products that are stain resistant, moisture impervious, UV resistant, acid resistant, dimensionally stable, abrasion and impact resistant, and may be glazed to produce unique decorative and utilitarian surfaces in a wide range of colors and textures, including artistic, one-of-a-kind 3-D works.

A method for manufacturing a naturally cooling ceramic receptacle comprising preparing a clay body by adding ball clay and/or quartz, water and deflocculant, forming the clay body into a desired shape of the ceramic receptacle with molds by at least one of roller making, pressure casting and slip casting, demolding the formed clay body and drying at a temperature higher than a room temperature, performing a first firing of the clay body in a kiln at a temperature higher than 1050 C. to obtain a biscuit receptacle, mixing a slip casting clay with desired color pigments to produce plastic colored slip casting clay, dipping the biscuit receptacle into the colored slip casting clay and drying, and performing a second firing of the biscuit receptacle with the dried color slip casting clay in a kiln at a temperature higher than 1000 C. but lower than the temperature of the first firing.

A method for manufacturing a naturally cooling ceramic receptacle comprising preparing a clay body by adding ball clay and/or quartz, water and deflocculant, forming the clay body into a desired shape of the ceramic receptacle with molds by at least one of roller making, pressure casting and slip casting, demolding the formed clay body and drying at a temperature higher than a room temperature, performing a first firing of the clay body in a kiln at a temperature higher than 1050 C. to obtain a biscuit receptacle, mixing a slip casting clay with desired color pigments to produce plastic colored slip casting clay, dipping the biscuit receptacle into the colored slip casting clay and drying, and performing a second firing of the biscuit receptacle with the dried color slip casting clay in a kiln at a temperature higher than 1000 C. but lower than the temperature of the first firing.

Disclosed are a semi-transparent ceramic sheet decorated through ink light-absorbance and a preparation method thereof. The semi-transparent ceramic sheet comprises a semi-transparent green body, an inner inkjet pattern layer infiltrating into the semi-transparent green body from an upper surface of the semi-transparent green body, a decoloration glaze layer located on the upper surface, and a surface pattern layer located on the decoloration glaze layer. The decoloration glaze layer is capable of decoloring the ink of the inner inkjet pattern layer. The semi-transparent ceramic sheet is provided with the decoloration glaze layer so that the inkjet decoration of the inner inkjet pattern layer cannot be displayed on the surface, and the decorative pattern on the surface of the green body is the surface pattern layer and the inner inkjet pattern layer is completely in the inner layer of the green body.

Ceramic tile having a ceramic base layer and a cover glaze layer including a printed pattern, where the surface of the ceramic tile has a relief having structural features corresponding to the printed pattern. The structural features are at least partly formed in the surface of the ceramic base layer and manifest themselves through the glaze layer to the upper surface of the tile. Additionally, a method which allows for the manufacturing of such ceramic tiles.

Ceramic tile having a ceramic base layer and a cover glaze layer including a printed pattern, where the surface of the ceramic tile has a relief having structural features corresponding to the printed pattern. The structural features are at least partly formed in the surface of the ceramic base layer and manifest themselves through the glaze layer to the upper surface of the tile. Additionally, a method which allows for the manufacturing of such ceramic tiles.

A ceramic product includes a glass layer having 0.1 wt % to 9 wt % of a luster pigment for providing a metallic look. The glass layer includes 40 wt % to 60 wt % of silicon dioxide, 15 wt % to 35 wt % of boron oxide, 18 wt % or less of one or more alkali metal oxides selected from the group consisting of lithium oxide, sodium oxide, and potassium oxide, 4 wt % or less of one or more alkali metal oxides selected from lithium oxide and sodium oxide, and 5 wt % or more of potassium oxide.

In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a ceramic phase change material capsule includes forming a solid phase change material pellet, coating the pellet with a green ceramic material, and sintering the green ceramic material while on the pellet to form a ceramic outer shell of the capsule.

Drill cuttings, initially cleaned to remove a majority of drilling fluids therefrom, but which have residual organic species, including hydrocarbons, therein are used in clean technologies to make a wide variety of ceramic and concrete products, such as tiles, slabs, blocks, bricks, pavers, decorative edgings, planters, modular barriers, embankments, medians, dividers, precast products and the like for a variety of commercial sectors. In the case of the concrete products, the organic species in the drill cuttings, including hydrocarbons, are first minimized or degraded in the drill cuttings using an oxidative process, such as photocatalytic oxidation, use of an oxidant or combinations thereof, prior to mixing the drill cuttings with cement and water, to form various concrete products. The products produced have acceptable compressive strengths and minimize or eliminate any leaching of the drill cutting contaminants therefrom. In the case of the ceramic and advanced ceramic products, the hydrocarbons and other contaminants are melted during the process of firing the ceramic products in the kiln. The kiln temperature is carefully controlled to minimize safety issues, which would otherwise be associated with the presence of at least the hydrocarbons in the products.