A range of processes is described herein for the preparation of a range of gold nanoparticle (Au NP) ceramic glazes with traditional firing methods that represents significant efficiency and ecological advancements over existing methods and allows for the replacement of commercial ceramic colorant methods, while retaining the costly equipment and firing methods already used. The process allows for ceramic surface color while breaking standards for minimal amounts of transition metal colorant used. The nanoparticle-based glazes described here add new colors to the known ceramic surface palette and offers greater consumer safety as an alternative to existing coloring processes that use higher concentrations of toxic metal and an increased risk of metal leaching from the final ceramic vessel into its contents (e.g., soil, beverage, food).

A range of processes is described herein for the preparation of a range of gold nanoparticle (Au NP) ceramic glazes with traditional firing methods that represents significant efficiency and ecological advancements over existing methods and allows for the replacement of commercial ceramic colorant methods, while retaining the costly equipment and firing methods already used. The process allows for ceramic surface color while breaking standards for minimal amounts of transition metal colorant used. The nanoparticle-based glazes described here add new colors to the known ceramic surface palette and offers greater consumer safety as an alternative to existing coloring processes that use higher concentrations of toxic metal and an increased risk of metal leaching from the final ceramic vessel into its contents (e.g., soil, beverage, food).

An overglaze decoration material is provided that can be used to apply to a ceramic product a luster overglaze in which a luster pigment does not dissolve in glass and can thus maintain its luster properties to provide a metallic texture and high surface gloss. The overglaze decoration material in accordance with the present invention contains a frit that has a composition thereof including 40 wt % to 60 wt % of silicon dioxide, 15 wt % to 35 wt % of boron oxide, and 18 wt % or less of one or more alkali metal oxides selected from the group consisting of lithium oxide, sodium oxide and potassium oxide, and a luster pigment for providing a metallic look.

A method for producing a ceramic sanitary article, more particularly a washbasin or washstand, wherein a mold is used to produce, from a ceramic composition, a green body, which is subsequently fired in a firing to form a fired body, where the fired body after the firing is subjected to material-removing working on one or more visible faces until it has a desired dimension, after which the worked body is glazed at least on the worked visible face or faces and is fired a further time in order to fire the glaze.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic that comprises: making available amorphous Ti; making available a biomimetic material or a biomaterial based on calcium phosphate; functionalizing said biomimetic material or said biomaterial based on calcium phosphate, with said amorphous Ti, obtaining a functionalized and oriented composite; adding said functionalized composite to a ceramic mixture, and/or applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product, where ceramic semi-finished product means the ceramic material before baking; applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product; baking at a temperature between 600 and 1400 C., preferably between 900 and 1300 C., for a time that varies from 20 to 500 minutes, obtaining an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic.

The present invention further relates to a photocatalytic ceramic material that comprises a biomimetic material having a nanostructured hierarchical structure with macro and micro cavities, within which TiO.sub.2 is included in the crystalline form of rutile, and tiles, sanitary ware and tableware comprising same.

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.

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.

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 relief being basically formed as a plurality of excavations present in the generally plane upper surface of the ceramic tile and the structural features have a depth such that they are completely situated above the ceramic base layer.

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 relief being basically formed as a plurality of excavations present in the generally plane upper surface of the ceramic tile and the structural features have a depth such that they are completely situated above the ceramic base layer.

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.