Local clay from Burkina Faso has been used as a basic
raw material in the formulation of ceramic tile with a natural talc (0 - 4%
wt) as a flux. The used sintering temperatures are between 950 and 1100 °C
with one hour as hold at heating rate of 5 °C·min-1. The different
technological properties (shrinkage, water absorption and mechanical
strength) are improved when the sintering temperature exceeds 1000 °C.
The mixture with 4% wt of talc provides better properties than the other
grades. The tiles obtained at 1050 °C with 4% wt of talc have similar
characteristics to those obtained at 1100 °C without talc. An energy gain
with a difference of temperature of 50 °C could be made with the use of talc
as the adjuvant.

ceramic tiles, energy gain, low temperatures, raw clay, sintering