Effect of Firing Temperature on some Mechanical Properties of Osun State Ceramic Tiles

The work evaluates the effect of firing temperature on the mechanical properties of ceramic tiles. This was with the view to determine the optimum processing condition for Osun State ceramic tiles. Ceramic raw materials collected from Osun State were batched using clay-feldspar-silica sand blending ratio of 5:4:1, 5:3:2, 5:2:3, 5:1:4, 6:3:1, 6:2:2, 6:1:3, 7:2:1, 7:1:2 and 8:1:1 by weight; and homogeneously mixed. Three replica samples were moulded by the method of dry forming, fired at 1200, 1300 and 1400 oC and subjected to breaking and flexural strength tests using the Universal Testing Machine while the hardness test was carried out on a Moh’s scale. The results showed that breaking strength, flexural strength and Moh’s hardness fell within the range 199.43 to 325 N, 11.97 to 19.50 N/mm2 and 2.5 to 4 MH respectively, while Figures revealed that samples with 60% clay, 10% feldspar and 30% silica sand fired at 1320 oC will process the best mechanical properties. In conclusion, ceramic raw materials collected from Osun State are viable for ceramic tile production.