Slagger

Slagger - a mixture of raw materials for porcelain production

The liquid, pulpy to viscous, purified and filtered mixture of water and minerals used in the production of porcelain and other ceramic products is known as "slagger" (porcelain slag). In high-quality hard porcelain, the slip is made from the traditional raw materials kaolin, feldspar and quartz. In its liquid form, the slip can be used directly for the production of cast items.

In the "slag casting process", the slagger is used directly for the production of ceramic products. Modern production facilities transport the slagger from silos through pipes and channels to the mould, while traditional manufacturers still use vats and cans for manual transport to the point of use.

In Asian porcelain production, the slagger is also used as a material for so-called pressure pressing, in which it is "pressed" from below via pipes and channels into a pressing tower through a number of moulds lying on top of each other.

For the production of rolled, jiggered and pressed goods, the slagger must be compacted and pressed into "Hubel". In contrast, granulate for the isostatic production of porcelain is not obtained from slagger and requires a completely different process.

The slip can be enriched with additional fillers such as xonitlite to increase its workability. Sodium silicates are added to the slurry for the slip casting process, but this can have undesirable side effects (seams) depending on the production environment or the type and production form of the cast item.