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Reliable ceramic without firing

07.03.2017

The ETH Zurich (ETH Zurich) has developed a way to make pottery at room temperature that does not require firing, but has the properties of fired, according to the principle of natural geological processes. The material is based on calcium carbonate in the form of a nanopowder, to which a little water is then added and then compressed.

The firing of ceramics, be it tiles, cement, bricks or utensils, requires firing at temperatures well above 1000°C. "The production process is based on the natural geological process of stone formation," explained Andre Studart, professor at ETH Zurich. "Our work is the first evidence that a ceramic object can be produced at room temperature in such a short time and at relatively low pressure." .

Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments that have been compressed over millions of years. During this process, calcium carbonate is converted into limestone with the help of the surrounding water. But because the scientists used calcium carbonate with extremely small particles, instead of millions of years, this process took only an hour.

Tests have shown that the new material can withstand loads ten times greater than concrete and is as rigid as concrete and stone. In other words, it is difficult to deform.

So far, experts have produced a coin-sized sample using a conventional hydraulic press. "The challenge is to provide the right pressure, because larger objects require correspondingly more pressure," said Florian Bouville, a member of the design team. Theoretically, scientists say, it should be possible to produce parts the size of bathroom tiles.

The new technology could be useful in terms of energy efficiency as well as the production of composite materials such as plastic. It also has implications in the context of a future "CO2-neutral society", in the sense that calcium carbonate could theoretically be produced by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or exhaust gases. Eventually the carbon dioxide will be fixed in the ceramic instead of affecting the climate.

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