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ECC
International’s kaolins are used in a wide variety of ceramic applications, from high
quality tableware and sanitaryware to electrical porcelain, tiles and glazes. There are
some less obvious uses including glass fibre, white cement and refractory insulation
bricks. The kaolin deposits of South West England were formed by the hydrothermal granites almost 300 million years ago. The process which converted the hard granite into the soft matrix found in kaolin pits is known as “kaolinisation”. The quartz and mica of the granite remain relatively unchanged whilst the feldspar is transformed into kaolinite. The refining and processing of the fine fraction of the kaolinised granite yields predominantly kaolinite with minor amounts of mica and fine quartz. Our existing deposits have been mined for over 200 years, and ECC International has been extracting and refining the kaolinite for over 50 years. We now have over 20 kaolin pits in this area, with the largest extending over 120 hectares. Our mining process begins with high pressure water jets which blast the kaolinised matrix. The resulting clay suspension then passes through a series of mechanical systems to remove any unwanted sand and mica before being pumped into large tanks where it is allowed to settle and thicken. Then excess water is drained off, leaving a high density slurry which is pumped on for blending.
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ECC
International’s blending technique uses feed clays from several different pits,
employing a computer-controlled system to select clays which are most suitable for the
proposed end-use. This technique not only achieves specific ceramic properties, but
ensures long-term consistency of quality. After blending, the kaolin slurry is dewatered
in filter presses before being fed into thermal driers. Many of our kaolins are "household names" in the ceramic industry, for example:-
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For more information contact ceramics@ecci.co.uk