In situ synthesis of orange rutile ceramic pigments by non-conventional methods

Abstract

Different precursor-mixtures of orange Cr,Sb-TiO₂ ceramic pigment have been obtained by non-conventional methods (heterogeneous ammonia coprecipitation, urea homogeneous coprecipitation, PECHINI polyester method and an original aqueous-organic coprecipitation method in water-diethylenglycol medium) in order to produce in situ the pigment through the ceramic body firing. The pigmenting performances of powders were appraised in two cases: (a) as ceramic pigment for glazed porcelain stoneware and (b) as ceramic inks for screen printing of porcelain stoneware. Samples were characterised by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy by diffuse reflectance method, CIE-L*a*b* colour parameters, BET specific surface area and crystallite size measured by the Scherrer method. The colouring performance of raw powders obtained by non-conventional methods in glazed porcelain stoneware improves that of the ceramic samples fired at 1100 °C used as reference. TEM observations indicate nanostructured powders with pigmenting performance depending on factors such as their specific surface area (BET), the crystalline phases detected by XRD (e.g. anatase-rutile presence) and their crystallite size (Scherrer measurements). Ammonia coprecipitated samples, both in water and in water-diethylenglycol medium without surfactant addition, or modified by the addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate as surfactant, stand out by their colouring performance. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.