Plasticity and green strength
Bodies with too little plastic clay crack during pressing, casting or handling, while too much raises shrinkage and drying time. Consistent ball clay plasticity keeps forming and demoulding under control.
Industry · Ceramic
Ball Clay and Ceramic Raw Materials for Tiles and Sanitaryware
Plastic ball clays, fluxing dolomite and calcium carbonate for tile, sanitaryware, tableware and refractory bodies, supplied with batch test data.
ISO 9001 certified processes
NABL-accredited lab testing
CoA, TDS & MSDS with every shipment
Export packaging worldwide
Overview
Minerals engineered for ceramic
Ball clay and other ceramic raw materials decide how a body forms, dries and fires. Obsidian Minerals supplies ball clay, dolomite and calcium carbonate to manufacturers of wall and floor tiles, sanitaryware, tableware and refractory products, with grades chosen for plasticity, whiteness and fluxing behaviour.
Ball clay is a fine-grained, kaolinitic clay that brings plasticity and green strength to the body, so pieces can be pressed, cast or extruded and handled without cracking. In slip casting it also influences casting rate and slip rheology. Dolomite and calcium carbonate act as alkaline-earth sources: they react during firing to form calcium and magnesium silicates, which help control thermal expansion, reduce moisture expansion and support the development of matt glazes and porous wall-tile bodies. Particle size, iron and titanium content, and carbonate purity all affect fired colour, shrinkage and defect rates.
Our ceramic range includes high plasticity, high whiteness and standard ceramic grades of ball clay, dolomite powder in 200 and 325 mesh, and ground calcium carbonate. Each batch is tested in an NABL-accredited laboratory and shipped with a Technical Data Sheet and Certificate of Analysis. Custom particle sizes can be developed with your body or glaze team, and samples are available for trial firings.
Problems we help solve
Fired colour and whiteness
Iron and titanium oxides darken fired bodies and limit glaze choices. Premium tile and sanitaryware producers need low-impurity raw materials that fire to a consistent, light colour.
Shrinkage and dimensional control
Large-format tiles and sanitaryware are sensitive to variations in shrinkage and thermal expansion. Raw material consistency is essential to avoid warping, crazing and size grading problems.
Gas release during firing
Carbonates and organic matter release gas as they decompose. If particle size or purity is poorly controlled, pinholes, black coring and glaze defects can follow in fast-fire kilns.
Recommended products for Ceramic
Ball Clay
High Plasticity Ball Clay
Highly plastic ball clay for sanitaryware and cast bodies, providing green and dry strength so that large, complex pieces can be demoulded, handled and finished with less risk of cracking.
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Ball Clay
High Whiteness Ball Clay
Low-iron ball clay for premium tiles and white bodies, supporting a lighter fired colour while still contributing the plasticity needed for pressing and good glaze fit.
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Ball Clay
Standard Ceramic Grade Ball Clay
General ceramic ball clay for floor and wall tiles, tableware and stoneware, balancing plasticity, shrinkage and fired properties in everyday body formulations produced on high-output pressing lines.
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Dolomite
Dolomite Powder (200 / 325 Mesh)
Fine dolomite powder supplying calcium and magnesium oxides to wall-tile bodies and glazes, helping to reduce moisture expansion and develop matt and satin glaze surfaces.
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Calcium Carbonate
GCC Fine Grade Calcium Carbonate (D50 < 5 µm)
Fine ground calcium carbonate as a calcium source in porous wall-tile bodies and glazes, where a fine particle size supports complete decomposition before the glaze seals.
View grade specsCeramic — common questions
What is ball clay used for in ceramics?
Ball clay is used to give ceramic bodies plasticity and green strength. It binds less plastic materials such as quartz and feldspar, so tiles, sanitaryware and tableware can be pressed, cast or extruded and handled before firing. It also affects slip rheology and casting rate, and its iron and titanium content influences fired colour.
Why add dolomite to ceramic tile bodies?
Dolomite supplies calcium and magnesium oxides that react with silica and alumina during firing. In porous wall-tile bodies this helps form stable crystalline phases that reduce moisture expansion and control shrinkage. In glazes, dolomite is used to develop matt and satin surfaces. Particle size should be fine enough for complete decomposition in the firing cycle.
Which ball clay grade suits sanitaryware?
Sanitaryware bodies usually need a high plasticity ball clay that gives strong green and dry strength for large, complex castings, together with predictable casting behaviour in the slip. Our High Plasticity Grade is intended for this use. Final selection should be confirmed through casting rate, slip rheology and fired property tests on your own body.
Do your ceramic raw materials come with test certificates?
Yes. Each shipment of ball clay, dolomite or calcium carbonate includes a Technical Data Sheet, MSDS/SDS and batch Certificate of Analysis, based on testing in our NABL-accredited laboratory. If your incoming inspection requires additional parameters, such as particle size distribution or fired colour, please list them when you enquire.
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Talk to a ceramic specialist
Describe your process and current material. We will recommend a grade, share the datasheet and arrange samples for trial.