New ingredients to make designer clay bricks developed in TSC SB RAS

Researchers from Tomsk Scientific Center supplied a pilot batch of Si-iron-based powder to a brick factory under the management of FURBAU group where it will be utilized to make unique decorative bricks which as they hope will help them expand their product line.

– One of the trends in the construction materials market today is the growing demand for designer brics that add uniqueness to a building and make it stand out. A year ago, when we started our cooperation, FURBAU group were looking for domestically made powders that are used in the production of such brics, – says Roman Minin, the head of the laboratory of Heterogeneous metallic systems at TSC SB RAS.

The powder itself is Si-iron embedded in glass matrix, that – when applied to the surface of a brick, rolled and then flash-baked – gives you a nice gradient coloring, unique textural properties, and shiny metallic speckles. These gunite coatings have already been tried on small test batches of bricks and performed well compared to their foreign counterparts.

In the near future the factory will make their first commercial batch of 15,000-20,000 pcs coated with the new composition from TSC RAS. After the novelty reaches the market, FURBAU dealer stores will review their sales to see if the new product lands.

– More compositions demanded by the industry are underway. It’s important that we cut down on using reagent grade chemicals in the process and switch to recyclables, natural materials and mineral waste instead, – Roman Minin explains.

The partnership between FURBAU and TSC started a year ago, when the researchers came up with a proposition to develop optimized engobe coatings based on heat-resistant inorganic pigments - the substance used in production of colored ceramic bricks.

As a reminder, one of the research directions at Tomsk Scientific Center is the development of high-temperature pigments with a wide color range that can be used to make dry mortars, ceramic tiles and clay bricks, and decorative glaze.