ROYAL FACADE
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How clinker tiles are made today
The ceramic tiles that “claim” to be clinker are made today from plastic ceramic mass, which is a mixture of the highest quality clays. After mixing and shaping, they are fired at a temperature of over 1000°C, resulting in a very hard and durable ceramic material with characteristic parameters.
Among them:
- Bending strength – above 13 N/mm²;
- Water absorption – below 6%;
- Density – not less than 1900 kg/m³.
These parameters speak for themselves – clinker facade tiles not only provide water drainage in the form of water vapour, which will penetrate inside the material and water from the ground but also have high resistance to weather conditions.
An important nuance is resistance to low temperatures: for example, the high frost resistance of King Klinker clinker facade tiles is confirmed by the Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials. The results of its tests were much better than standard norms (50-100 cycles), as even after 1000 cycles, no damage was recorded. This means a tenfold exceedance of standards.
Clinker facade tiles vs. Pressed tiles
The name “extruded” technology is due to the specific method of production, in which strands of plastic mass, containing about 15% water, are extruded from a press under a pressure from 2.5 to 4.0 MPa, and then cut into separate elements.
For comparison – in the dry pressing technology, clay in the form of dried granules with a water content of 4-5% is poured into moulds and pressed. In countries with long traditions of ceramic construction, products created by this method are not used for the production of facade tiles at all, only for the production of porcelain stoneware or glazed tiles.
This technological difference is of great importance for the durability of the facade. Clinker tiles made by the extruded method have an intact microstructure. This is a network of large, interconnected capillary channels through which water escapes, and the remaining part inside has enough space for the tile not to crack when freezing.
Moreover, water does not accumulate in the bonding zone, which is a problem for investors choosing tiles from dry-pressed tiles. Thanks to the fact that such tiles have a structure of chaotically pressed material balls with closed microspaces between them, they release water very slowly.
As a result, the tiles are often destroyed by freezing water, which also weakens the bond with the base and damages the seams.
