Fine fireclay: great expectations: technical and market forces are driving the growth of fine fireclay in sanitary-ware production.

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World sanitaryware production is dominated by vitreous china, but fine fireclay (FFC) is an increasingly important segment of the market. Despite the recent economic crisis, FFC has continued to grow as a rising number of producers view it as a profitable option.

Even with the success of FFC in Europe, it has met difficulties in penetrating the North and South American markets. However, the historical context--as well as the technical and market forces that have driven its growth--illustrates that fine fireclay has great potential in the Americas.

A Little History

Sanitaryware bodies typically fall into three categories: traditional fireclay, which was the original type of body used for industrial sanitaryware production in the West; vitreous china, which currently dominates the global market; and fine fireclay, which arrived on the market more recently. When modern sanitaryware production began a little over a century ago, the traditional fireclay body was the only option available.

Fireclay bodies consisted of a blend of crushed fireclay with …