Apparently invisible. Chemistry in ceramics.

Formaldehyde, despite its wide use in many fields of the industrial production, in high percentage may be a serious problem.
In Ceramics, it must be carefully checked since it can seriously and negatively affect the environment.
What do we need to know about this topic?

Viscosity (or viscous friction coefficient) measures a substance attitude on generating friction between its layers. In other words, it defines the resistance of the fluid to its proper flow.
The barbottina's viscosity values - that is the suspension of inorganic raw materials, water and dispersants that after the atomization process will form under the weight of the presses the raw ceramic body - can sometimes rapidly and suddenly change, and grow.
In the event of an excessive or out of standard increase, many critical issues may occur, compromising the use of the watery system or even forcing producers to repeatedly stop the production line.
What are the main causes that can significantly affect the viscosity values of the slip and what do we need to know the proptly act, avoiding the worst-case scenarios?

Rheology is the science that deals with the flow and the strain rate of matter.
It’s a branch of Physics that studies the origin, the nature and the deformation’s characteristics of a matter under the influence of external forces, with particular regard to non-Newtonian liquids. Its main goal is to define the correlations between causes (forces) and effects (deformations and flows), identifying all mechanisms that are the basis of the different rheological behavior on a microscopic and molecular scale.
The episode offers an overview about the most important rheological behaviors of ceramic suspensions: barbottine, glaze and grit suspensions, engobes and inks.
All these mixtures, in fact, in order to develop a good application and avoid serious problems along the production lines, must be marked by proper rheological features.
Which ones?

Ceramic glazes can be applied by means of several technologies but the most common and popular is the airless spray system.
However, sometimes glazes can still be discharged on the raw tile by means of bell or vela systems.
Each application system required different evaluations about the glaze's rheology.
The glaze must be marked by specific properties according to the system with which is applied along the production line. The episode focuses on these differences and on the chemicals that can - or must - be used to get the proper features.
At the end, a brief focus on synthetic chemicals, very useful to prevent the proliferation of bacterial attacks before and during application.

Process water play a very important role within ceramic activities, being involved in a wide range of production’s steps. If on the one hand they are strictly necessary to the course of the work, they can lead on the other hand to problems when they do not fits the required production parameters.
The fourth episode of the podcast APPARENTLY INVISIBLE. CHEMISTRY IN CERAMIC, now available on the leading audio platform, is exactly focused on this topic. We talk about electrical conductivity, net and groundwater, waters clarification, sanitization, pH, depuration, tank storage...
Which are the most impotant issues?
What do we should know to prevent or minimize them?