Wear Resistance and Stain Resistance of Porcelain Stoneware Tiles

Abstract

The objective of the investigation was to study the mechanisms causing material transfer phenomena during dynamic interaction between porcelain stoneware tile surfaces and different kinds of materials. Tribological tests were carried out using a pin-on-disk apparatus with disks cut from different commercial porcelain stoneware tile samples coupled with pins of different materials, such as stainless steel, aluminium, rubber and leather. Tiles with surfaces both as fired and polished were examined. The wear tracks of the worn specimens were directly observed using both light and scanning electron microscopy. These observations made it possible to better understand the mechanisms of material transfer and clarify the role played by machining damage and bulk porosity uncovered by polishing and the difficulties encountered to remove the transferred material during cleaning. (orig.)