Publications

It is always a great pleasure to oversee a publication, particularly in a sector such as that of traditional ceramic materials where the production of books and manuals has always been very limited.
This subject covered is one that all professionals in the sector have to deal with in their day-to-day work but which they tend to be reluctant to study in detail due to the unusual nature and enormous variability of the fluids and suspensions involved.
One of the reasons why we have produced this book is to demonstrate that it is always worth persisting in one ‘s efforts and that it is vital to maintain a lively cultural interest and to keep abreast of the latest developments.
I am particularly pleased to note that the “work group” formula, the method traditionally followed for the Italian Ceramic Society publications, has once again demonstrated its enormous potential. Drawing together experts and prominent figures from various cultural backgrounds as well as professionals from the world of industry and suppliers of scientific equipment naturally gave rise to some initial difficulties in terms of organising and harmonising their respective contributions. But as the drafts took shape, this ultimately proved an excellent method for clarifying various concepts amongst ourselves and thus establishing the best way of getting them across to readers.
The sheer scale of the work was enormous at all stages. I am particularly grateful to Dr Bruno Burzacchini for having taken part in the project with profound conviction, accepting the difficult role of coordinating the ICerS Work Group and editing the volume, a task in which demonstrated enormous commitment and exceptional professionalism.
I am grateful to the SIR (Italian Society of Rheology), whose support was sought with the aim of drawing from the highest level of knowledge at a national level. This support was provided magnificently in the introductory chapters by Past President, Prof Lapasin, and specific sector experts Dr Galassi and Dr Gardini.
I want to warmly thank all the authors of the various chapters, their co-workers and the companies that have made this publication possible, brought together by a desire to pass on some of their knowledge and fired by a spirit of cooperation without any kind of personal gain.
Last but not least, I would like to thank ACIMAC for its constant support to the initiative as part of a steadily growing interest in editorial and cultural initiatives within the context of its work as an association and SALA for its hard work in producing and publishing the book.
Paolo Zannini
Chairman of Italian Ceramic Society — I.Cer.S.

30 x 21 cm, 473 pagine (Italiano/English)
© 2006   S.A.L.A. s.r.l., Modena

Colour, pigments and colouring in ceramics -

“Colour, Pigments and Colouring in Ceramics” has set out to gather together both the theoretical and practical aspects of the work experience, and the various cultures and aspects of ceramic producers and scholars in the field of pigments and colourings, in the world of ceramics.
As is often the case in the Italian Ceramics Society ‘s publications, the work owes itself to the ‘spontaneous’ collaboration of numerous technicians who have contributed by writing various chapters. In doing so they have transmitted not only their ‘knowledge’, but also their experience and their outlook on the world of colour as seen from their own ‘perspective’ — many thanks to all of them.
Despite there having been a significant “knitting” together of the diverse texts and an editorial homogenisation, the original imprint of the various contributions was deliberately kept, maintaining the general outlines and also repeating certain concepts. This allows the reader to understand each individual chapter without having to read the whole text in order to gain a general overview of the various arguments and problems.
The opening chapters offer a general overview and speak about the physics of light and colour the main theories and measurement methods.
The subsequent chapters deal with definitions and classifications of stains, natural oxides, raw materials and obviously both well-established and recently created synthetic pigments.
The main characteristics of pigments for glazes, for bodies, for sanitaryware and for special applications are investigated. Diversity and similarity of the different stains, from a chemical and physical point of view, are also outlined.
Chapters of further interest deal with soluble salts, organometallic complexes from the transitional metals and their recent application in ceramics, above all, in porcelain gres.
One chapter is dedicated to the experimental measures of the colours and their compatibility with the visual perception of the naked eye. It speaks about colour-matching techniques: that is, how to instrumentally define a colour; how to come up with a mixture of pigments; and, therefore, how to accurately reproduce a requested colour. It looks at how to go about producing a particular tone or a specific intensity of colour within an industrial colour-glaze system; how to quickly correct colour deviations; and how to economise on the type, number and management of standard pigments.
A further editorial option was to include Mariano Paganelli ‘s two-chapter contribution: his first article (Chapter 9) deals more closely with the practical problems encountered by ceramists and sheds light on the critical influence that glazes and process variables have on colour development.
The second article (Chapter 12) provides us with an interesting look into the world of colour:
exploring the various chromatic mechanisms and diverse types of pigments. It also speculates on other directions that can be pursued towards the creation of new tendencies and research that could, perhaps, be applied to ceramics.
The final chapters look at the problems associated with the production of pigments, their industrial management, environmental  problems, and those connected with the toxicology of the products. Furthermore they speak about the problems that can arise during the use and management of pigments and their implications in tile factories.
Finally, there are some very interesting sections outlined in the Appendix I; these too being the product of collaboration and experimentation of some authors. In particular one experimental part emphasises the influence of the composition of the different bodies and of a few constituents which can also be used as additives, towards the development of different colourings. This experimental part turns out to be important as a methodology, experimentation and reading of the results.
At the end, Appendix II, there is a Glossary of Technical Terms applicable to the world of Colours, Pigments and Colourings.
Bruno Burzacchini
coordinator

30 x 21 cm, 295 pagine (Italiano/English)
Indice italiano: ColorePigmentiIndice.pdf
English index: ColourPigmentsIndex.pdf

© 2003   S.A.L.A. s.r.l., Modena