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Porcelain and the remaining table ceramic products are very similar materials, even tending to be confused.
By being a product that accompanies us from day to day, porcelain is part of our lives. However, the differences between this and the stoneware or earthenware are not generally known.
It is therefore pertinent to provide some clarifications that may help you when purchasing a table collection. To be properly informed, look at the four characteristics and differences that we highlight below.
Porcelain vs. earthenware or stoneware: What sets them apart?
Production process
The main characteristic differentiating porcelain from other ceramic products is translucency. Only the porcelain is translucent, peculiarity that comes from the fact that it is the only vitrified and cooked at temperatures of 1400ºC, in a reducing environment. This also gives the brightness and whiteness that only this material can have.
Ceramic products’ composition
Stoneware, besides feldspar, contains silica and clay within it. In some production processes, other elements may also be added. Earthenware, on the other hand, uses more clays than kaolin.
Porcelain is composed of feldspar, kaolin, silica and clay. Raw materials used are common to other ceramic products. However, they go through much more demanding qualitative selection criteria, regarding the constancy of technical characteristics, absence of contaminants and laboratory control tests.
Different porosities
Stoneware is porous, thus absorbing easily some elements to which it is exposed. Earthenware is, also, porous but goes through an enamelling in order to decrease absorption. The same does not happen with porcelain which, because it has no porosity, is practically waterproof.
Sound produced by materials
Another way to differentiate materials is through touch. If we tap lightly with the tip of the finger on the porcelain, we notice that it emits a louder sound than earthenware and stoneware.
Porcelain has, thus, unique characteristics which provide it with beauty and a soft touch. These unique attributes are only within the reach of a great technical demand product, which has been deserving all our admiration, across the centuries.
At Costa Verde, we work daily, in order to develop, produce and present porcelain solutions, meeting market’s real needs, always focused on you, our customer!
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