Imerys Ceramics is a world leading supplier of raw materials, prepared bodies and glazes for ceramics with a competitive offering for electrical porcelain and non-ceramic markets such as fiberglass. We extract and refine a variety of industrial minerals and offer an extensive portfolio of products and tailor-made solutions which includes ball clays, chamottes, feldspars, grès de Thiviers, kaolins and ceramic bodies. Imerys Ceramics has over 60 production sites in 18 countries, supported by a global network of  technical sales staff, agents and distributors, which enables us to serve customers anywhere in the world.

Imerys Ceramics is active in the following markets: sanitaryware, tableware, tiles, electrical porcelain, and fiberglass. Our products are used for a wide variety of applications such as vitreous china, bone china, porcelain, fine fireclay, glazes and glass.

Innovative Research & Technology combined with highly productive customer partnerships enable us to supply raw materials of reliable homogeneity. Imerys products such as Remblend, Super Standard Porcelain and Kaolinor 1C are the benchmark for high quality in the respective markets of Sanitaryware, Tableware and Tiles. This diverse expertise and the knowledge within the Imerys group, as world leader in industrial minerals, places us in a unique position to share information and best practices over and beyond specific markets.

Imerys Ceramics has sites in Asia, Europe and the Americas which give us a presence in the key mature and emerging markets within the ceramics industry. Our success is built on the strong foundations of our major international brands such as K-T Clay, ECC, Cesar, AGS, MRD and NZCC. We have more than 1800 employees and in 2008 our turnover was €348 million.

Other key facts:

• World #1 in ceramic bodies and raw materials for sanitaryware 
• European #1 in kaolins for tableware
• European #1 in raw materials and ceramic bodies for porcelain
• European #2 in raw materials for floor tiles

The Imerys group is the world leader in adding value to industrial minerals with sales of €2,774 million in 2009 and about 14,600 employees.

The Group extracts, purifies and transforms minerals with resources from more than 240 locations across 47 countries for customers in a variety of industries including paper, paint, plastic, ceramics, abrasives, refractories, construction, personal care and beverage filtration.

Imerys is organised into four business groups:

• Minerals for Ceramics, Refractories, Abrasives & Foundry (which comprise the activities of Imerys Ceramics)
• Performance & Filtration Minerals 
• Pigments for Paper 
• Materials & Monolithics

Visit the Imerys group website for further information about the Imerys group.

The success of Imerys Ceramics stems from our technical expertise and innovation in minerals for ceramics. We use these as our main tools to transform unprocessed raw materials into value-added products and solutions, with the ultimate aim of passing on an extra competitive edge to our customers.

Our Research & Development approach is also based on mutually-beneficial customer partnerships, which combined with our unique knowledge of mineral technology, enables us to provide improved formulations and genuine product consistency for our customers in the following markets: Sanitaryware, Tableware, Tiles, Electrical Porcelain, Fiberglass and Glazes & Engobes.

Imerys Ceramics has Research & Development facilities in Asia, Europe and North America:

• Imerys Ceramics Centre in Limoges, France
• 2 specialist sites focused on the development of ceramic bodies
• 20 laboratories that also provide technical support
• 60 specialist researchers and technicians

We also benefit from the resources of the Imerys group, the world leader in industrial minerals which include:

• 7 main Research & Technology centres
• 18 market-focused support laboratories
• 270 specialist researchers and technicians

Imerys Ceramics has a global industrial and commercial presence with regional hubs in Asia, Europe and North America. The decentralised approach of Imerys allows general managers within Imerys Ceramics to enjoy operational freedom within their market or region. Our success in the ceramics industry illustrate the benefits of this approach.

Asian hub

The Asian hub consists of industrial sites in China, India, New Zealand and Thailand. This hub has developed from the acquisitions of MRD / MRD-ECC, NZCC and most recently of Jumbo Mining in 2007. Imerys Ceramics has a well-established commercial structure in the region and we support our customers with a local team of experienced technical and sales staff. Asia represents a key objective for Imerys Ceramics and we will continue to strengthen our position to better serve this long-term growth area.

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European hub

The European hub is the largest of the three regional hubs. The majority of our industrial sites are concentrated in France, Germany and the United Kingdom where the origins of Imerys Ceramics are found. We benefit from the pooling of knowledge from ECC, AGS, Spica, Cesar, DAM and KPCL and in 2007 expanded into two new countries. Imerys Ceramics' services for this region are organised in terms of business lines helping us to maintain our position and to drive forward as the European leader in the Sanitaryware, Tableware and Tiles markets.

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North American hub

The North American hub is headquartered in Atlanta and, like the Asian hub, is led by a regional general manager. This hub is based on the K-T Clay company which has a history dating back to the 19th century. Imerys Ceramics has local technical and sales staff who work with our customers in the region. Growth over the years led to Imerys Ceramics becoming the first raw material supplier in North America to have a complete product line of ball clays, kaolins and feldspars for the ceramics industry.

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Imerys North America Ceramics supplies the following minerals. Click on the links to download product information.

Ball Clay | Kaolin | Feldspar | Mica

A World Leader in adding value to minerals

Imerys North America Ceramics is a major supplier of high quality mineral additives and extenders to the dinnerware, sanitaryware, ceramic tile, fiberglass and electrical porcelain industries throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of products include ultrafine kaolins, ball clays and feldspars.

Imerys Ceramics are actively working in partnership with its customers to develop new and innovative solutions to solve your technical challenges. We bring a unique knowledge of mineral technology, combined with unrivalled depth of application expertise to improve the formulation of our customers' products.

Imerys North America Ceramics corporate roots run deep in the rich mining territories of Georgia, Western Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Back in 1890, the small Mandle Clay Company, which a quarter century later became Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Company (K-T Clay), unearthed the original Old Mine #4 Ball Clay, a raw material which has become a standard by which ball clays are measured to this day.

In 1994, K-T Clay dedicated its state-of-the-art slurry plant in Monterrey, México to the production of prepared bodies. The addition of ceramic kaolin for functional and non-functional filler applications as well as the South Carolina kaolins, which came with the acquisition of the Langley Plant in 1995, substantially diversified our product line. In 2001 K-T Clay became part of the Imerys group and finally in 2007, the Feldspar Corporation joined what has now become known as Imerys North America Ceramics, bringing with it highly unique feldspar and kaolins. With these acquisitions and expansions, Imerys became the first raw material supplier in North America to have a complete product line for ceramics.

Our broad product line has enabled us to serve a wide variety of markets, including sanitaryware, filler, fiberglass, hobby, ceramic tile, refractories, dinnerware, electrical porcelain, and various others.

Further information

Imerys Ceramics production sites

The increase in our international sales efforts beginning in 1994 has enabled us to double our export volume. With this increase in sales we have explored many options to help broaden our logistic capabilities. Most of our bulk shipments, which are targeted for our export customers, move through the port of Savannah, GA. Due to the importance of this key port we decided several years ago to lease port facilities to ensure our flexibility in handling international shipments.

Our volume of sales dictated the need for storage capacity at the port for a minimum of 7500 metric tons at any given time. We also have the possibility of using an additional area for 2500 metric tons if needed. There is sufficient space available to store up to 2000 tons of material in Super Sacs and ship them through the Savannah facilities. The flexibility that this warehouse has afforded us has helped us to ensure on time shipments to our growing list of international customers. We have made many combination shipments of bulk materials in which we have sent three to four individual grades of Kaolin and/or Ball Clay . Additionally we have placed Super Sacs on top of bulk shipments in order to help our customers obtain the best freight rates available on airfloated material.

Shipping through the Savannah facility has been a great benefit that we have provided to our export customers. The optimum shipping volume is a minimum of 3000 metric tons per vessel. Freight rates begin to drop as this volume increases to 6-10,000 mt. This port facility has given us an alternative to shipping in containers which reduces the freight rates substantially. We believe that we have an advantage over our competitors with these facilities, coupled with the experience our people have gained in growing our international sales in recent years.

At Imerys Ceramics we realize the extreme importance of our customers. For this reason our emphasis on customer service is paramount in every facet of our company from the initial mining stage to final shipment of the product. We have our individual customer service groups that focus on each product line for national and international accounts. These people are dedicated to serving the needs of our customers and spend every hour of every day doing exactly that.

National Accounts - Ball Clay
PO Box 232
5450 Old State Hwy #22
Gleason, TN 38229
Tel: 1-800-814-4538
Tel: 731-648-2519
Fax: 731-648-2506
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Sandersville Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
3597 Deepstep Rd
Sandersville, GA 31082
Tel: 800-458-2529
Tel: 478-552-6994
Fax:  478-552-4027
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Langley Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
385 Huber Clay Rd, PO 1370
Langley, SC 29834
Tel: 800-472-2529
Tel: 803-593-2511
Fax: 803-593-4144
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
797 Altapass ROad
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Tel: 800-765-8997
Tel: 828-765-5500
Fax: 828-765-8988
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Ball Clay
Imerys - North America Ceramics
PO Box 232
5450 Old State Hwy #22
Gleason, TN 38229
Tel: 1-800-814-4538
Tel: 731-648-2519
Fax: 731-648-2506
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Sandersville Kaolin and Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
3597 Deepstep Road
Sandersville, GA 31082
Tel: 478-552-6994 ext 2210
Fax:  478-552-4027
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Langley Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
385 Huber Clay Rd, PO 1370
Langley, SC 29834
Tel: 800-472-2529
Tel: 803-593-2511
Fax: 803-593-4144
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
797 Altapass ROad
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Tel: 800-765-8997
Tel: 828-765-5500
Fax: 828-765-8988
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

K-T Clay de Mexico
Imerys - North America Ceramics
Autopista Monterrey Cadereyta KM20
Benito Juarez
Nuevo Leon,MX 67250
Tel: 011 52 818 233 0557
Fax: 011 52 818 233 0093
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

The ceramic tile industry has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years. We have seen the consolidation and in some cases growth of U.S. plants. Imports continue to be a key source of tiles for the United States. The world wide production has increased dramatically and spread over many more countries. At Imerys North America Ceramics, we have been following these trends and have focused our efforts on reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated U.S. customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Along with meeting our customers needs at home, we have also entered into the international markets with new and competitive products. As we see the production of ceramic tile moving to destinations outside the U.S., we are also meeting the needs of our new international customers with specialized products designed to compete against other imported raw materials.

Ceramic tile is one of the most diverse products in the World. The tight tolerances required for this product demands the use of high quality and extremely consistent raw materials. The ball clays and kaolins generally must be white firing and add strength and plasticity to the finished product. The Feldspar adds the fluxing power required to form the final fired piece.  At Imerys we supply all three of these key components to the tile industry. The ball clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee , & Mississippi . Our kaolins used for the tile industry are produced in Sandersville, GA and the feldspar comes from Spruce Pine, NC and Monticello, GA.

Further information

Tile brochure

Producers of dinnerware have utilized ball clay, kaolin and feldspar in their manufacturing processes  for decades. Product attributes required to produce high quality stoneware cups, saucers, plates, and accessory pieces vary in the marketplace, but several common themes can be observed. Both Ball Clay and Kaolin, must have a consistent, low iron and titania content in order to meet the fired color requirements of today's marketplace. Clay components must also impart significant plasticity and green strength to the dinnerware body during processing. Feldspathic body constituents must be mineralogically consistent, contain extremely low iron and titania, and have a controlled particle size distribution.

Imerys is an industry leader in supplying industrial minerals to the dinnerware market. Our product line has been lengthened recently with the addition of our Diamond and Sapphire clays, which were designed specifically for this industry.

Product Range Pamphlet

3380

A fine-grained Ball Clay from Crenshaw, MS - with excellent plasticity and strength, which has a much better fired color than the other Mississippi deposit clays. 3380 is used in the floor tile, wall tile and ceiling tile industries.

BELL DARK

A fine-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - giving good fired color, strength and plasticity. Bell Dark can be used in casting and plastic formed bodies. Primary applications are dinnerware and artware.

CTS

A fine-grained Ball Clay mined and processed from our Mississippi deposits.  CTS is an excellent clay for ceiling tile applications.

HTP

A fine-grained, high alumina Ball Clay with excellent strength and plasticity.  HTP is low in total organic content, making it ideal for plastic forming applications such as dinnerware, electrical porcelain and artware.

J-2

A fine-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - providing good plasticity and strength. J-2 is particularly noted for its exceptional white-firing characteristics. Industry applications include wall and floor tile, dinnerware and artware.

JACKSON

A fine-grained, high alumina ball clay, from Gleason, TN - known for its excellent fired color, strength and plasticity. Jackson is very popular in both casting and plastic formed bodies. Ceramic applications include dinnerware, sanitaryware, artware, electrical porcelain and refractories.

JASS

A very fine-grained high potency strength and plasticity clay from Crenshaw, MS - designed to complement your ceramic requirements. JASS will develop its fired bonding strength at lower temperatures than M&D.

KT#1-4

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball day from Gleason, TN - used in all types of casting applications.

KTS-2

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - with very good plasticity and strength. For use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

KT-556

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - with good pressing and firing characteristics. The physical properties of KT-556 make this clay an ideal choice for fast¬firing wall and floor tile applications.

KTS-CLASSIC

A combination of Kentucky and Tennessee ball clays with very good overall plasticity and strength. For use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

KENTUCKY STONE

A coarse -grained, siliceous ball clay from Mayfield, KY - known for its high strength and plasticity. Applications include artware and ceramic tiles.

L-1

A coarse to intermediate-grained, high organic ball clay from Gleason, TN - The high organic content provides additional plasticity, making L-1 ideal for casting or plastic formed bodies. Industry applications include sanitaryware, dinnerware and artware.

MARTIN #5

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - used exclusively in casting bodies. Applications include sanitaryware and artware industries.

MARTIN #5/L-1

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - with good strength and plasticity. Martin #5/L-1 is ideal for all casting applications and is also supplied in a clay water slurry form for use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

M&D

A very fine-grained, montmorillonitic bearing ball clay from Crenshaw, MS - giving exceptional strength and plasticity. M&D is considered the strongest ball clay on the market today. In ceramic applications, it is used in plastic formed bodies by the refractories and electrical porcelain industries. M&D is also broadly used in emulsion applications.

OLD MINE #4

A fine-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - with excellent plasticity and strength. Old Mine #4 is an "industry standard" based on its popularity in both casting and plastic formed bodies. It is also widely used as a suspension aid in glazes.

OLD MINE #4/SB

This blend from Mayfield, KY is produced using our most popular and versatile ball clay, OM#4. The SB is added to obtain a faster casting product while maintaining excellent plasticity and good green strength characteristics. It is generally designed for use in sanitaryware applications.

The quality ball clays for electrical porcelain from Imerys North America Ceramics are mined in Mayfield, Kentucky; Gleason, Tennessee; and Crenshaw, Mississippi. Imerys is the only producer that mines clay from all these areas. The quality efforts of the company and performance range of the clays are exactly what is needed to meet the demands of  modern electrical porcelain manufacturers. Our extremely fine-grained ball clays from Mississippi, especially M&D, are used extensively in plastic forming processes such as electrical porcelain. The strength and plasticity gained from these clays is unsurpassed.

In North America, Imerys moved into the kaolin business in 1989 with the purchase of kaolin facilities at Sandersville, Georgia. The range of clays available from this deposit area gives Imerys the full range of kaolin products required to obtain the highest performance in the plant. Our fine grained kaolin, Rogers, is very effective when used to increase strength and plasticity. When you require quality kaolin products for electrical porcelain, you'll want Imerys kaolins.

Imerys' extensive technical experience in electrical porcelain will provide you with the expertise needed to optimize your production process. The Imerys technical team are willing to provide problem solving assistance in your plant at a moment's notice. We're available to help you with reformulation or any other technical needs you may require. Why not contact us today to see what we can do for your operation?

Whether it's raw materials or technical advice regarding particular manufacturing difficulties, Imerys has an answer for you.

Further information

Electrical Porcelain brochure

TENNESSEE #1 SGP

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - used in all types of casting applications.

TENNESSEE #5

An intermediate-grained, high organic ball clay, from Gleason, TN - with good strength and plasticity. Tennessee #5 is particularly known for its fast casting properties, making it ideal for sanitaryware, dinnerware, artware and refractory casting applications, as well as plastic formed bodies.

TENNESSEE #6

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - with good plasticity and strength. Tennessee #6 is primarily used in refractory applications. It is also very popular in wet sodium silicate mortars based on its excellent shelf life and trowelability.

TENNESSEE #10

A low organic, low residue Ball Clay with unparalleled white-firing characteristics due to its high kaolintic content.  This medium-grained, uniquely clean Ball Clay is especially suited for refractory and fast-firing applications.

TODD LIGHT

A fine-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - giving excellent strength and plasticity. Todd Light is very popular in both casting and plastic formed bodies. Applications include sanitaryware, electrical porcelain and dinnerware.

The fiberglass industry has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years. The world wide production has increased dramatically and spread over many more countries. At Imerys North America Ceramics we have been following these trends and have focused our efforts on reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated U.S. customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Along with meeting our customers needs at home, we have also entered into the international markets with new and competitive products. As we see the production of fiberglass moving to destinations outside the U.S., we are also meeting the needs of our new international customers with specialized products designed to compete against other imported raw materials.

At Imerys we supply all of the key components to the fiberglass industry. The ball Clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee , & Mississippi . Our kaolins are produced in Sandersville, GA and Langley, SC.

Product Range Pamphlet

ALLEN G

An intermediate-grained kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used as a suspension aid in ceramic glazes.

DIAMOND

An intermediate-grained, montmorillonitic kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in plastic formed bodies and glaze applications. This Kaolin is known for its good strength and white firing characteristics,

EPK

Kaolin from Edgar, FL - a unique, high quality water washed ceramic kaolin which offers very white fired color, unusually good forming characteristics and high green strength. In glazes, EPK offers excellent suspension capabilities and uncommon cleanliness.

EWING

An intermediate-grained airfloated kaolin from Sandersville, GA - Ewing is selected, processed and controlled to meet the specific requirements of the fiberglass industry.

HAMILTON

Hamilton is a high surface area kaolin with good refractory characteristics. It provides good suspension and trowelabilityin mortars and grout applications.

KAOLEX SC

A high Al203, low alkali kaolin from Langley, SC - developed specifically for the refractories industry.

KAOLIN SLURRY

A carefully controlled kaolin-water suspension from Sandersville, GA - formulated for use in ceramic casting applications..

KINGSLEY

A coarse-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used in the dinnerware, tile, artware and electrical porcelain industries.

KT-CAST

A coarse-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in casting bodies based on its fast casting and exceptional deflocculation characteristics

OPTIKAST

An extremely coarse kaolin formulated for use in ceramic casting operations from Sandesville, GA. Extremely useful in pressure casting systems where a faster casting rate is desired. Also sold in slurry form.

ROGERS

A fine-grained montmorillonitic kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in plastic formed bodies. High strength and good deflocculation make its use advantageous in casting bodies on a controlled basis.

SAMSON

An intermediate-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA. Used in both casting and pressing applications.

SAPPHIRE

A fine-grained, secondary kaolin from Sandersville, GA - known for its superior green strength and fired color. Applications include wall and floor tile, dinnerware and artware

WILSON

A refractory grade, intermediate-grained Kaolin from Sandersville, GA. Selected, processed and controlled to meet the specific requirements of the refractories industry.

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Product Range Pamphlet

G-200

G-200 Feldspar from Monticello, GA - a high quality potassium/ sodium/ calcium aluminum silicate ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Carefully beneficiated and controlled for quality, G-200 Feldspar offers low iron oxide and high alkali oxide content per unit of alumina.

G-200HP

G-200HP feldspar from Monticello, GA - a high potassium/ aluminum silicate ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Carefully beneficiated and controlled for quality, G-200HP offers high potash content and low iron oxide per unit of alumina. 

MINSILSPAR 1

A 30 mesh feldspathic sand from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the ceramic tile and other ceramic applications where finer grinds of the product are not required.

MINSILSPAR

A 170 mesh feldspathic sand (sand-spar) product from Spruce Pine, NC - used primarily in the sanitaryware industry.

MINSPAR 1

A minus 30 mesh Feldspar product from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the glass container and ceramic tile markets.

MINSPAR 200

A 200 mesh flotation grade soda Feldspar from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the ceramic whiteware industry for sanitaryware, dinnerware, artware and glazes.

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160D

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

325D

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

325FF

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The platy nature of 325FF Mica contributes to improved crack resistance in formulted, high solids aqueous applications.

AMC

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The platy nature of AMC Mica contributes to improved crack resistance in formulted, high solids aqueous applications such as joint compound, coating, sealants, and adhesives.

AMC 50

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

AMC 150

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The inherent platy nature of AMC 150 enhances the release performance (anti-tack) in such rubber molding and sheet production.

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Imerys North America Ceramics works in partnership with its customers to provide new and innovative solutions. From minerals to industrial applications, Imerys draws on its vast knowledge to improve its customers’ products and processes. Our understanding of market needs, technical creativity, operating excellence and disciplined cost management make Imerys a world leader in adding value to minerals.

The higher surface area of Suprex®, has gained worldwide recognition as the premier kaolin filler. Higher modulus, tensile strength, tear resistance, abrasion resistance, and green strength are just a few of the benefits from using Suprex®. Additionally, the hard kaolin properties provide cured stiffness to elastomeric compounds. Imerys also offers lower surface area kaolins such as, Paragon®, which provide lower modulus build at equal loadings as compared with hard kaolins. Greater flexibility and higher elongation are also benefits derived from using Paragon® where lower vulcanizate physical properties are required.

#3380 is a performance ball clay extender designed to be a cost effective option to air-floated kaolins. As a result of its fine particle size and high surface area, this product imparts similar physical properties in elastomeric compounds.

Minspar® is a pebble mill-ground extender produced by a specially designed classification from head feed produced by wet froth flotation of alaskite ore mined from a remarkably uniform granite deposit. Minspar® has found wide acceptance in water-based and solvent based coatings for both exterior and interior applications. Because of this unique method of processing, Minspar® has gained acceptance in silicone rubber adhesive & sealants and plastic markets. Superior whitness, low oil absorption, excellent tint retention and non-frosting are just some of the benefits.

Further information

Valued Added Minerals brochure

Engobes are a sub base coating and as such require high performance materials. This application hides the color of a body and retards the effects of contaminants in the body. Glaze and enamel applications are applied over the engobe. These applications demand that the raw materials used are of the utmost purity because they form the finish surface of the end product. The raw materials must also provide consistent suspension characteristics to the glaze or enamel and uniform chemistry.

The ceramic coatings market has consistently turned to Imerys for quality clays to meet their requirements. Quality and consistency are required in order to get the desired performance from materials that have been designed specifically for ceramic coating applications. Imerys puts a great deal of effort in assuring the clays we mine are right every time.

Quality ball clays for glaze and engobes are mined at Gleason, Tennessee and Mayfield, Kentucky. Enamel clays are also mined and processed in Crenshaw, Mississippi. Imerys is the only ball clay producer that has clays from each of these regions. Imerys' history as a ceramic coatings clay producer is excellent. The quality efforts of the company and performance range of the clays are exactly what are needed to meet the high demands of the ceramic coatings market. There are also excellent plastic, high suspension, white firing kaolins available from our plant in Sandersville, Ga. Of equal importance is the white firing feldspar, which is produced for coating applications at our Spruce Pine plants.

Imerys' technical staff is available to discuss your requirements in this application.

The hobby Industry is one of the oldest uses for industrial minerals. At Imerys North America Ceramics we focus our product developement reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Hobby crafts is one of the most diverse industries in the World. The tight tolerances required for this product demands the use of high quality and extremely consistent raw materials. The ball clays and kaolins generally must be white firing and add strength and plasticity to the finished product. At Imerys we supply all the components to the hobby Industry. The ball clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee, & Mississippi. Our kaolins used for the tile industry are produced in Sandersville, GA and Langley, SC.

Sanitaryware is one of the most difficult ceramic products to produce. This fact is due to the varied wall thickness and the tremendous size of the various pieces. The shrinkage throughout the process sets up stresses that could cause problems in every facet of the operation. For this reason the selection of raw materials for use in this industry is critical.

The Sanitaryware Industry is of primary focus for Imerys North America Ceramics. When it comes to raw materials for Sanitaryware, Imerys has no equal. Our quality casting ball clay, kaolin, and feldspar products are selectively mined and processed from world class deposits. Imerys is the only company in North America that has the full sanitaryware product range.

Our quality ball clays are mined in the Crenshaw, MS, Gleason, TN and Mayfield, KY areas. Imerys is the only raw material supplier mining in all three areas. The range of casting properties available covers the full performance range needed to meet the demands of  the modern sanitaryware manufacturer. Through continuous innovation in its slurry product line, Imerys has remained in the forefront supplying ball clay slurries to the industry. The unique properties from each of these deposits can be blended to your requirements. When it comes to ball clays for sanitaryware, Imerys is unsurpassed.

Our fast casting kaolin products are processed at our two facilities in Sandersville, Georgia, the heart of "Kaolin Country". These kaolins have continually set the standard for casting performance in sanitaryware. The highest quality kaolins available are required to produce such a difficult product as Sanitaryware.

Imerys feldspar in Spruce Pine, NC and Monticello, GA provides the most consistent Feldspar products available. The chemical flotation process that is used in this plant produces high quality, extremely pure products. Minspar 200 is used in applications from Glazes to Bodies. Minsilspar, our silica/feldspar blend, is ideal for supplying the total non-plastics portion of the formulation. Whether it is quality feldspar or feldspathic-sand, Imerys can meet your needs.

Further information

Imerys Sanitaryware
US Sanitaryware brochure

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Un líder mundial en aÑadir valor a los minerales.

Los productos de Américas de la cerámica de Imerys se producen a los estándares de calidad internacionales más altos, asegurando consistencia absoluta.

Los métodos de prueba rigurosos se emplean en cada etapa del proceso de producción, del depósito mineral sí mismo a través al producto final. Los ajustes en las condiciones de proceso y el mezclar de diversas hornadas se realizan en respuesta a estos resultados de la prueba, asegurando a nuestros clientes pueden confiar siempre en calidad idéntica.

Las raíces corporativas de la Compañía Imerys Ceramics Americas recorren profundamente los ricos territorios de Kentucky Oeste, Tennessee y Mississippi. De regreso al año 1890, la pequeña Compañía Mandle Clay, la cual, un cuarto de siglo después se transformó en K-T Clay, extraía la arcilla original Old Mine #4, la materia prima que llegó a ser el estándar, por el cual se han medido todas las arcillas, hasta el día de hoy.

La integración de caolín cerámico, material para aplicaciones de rellenos funcionales y no funcionales, y de feldespato, ha diversificado substancialmente nuestra línea de productos. En el año 1994, la Compañía Kentucky-Tennessee Clay abrió su moderna planta de Slurry en Monterrey, México . Con estas adquisiciones y expansiones llegamos a ser los únicos proveedores de materias primas en los Estados Unidos que posee la línea completa de productos para cerámica.

El secreto verdadero de los minerales del alto rendimiento de IMERYS miente en los procesos especializados que utilizamos ayudar a funcionamiento. Éstos incluyen la purificación, la refinación, mezclar, secarse y la pulverización. Muchos de estos procesos han sido desarrollados por nosotros, y son únicos a IMERYS; las ventajas que resultan son únicas a nuestros clientes.
Los trabajos de la cerámica de Imerys de cerca con sus clientes y debido a nuestro conocimiento extenso de las materias primas, de los cuerpos, de los esmaltes y de los procesos de producción de cerámica Imerys pueden ofrecer soluciones específicas.

Nuestra amplia línea de productos nos ha permitido servir a un extenso mercado, incluyendo Artefactos Sanitarios , Rellenos, Fibra de Vidrio , Hobby , Losetas Cerámicas , Refractarios , Vajilla , Porcelana Eléctrica ,  y varias otras áreas cerámicas.

Proporcionamos una amplia gama de materias primas, y trabajamos en sociedad con nuestros clientes para reducir costes de producción totales, por lo tanto mejorando productividad.

La Industria de losetas cerámicas ha sufrido algunos cambios drásticos en los últimos años. Hemos visto la consolidación de muchas plantas estadounidenses, tanto como la presión en aumento de las importaciones. La producción mundial se ha incrementado dramáticamente y expandido por muchos otros países. En la Compañía Imerys hemos seguido estas tendencias y hemos focalizado nuestros esfuerzos en reducir costos e investigar nuevas materias primas, a fin de proveer a nuestros dedicados clientes estadounidenses los productos de más bajo precio y mejor calidad posible.

Junto con satisfacer las necesidades de nuestros clientes en casa, hemos entrado en los mercados internacionales con nuevos y competitivos productos. Como vemos, la producción de losetas cerámicas se mueve hacia destinos fuera de los EEUU; por tanto, hemos cubierto las necesidades de nuestros nuevos clientes internacionales con productos especializados, diseñados para competir con otras materias primas importadas.

La loseta cerámica es uno de los productos más diversos en el mundo. Las estrechas tolerancias requeridas para este producto demandan el uso de materias primas extremadamente consistentes y de gran calidad. Las Arcillas y Caolines generalmente deben quemar blanco y añadir resistencia y plasticidad al producto terminado. El feldespato agrega el poder de fluidez requerido para formar la pieza quemada final. La Compañía Kentucky-Tennessee Clay provee estos tres componentes claves a la Industria de Losetas. Las Arcillas provienen de nuestras tres plantas localizadas en Kentucky , Tennessee y Mississippi . Los Caolines usados en esta industria se producen en Sandersville, GA y el Feldespato proviene de Spruce Pine, NC .

Los productores de vajilla han utilizado durante décadas Arcilla, Caolín y Feldespato en sus procesos de manufactura. Los atributos del producto requeridos para producir piezas cerámicas de alta calidad, como tazas, platillos, platos y accesorios, varían en el mercado, pero es posible observar varias características en común. Todas las arcillas y caolines deben tener un bajo y consistente contenido de fierro y titanio, a fin de obtener el color quemado requerido por el mercado actual. Los componentes de la arcilla deben impartir una plasticidad significativa y resistencia en verde a la pasta durante el proceso. Los constituyentes del cuerpo feldespático deben ser mineralógicamente consistentes, contener extremadamente baja cantidad de fierro y titanio y, finalmente, poseer una distribución de tamaño de partícula controlada. Imerys ha sido por largo tiempo una industria líder en el suministro de minerales industriales al mercado de Vajilla. Nuestra línea de productos se ha ampliado recientemente con la adición de las arcillas Diamond y Sapphire, las cuales fueron diseñadas especialmente para esta industria.

Las Arcillas de calidad para porcelana eléctrica, suministradas por la Compañía Imerys Ceramics Americas, se extraen en Mayfield, Kentucky; Gleason, Tennessee; y Crenshaw, Mississippi. Imerys es el único productor que extrae arcillas de todas estas áreas. Los esfuerzos de la Compañía, en lo que respecta a calidad y al rango de desempeño de las arcillas, son exactamente los que se necesitan para satisfacer las demandas de los manufactureros modernos de porcelana eléctrica. Nuestras Arcillas de granulometría extremadamente fina, provenientes de Mississippi, especialmente M&D, son usadas ampliamente en procesos de formación plástica, tales como la porcelana eléctrica. La resistencia y plasticidad obtenidas de estas arcillas son insuperables.

Imerys entró en el negocio de caolines en 1989 con la adquisición de las instalaciones de caolín en Sandersville, Georgia. El rango de caolines disponible en esta área de depósito proporciona a K-T la gama completa de caolines requerida para obtener el máximo rendimiento en la planta. Nuestro caolín ROGERS, finamente molido, es muy efectivo cuando se usa para aumentar la resistencia mecánica y plasticidad. Cuando usted necesite productos de caolín de alta calidad para porcelana eléctrica, contacte a la Compañía Imerys.

La amplia y experta experiencia técnica de Imerys en porcelana eléctrica le permitirán a usted optimizar su proceso de producción. El Equipo Técnico de Imerys están deseosos de proporcionarle asistencia en la solución de problemas de su planta al momento de ser notificados. Estamos disponibles para ayudarle en la reformulación o en cualquier otra necesidad técnica que usted pueda tener. ¿Por qué no nos contacta en este mismo momento para ver qué podemos hacer por su proceso?

Ya sea acerca de sus materias primas o asuntos técnicos relacionados con sus dificultades particulares de fabricación, Imerys tiene una respuesta para usted.

Los Engobes son revestimientos sub base tal como lo requieren los materiales de alto rendimiento. Esta aplicación oculta el color de un cuerpo y retarda los efectos de los contaminantes sobre él. El esmalte y enlozado se aplican sobre el engobe. Estas aplicaciones exigen que las materias primas empleadas sean de la mayor pureza posible, debido a que ellas forman la superficie final del producto terminado. Las materias primas deben poseer caraterísticas de suspensión consistentes con el esmalte o enlozado y una química uniforme.

El mercado de revestimientos cerámicos se ha dirigido consistentemente hacia las Arcillas de calidad Imerys para satisfacer sus requerimientos. Calidad y consistencia son necesarias a fin de obtener el rendimiento deseado de los materiales que han sido designados específicamente para las aplicaciones de revestimientos cerámicos. Imerys ha dedicado un gran esfuerzo para asegurar que las arcillas que extrae sean las adecuadas en todo momento.

Las Arcillas de calidad para enlozados y engobes se extraen de Gleason, Tennessee y de Mayfield, Kentucky. Las Arcillas para esmalte se extraen y procesan en Crenshaw, Mississippi. K-T Clay es el único productor de Arcilla que suministra materiales de estas regiones. La historia de K-T como productor de arcillas para revestimientos cerámicos es excelente. Los esfuerzos de calidad de la Compañía y el rango de rendimiento de las arcillas son exactamente los que se necesitan para satisfacer las grandes demandas de este mercado. Finalmente, existen excelentes Caolines plásticos, de alta suspensión y quemado blanco disponibles en las plantas de K-T en Sandersville, GA. De igual importancia es el Feldespato de quemado blanco, el cual se produce para este tipo de aplicaciones en nuestra planta de Spruce Pine.

El equipo técnico de Imerys se encuentra disponible para discutir sus requerimientos en este tipo de aplicación.

Los artefactos sanitarios son los productos cerámicos más difíciles de fabricar. Esto se debe a la variedad de espesores de pared y al gran tamaño de las diversas piezas. La contracción del volumen a través del proceso aumenta las tensiones, las cuales pueden causar enormes problemas en cualquier etapa de la operación. Por esta razón, la selección de las materias primas en este rubro es crítica.

La Industria de Artefactos Sanitarios es el primer foco de atención para la Compañía Imerys Ceramics Americas. En lo que se refiere a materias primas para Productos Sanitarios, nuestra Compañía es inigualable. Nuestros productos de calidad: Arcillas para vaciado, Caolín y Feldespato son extraídos y procesados selectivamente de depósitos de nivel mundial. Imerys es la única Compañía en Norteamérica que cuenta con todas las materias primas usadas en la fabricación de Artefactos Sanitarios.

Nuestras Arcillas de calidad son extraídas de las áreas de Gleason, Tennessee y Mayfield, Kentucky. Imerys es la única proveedora de materias primas que explota minas en estas zonas. Las propiedades de vaciado disponibles cubren todo el rango necesario para satisfacer las demandas de las fábricas modernas de artefactos sanitarios. A través de contínuas innovaciones en su línea de mezclas líquidas de arcilla, Imerys ha permanecido al frente sumistrando este tipo de producto a la industria. Las propiedades únicas de cada uno de estos depósitos pueden mezclarse de acuerdo a sus requerimientos. Cuando se trata de Arcillas para Artefactos sanitarios, Imerys es insuperable.

Nuestros Caolines para vaciado rápido se procesan en nuestras plantas en Sandersville, Georgia, el corazón de la "Región del Caolín". Estos Caolines han fijado contínuamente el estándar para el proceso de vaciado de los artefactos sanitarios. Los caolines de mejor calidad que disponemos son los que se requieren para producir estos productos de difícil manufactura. Cuando usted piense en Calín, piense en la Compañía Imerys.

La planta de Imerys en Spruce Pine, Carolina del Norte , provee los productos más consistentes de Feldespato disponibles. El proceso químico de flotación que se emplea en esta planta, produce materiales de alta calidad y extremadamente puros. El Minspar 200 es usado en aplicaciones de Esmaltes para artefactos sanitarios. El Minsilspar, nuestra mezcla sílica/feldespato, es ideal para suministrar la porción total, no plástica, de la formulación. Ya sea Feldespato o arena feldespática de calidad, la Compañía Imerys puede satisfacer sus necesidades.

At the Ranong kaolin site, once the topsoil and overburden have been removed and the layers of clay are exposed, the Imerys Ceramics production process begins with selective mining at the pit. With the use of an excavator the pit is dug in blocks of 10m by 10m by 20m. The extracted kaolin is transferred to a stockpile. A quality analysis takes place followed by blending if necessary. In order to separate the stone and gravel from the kaolin, the mixture is:

• Washed with water under pressure
• Placed over a grizzle bar to sieve some stones and gravel
• Passed through a Trommel for further separation
• Finally, it is passed through a group of spiral classifiers to filters out the coarse sand

The resulting kaolin is then collected in a thickening tank. Further refining using hydro-cyclones allows classification by particle size. The kaolin is then dried in two stages to bring the moisture level down to 15%. The first stage involves filter presses with square polypropylene plates; then the second stage involves the kaolin being shredded and passed through a dryer. The kaolin is then stockpiled to await distribution.

Imerys Ceramics' Ranong kaolin is of consistent high quality and constitutes the largest kaolin operation for ceramics in southeast Asia. This, combined with our leading market share for sanitaryware demonstrates the strength of Imerys Ceramics' position in the region.

The Asian hub consists of industrial sites in China, India, New Zealand and Thailand. This hub has developed from the acquisitions of MRD / MRD-ECC, NZCC and most recently of Jumbo Mining in 2007. Imerys Ceramics has a well-established commercial structure in the region and we support our customers with a local team of experienced technical and sales staff. Asia represents a key objective for Imerys Ceramics and we will continue to strengthen our position to better serve this long-term growth area.

Thailand

In Ranong, Imerys Ceramics has facilities for the production of kaolin. This plant opened in 1992 and is the only modern processing plant in the country. The kaolin produced here is of consistent high quality and constitutes the largest kaolin operation for ceramics in Southeast Asia. This, combined with our 90% market share of Sanitaryware production demonstrates the strength of our position in the region.

Imerys Ceramics produces ball clay in Lampang in north Thailand. We have a strong portfolio of both shredded and blended, as well as refined and semi-refined ball clays. Quality control is of critical importance and we can offer customers the assurance of ISO certification for both our ball clay and kaolin operations. We also conduct casting tests after every 15 tons produced.

Imerys Ceramics entered the Thai market with the acquisition of MRD and MRD-ECC which became part of the Imerys group in 2002. We supply our Thai raw materials to the following markets: Sanitaryware, Tableware, Tiles, Electrical Porcelain and Fiberglass.

Further information

Imerys Ceramics production sites

Imerys Ceramics' ball clay production process in Lampang, Thailand, starts with selective extraction at the pit. A thorough knowledge of the deposit allows for accurate selection of component clays. In a primary crusher the lump clays are broken down to a maximum size of 150mm. A secondary crusher then shreds the ball clay lumps down to 25mm or less. The shredded ball clay is then stockpiled for dispatch or is processed further in a blending hopper and a paddle mixer. Additional refining may take place if required prior to storage.

We supply a full range of ball clays for sanitaryware:

• Shredded & blended
• Refined
• Semi-refined ball clays

Our Thai ball clays are recognised for their consistency and high quality. As the owner of a large reserve and as the market share leader in the Thai market we are able to offer our customers a secure and affordable supply. Imerys Ceramics' ball clay operation in Lampang is ISO certified and is supported by laboratory services which runs 24 hours a day.

This hub, which comprises the whole EMEA area, is the largest of our three regional hubs. More than half of all Imerys Ceramics industrial sites are located in Europe, the majority of which are concentrated in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In Europe we produce ball clay, chamotte, feldspar, Grès de Thiviers, kaolin and prepared bodies which are available worldwide. We have several units of technical specialists in different European countries and our Ceramic Centre is located in Limoges in France, an area famous for its association with ceramics.

The beginnings of Imerys Ceramics date back to 1987 with the purchase of Damrec, however the acquisition of ECC in 1999 is the key turning point. With ECC came a wealth of experience in supplying the ceramics industry and raw materials of very high quality. For instance, our ball clays are considered to be some of the best in the world. This move is also a major turning point for the Imerys group as a whole and culminated with a name change from ‘Imetal' to ‘Imerys' in the same year. Imerys Ceramics' success is also based on the pooling of knowledge from ECC, AGS, Spica, Cesar, DAM and KPCL.

Imerys Ceramics gradually built up assets in Europe over the last 20 years and  thanks to a clear corporate vision, we are the established European leader in the Sanitaryware, Tableware and Tiles markets. In addition, many of our most successful products such as Kaolinor 1C, Hycast VC and Super Standard Porcelain were developed in the region and are sold to customers all over the world.

The EMEA region is strategically very important for Imerys Ceramics. In 2007 we purchased large mineral deposits in Turkey and in the Ukraine to better serve the strong growth areas of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. However our leading market position today is in great part due to our historical assets. For instance, Imerys kaolin from Cornwall is exported to more than 60 countries. Our long-term commitment to the UK kaolin business led to a recent £35m capital investment programme, of which 20% went into the modernisation of production processes.

Further information

Imerys Sanitaryware
Imerys Tableware
Imerys Ceramics production sites

The beginnings of Imerys Ceramics date back to 1987 with the purchase of Damrec, however the acquisition of English China Clays (ECC) in 1999 is the key turning point. With ECC came a wealth of experience in supplying the ceramics industry and raw materials of very high quality. This move also represents a major turning point for the Imerys group as a whole and culminated with a name change from ‘Imetal' to ‘Imerys' in the same year.

Vision

The main stakeholders of Imerys are two families, which offers the long-term corporate vision and stability typical of family-led businesses. Imerys is also a market-driven group and acquisitions play a crucial role in our growth strategy. This business strategy is based on two key factors: (1) expansion into new geographical areas and / or (2) opportunities to expand our product portfolio.

Key dates

Further information

World map of the Imerys Ceramics production sites

For information on working at Imerys Ceramics and our current vacancies, please visit the Imerys group recruitment site.