Basaltic tephra: potential new resource for ceramic industry

This preliminary study reveals that basaltic tephra (pumice) is a material suitable for the production of high quality ceramics and also provides impo rtant evidence concerning the transfer of the process of manufacture from t he laboratory to commercial production. Specifically, the shapes of pores a nd the uniformity of the pole size frequency distributions in the basaltic ceramic preparations are the major textural properties controlling compress ive strength, whereas the contents and textures of fibrous minerals occupyi ng the pores appear to be less significant in determining the physical prop erties of these ceramics. (C) 2000 IoM Communications Ltd.