Ceramic article and method for producing same

• US 10,343,952 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duravit AG
• Original Assignee: Duravit AG
• Inventors: Latief, Othmar, Sander, Sebastian, Stammel, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Colgan, Lauren R
• Application Number:
  US15/819,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 428426, 428428, 428432, 428688
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2204/02 Antibacterial glass, glaze or enamel
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/108 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/10 containing lead
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/12 containing titanium or zirconium
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/20 containing titanium compounds; containing zirconium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/2092 Resistance against biological degradation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 33/00 Clay-wares monolithic refractories or refractory mortars C04B35/66; porous products C04B38/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 33/34 combined with glazing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4539 as a emulsion, dispersion or suspension
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5022 with vitreous materials composition of vitreous glazes and enamels C03C; ceramic pigments C09C1/0009
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5049 Zinc or bismuth oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5072 with oxides or hydroxides not covered by C04B41/5025 C04B40/0236 takes precedence; boron oxide C04B41/5006
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5075 Copper oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/86 Glazes; Cold glazes

Abstract

A ceramic article in the form of a sanitary, culinary or laboratory article, comprising a ceramic base body and also a fired glaze applied on said base body, the fired glaze comprising SiO2 at 45-55 mass %, Al2O3 at 6-12 mass %, ZnO at 15-35 mass %, and additionally PbO at 0.1-15 mass % and/or CuO at 0.025-2 mass % and/or Bi2O3 at 0.25-7 mass %.

Claims

1. A ceramic article in the form of a sanitary, culinary or laboratory article, comprising a ceramic base body and also a fired glaze applied on said base body, the fired glaze comprising SiO₂ at 45-55 mass %, Al₂O₃ at 6-12 mass %, ZnO at 15-35 mass %, and additionally PbO at 0.1-15 mass % and/or CuO at 0.025-2 mass % and/or Bi₂O₃ at 0.25-7 mass %, wherein the ZnO combined with the PbO and/or CuO and/or Bi₂O₃ are in amounts that provide enhanced antimicrobial characteristics compared to antimicrobial characteristics of ZnO alone.

2. The ceramic article according to claim 1, wherein the PbO content is between 0.5-12 mass % and/or the CuO content is between 0.05-1.5 mass % and/or the Bi₂O₃ content is between 0.35-6 mass %.

3. The ceramic article according to claim 2, wherein the PbO content is between 0.75-10 mass % and/or the CuO content is between 0.075-1.25 mass % and/or the Bi₂O₃ content is between 0.5-5 mass %.

4. The ceramic article according to claim 3, wherein the PbO content is between 1-8 mass % and/or the CuO content is between 0.1-1 mass %.

5. The ceramic article according to claim 1, wherein either both PbO and CuO, but not Bi₂O₃, or Bi₂O₃, but not PbO and CuO, are included.

6. The ceramic article according to claim 1, wherein the ZnO content is between 18-32 mass %.

7. The ceramic article according to claim 6, wherein the ZnO content is between 20-30 mass %.

8. The ceramic article according to claim 7, wherein the ZnO content is between 22-28 mass %.

9. The ceramic article according to claim 1, wherein the glaze has a layer thickness between 0.1-3 mm.

10. The ceramic article according to claim 9, wherein the layer thickness is between 0.5-1 mm.

12. A method for producing a ceramic article according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

providing a ceramic base body which is unfired or has undergone preliminary firing,

applying a glaze coating using a slip comprising a lead frit containing at least 80 mass % of PbO, at 0.12-18 mass % and/or CuO powder at 0.025-2 mass % and/or Bi₂O₃ powder at 0.25-7 mass %, wherein the ZnO combined with the PbO and/or CuO and/or Bi₂O₃ are in amounts that provide enhanced antimicrobial characteristics compared to antimicrobial characteristics of ZnO alone, and

carrying out firing to form a fired glaze at a temperature of 1100-1350°

C.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a slip comprising lead frit at 0.6-14.4 mass % and/or CuO powder at 0.05-1.5 mass % and/or Bi₂O₃ powder at 0.35-6 mass % is used.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a slip comprising lead frit at 0.9-12 mass % and/or CuO powder at 0.075-1.25 mass % and/or Bi₂O₃ powder at 0.5-5 mass % is used.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a slip comprising lead frit at 0.12-9.6 mass % and/or CuO powder at 0.1-1 mass % is used.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein a slip is used in which either both PbO and CuO, but not Bi₂O₃, or Bi2O3, but not PbO and CuO, are included.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein a slip comprising ZnO at 18-32 mass % is used.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a slip comprising ZnO at 20-30 mass % is used.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a slip comprising ZnO at 22-28 mass % is used.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the glaze coating is applied with a layer thickness between 0.1-3 mm.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the layer thickness is between 0.5-1 mm.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the glaze coating is applied in a printing, more particularly screen printing, casting, injecting, spraying, spreading or dipping process or in a combination of at least two of the stated processes.

11. A ceramic article in the form of a sanitary, culinary or laboratory article, comprising a ceramic base body and also a fired glaze applied on said base body, the fired glaze comprising SiO₂ at 45-55 mass %, Al₂O₃ at 6-12 mass %, ZnO at 15-35 mass %, and additionally Bi₂O₃ at 0.25-7 mass %.