Drying of Wares

Process of removal of excess

moisture or water in green bodies
 After forming of product, there may be excess retain water in
the whiteware bodies

 The excess moisture need to be removed so as the dried bodies

would have sufficient dry strength for subsequent process
 3
Modulus of
Rupture 2
(Nm-2 x 106)
1

5 10
Moisture content during drying (%)

Example : Effect of moisture on strength of pressed tiles

 However:

Amount of moisture (%) needed to be removed depends also

on type of products :

E.g: the joining of cup handles still require some moisture

level at joining after drying but for floor tiles or flat
tablewares, 100% moisture need to be removed
 Drying important before firing (to avoid high rate of
evaporation – cause failure)
 Can be done by drying under sunlight but better with drying
chamber with suitable controlled drying rate

High Rate of drying

Non uniform shrinkage Pressure in body

Defects: Crack & Defects: Crack

warping
 A

Weight

Time

Graf of weight versus drying duration

If dry weight is subtracted from original weight, the rate
of moisture loss per unit time against amount of
moisture can be plotted
 A B
Rate of water
removal C

Moisture content (%)

Rate of water removal per unit time

Versus moisture content
 Three stages :
AB : constant drying rate
BC : linear drying rate
>C : slow drying rate till complete drying

Point C sometimes not visible as BC is continuous

process

Shape of graph may change deending on factors such

as amount, size and shape of pores, compactness etc
 Balance between drying rate
and amount of moisture
 AB : pores filled fully with moisture and surface of body acts
as free surface of water

 BC : pores no longer filled with water. Existence of areas

already dried resulting in rate of drying reduced. Water still
flow slowly to surface

 >C : no more continuous fluid flow. And transportation of

moisture by evaporation through pores. Slow process; rate of
drying gradual reduce and surface may become dry
 Cracks and Warpings
Peretakan & Peledingan
A body (eg plates) having different moisture level
when dried high potential to crack

E.g: high moisture content at the rim of plate compared

to center plate high shrinkage at rim stress
increased
crack at rims
Peretakan berlaku pada bahagian tepi pinggan
Warping can also occur if drying not controlled

If uniform moisture content, then uniform shrinkage

No stress formed
However if drying more from surface :

Support

Top surface will dry & shrink 1st (bottom

still in plastic) – more clear if higher rate
of drying

After drying, bottom can’t shrink more

(top become rigid) - warping occurs