Pegmatites of Ukraine as raw materials for electrical porcelain production

Olena Fedorenko¹, Ruslan Kryvobok¹, Kateryna Bohdanova¹, Valentyna Voloshchuk¹, Ihor Nikitenko², Serhii Shevchenko²

¹National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”, Kharkiv, Ukraine

²Dnipro University of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine

Min. miner. depos. 2026, 20(3): 66-74

https://doi.org/10.33271/mining20.03.066

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      ABSTRACT

      Purpose. To substantiate the feasibility of using feldspar concentrate obtained from beneficiated pegmatites of the Lozuvatka deposit as a domestic fluxing raw material for low-temperature electrical porcelain production and to determine the formulation and processing parameters for energy-efficient firing.

      Methods. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the raw materials was investigated using chemical, petrographic, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The radiological properties of the pegmatites were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. The fluxing ability of the feldspar concentrate was evaluated by graphical-analytical calculations in the Na₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ and K₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ systems. Body compositions were optimized using a full factorial experimental design. Specimens were shaped plastically from bodies prepared by the slip method and fired at 1150-1250°C. Sintering behavior and mechanical, thermophysical, and electrophysical properties were determined using standard methods. Structural and phase characteristics were examined by dilatometry, X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

      Findings. A rational clay : kaolin : feldspar concentrate ratio of 40:22:28 was established at a quartz sand content of 15 wt.%, with additions of 2 wt.% dolomite and 0.3 wt.% TiO₂. Firing at 1200°C produced dense electrical porcelain with zero water absorption, dielectric strength of up to 30 kV/mm, volume resistivity above 4·10¹⁴Ω·m, flexural strength of 77 MPa, and a mullite content of approximately 30 vol.%. No signs of high-temperature deformation were observed within the range of 1150-1250°C. The firing temperature was reduced by 150°C compared with industrial counterparts.

      Originality. The mechanism of accelerated electrical porcelain sintering in the presence of a feldspar melt modified with CaO and MgO and a TiO₂ mineralizing additive was established. Early melt formation, reduced melt viscosity, and intensive formation of needle-like secondary mullite were shown to promote maximum densification and improve the material’s mechanical and dielectric properties.

      Practical implications. The use of exclusively domestic raw materials can reduce dependence on imported feldspar for porcelain insulator production, lower firing energy consumption, and improve the competitiveness of Ukrainian electrical porcelain.

      Keywords: pegmatites; feldspar concentrate; electrical porcelain; low-temperature firing; mullite; sintering; dielectric properties

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