Improving the knowledge of ceramic materials manufacture by means of analytical techniques

Trabajo presentado en el International Course Ceramic Materials in Building Heritage (conservation problems and intervention), celebrado en Madrid el 29 y 30 de junio de 2016.Edited by Elena Mercedes Pérez Monserrat (IGEO), Natalia Pérez Ema (YOCOCU España) and Pilar Rubiales Fuentes (YOCOCU España).Clay versatility is enhanced by the use of additives that enable the improvement of certain properties. Firing clays involves mineral phase changes that mainly depend on its composition, heating rate, maximum firing temperature, remaining firing time and oxidation or reduction kiln conditions. The firing temperatures reached can be deduced from the presence or absence of certain mineral parageneses. Mineralogical variability is greater during firing in calcium-­rich clay than low-­calcium content clay.This research was funded by the Geomaterials (P2009/MAT_1629) and Geomaterials 2 (S2013/MIT_2914) Programmes and the Complutense University of Madrid's research group on the Alteration and conservation of heritage stone (921349).Peer reviewe