The UJI Altadia Chair in Ceramic Knowledge has presented the first volume of the Enciclopedia sobre Tecnología Cerámica (Encyclopaedia of Ceramic Technology), a work that compiles the scientific foundations underpinning the current manufacture of white ceramic products and provides an in-depth analysis of the processes and behaviour of the materials used in floor and wall tiles, earthenware and porcelain.
This first volume, published by Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I as part of the “Universitas” collection, has been authored by José Luis Amorós Álbaro, one of Spain’s leading academic and technical experts in ceramic technology, particularly in white ceramics manufacturing processes, together with Encarna Blasco Roca, a highly respected researcher in the field. Both have developed much of their professional careers at the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC-AICE) and the Universitat Jaume I, combining research, teaching and technology transfer within the ceramic tile industry.
The presentation took place at the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC), coinciding with the third anniversary of the creation of the Chair. The event featured the participation of the authors, accompanied by David Cabedo, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Knowledge Transfer and Science Communication at the Universitat Jaume I; Antonio Blasco, Board Member of the Altadia Group; and Arnaldo Moreno, Director of the UJI Altadia Chair in Ceramic Knowledge and Professor of Chemical Engineering.
Entitled Fundamentos del proceso de fabricación de materiales de cerámica blanca (Fundamentals of the Manufacturing Process of White Ceramic Materials), the publication provides an updated synthesis of the scientific and technological foundations of the processing of these materials. The work organises existing knowledge in the field and serves as a valuable resource for understanding product design, process development and quality improvement in the ceramic industry.
Beyond its academic and technological significance, the publication highlights the strong scientific foundations on which Castelló’s ceramic industry is built, its high added value and its contribution to innovation and sustainability within the sector, factors that directly enhance the competitiveness of the region’s industrial fabric.
The publication of this first volume represents the fulfilment of one of the strategic projects announced in 2023 with the creation of the UJI Altadia Chair in Ceramic Knowledge, an initiative promoted by the Altadia Group to strengthen scientific knowledge and facilitate the transfer of new advances and innovations in the sector.
About the Enciclopedia sobre Tecnología Cerámica
The encyclopaedia was conceived as a multi-volume publication dedicated to the scientific foundations that support the modern manufacture of white ceramic products, with the aim of providing a scientific interpretation of the phenomena involved in their processing.
The first chapter of this volume analyses and rationally describes ceramic processing, based on both the understanding of the relationship between material properties and their microstructural characteristics and the response of the material at each stage of the process—that is, how its microstructural features change when operating variables are modified.
Subsequent chapters examine the laws and principles governing the physical processes and chemical reactions that influence the microstructural changes experienced by materials throughout the different stages of manufacture. In this regard, the volume addresses phenomena such as colloidal behaviour, surface and interparticle forces, and suspension stabilisation mechanisms, all of which are fundamental to obtaining stable ceramic suspensions.
UJI Altadia Chair in Ceramic Knowledge
The UJI Altadia Chair in Ceramic Knowledge was established in February 2023 through a collaboration between the Universitat Jaume I and the Altadia Group. Its purpose is to preserve and disseminate the knowledge accumulated over the past forty years, during which the sector has undergone major technological transformations and to which researchers and professionals have contributed through concepts, evidence, experiments, process improvements, materials knowledge and new technologies.
This partnership between academia and industry has already produced its first major outcome with the publication of this volume, reinforcing the shared commitment to research, innovation and knowledge transfer to the ceramic sector.