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PASS in Ceramic Production: Functions & GOWAY Additive Solutions
Functions of PASS in Ceramic Production & GOWAY Supporting Additive Solutions
With years of experience in ceramic additives, GOWAY FG series products perfectly adapt to PASS working conditions for both body and glaze systems, providing stable and efficient supporting solutions for large-scale ceramic production.
Key Points
- Core Value of PASS: Optimize slurry rheology, enhance particle dispersion and suspension stability, cut down milling energy consumption and reduce forming defects.
- Wide Application: Applicable to raw material milling, body slurry circulation, glaze mixing, bell glazing and curtain glazing, compatible with most ceramic production lines.
- Advantages of GOWAY FG-2017: High compatibility with PASS, outstanding deflocculation and viscosity reduction performance, good resistance to water quality fluctuation, suitable for both body and glaze.
- Combination Principle: PASS undertakes basic function regulation, while FG series strengthens electrostatic repulsion and particle deagglomeration to form ideal slurry flow characteristics.
- Application Suggestion: Conduct laboratory proportion tests before mass production to confirm reasonable dosage of PASS and FG-2017 for stable long-term production.
1. Introduction to PASS: Position & Core Functions in Ceramic Production
In modern ceramic industry, PASS is a mature and popular composite functional additive system. It is widely used in building tiles, sanitary wares, daily ceramics and other fields. Instead of a single raw material, it is a composite system focusing on rheology regulation, surface modification and suspension stabilization, covering the whole production flow from raw material grinding to final glazing.
Traditional ceramic production often suffers from high slurry viscosity, particle agglomeration, sedimentation and poor fluidity. These problems will increase energy consumption for milling and pumping, and further cause uneven glazing, green body cracking, glaze defects and other failures. PASS improves the overall performance of slurry from formula perspective, becoming a key material to upgrade production efficiency and product quality.
1.1 Five Core Functions of PASS
- Dispersion & Deagglomeration: Weaken the adsorption force between ceramic particles, break up agglomerates and improve slurry uniformity.
- Viscosity Reduction & Water Saving: Lower slurry viscosity under fixed solid content, reduce water consumption and increase green body density.
- Suspension Stabilization: Form a weak network structure to prevent heavy particle sedimentation, suitable for long-term slurry storage and circulation.
- Thixotropy Improvement: Enable slurry to flow easily under high shear and stay stable under low shear, matching bell glazing, curtain glazing and other mainstream processes.
- High Compatibility: Well compatible with clay, frit, zirconium silicate, pigments and various ceramic raw materials, and can be combined with most mainstream ceramic additives.
Core Target: Easy pumping, low sedimentation, good formability
| Main Functions | Accelerate milling, stabilize foam, prevent delamination |
| Common Problems | High viscosity, high delivery resistance, bottom sediment |
| Matching Additive | FG-2017 Ceramic Deflocculant |
| Overall Effect | Lower energy consumption, higher green body strength |
Core Target: Uniform atomization, complete glaze curtain, smooth glaze surface
| Main Functions | Optimize flow property, prevent sagging, improve levelling performance |
| Common Problems | Atomization wire drawing, broken glaze curtain, pigment agglomeration |
| Matching Additive | FG-2017 + Special Binder |
| Overall Effect | Less glaze defects, higher yield rate |
2. Application of PASS in Each Production Process
2.1 Raw Material Ball Milling
Added during milling, PASS can cover the surface of raw material particles, reduce friction resistance and raise grinding efficiency to shorten milling time. Meanwhile, it avoids re-agglomeration of fine particles and optimizes particle size distribution to improve slurry quality from the source.
2.2 Body Slurry Storage & Transportation
Ceramic production lines require long-term storage and circulating pumping of body slurry. PASS effectively prevents delamination and sedimentation of quartz, feldspar, clay and other particles, keeps stable viscosity and concentration of slurry on the whole line, and ensures stable pressing and slip casting processes.
2.3 Glaze Slurry Preparation & Storage
Glaze contains high-density materials such as frit, zirconium silicate and inorganic pigments, which are prone to settling. PASS balances the rheological performance of glaze slurry to combine good fluidity and suspension property, adapting to intermittent and continuous production lines.
2.4 Automatic Glazing Process
For bell glazing and curtain glazing, PASS optimizes slurry thixotropy. Viscosity drops under high shear force to ensure fine atomization and continuous glaze curtain; viscosity recovers quickly after glazing to effectively prevent glaze sagging on vertical green bodies.
3. Working Mechanism of PASS: Rheology Regulation & Particle Optimization
The active components of PASS adsorb on ceramic particle surfaces, change surface potential and increase repulsion between particles. It breaks flocculation structure and releases wrapped water, leading to lower overall slurry viscosity.
Form molecular barrier layers to prevent particles from getting close and re-agglomerating. It maintains stable dispersion state for a long time even in high solid content slurry and greatly reduces sedimentation risk.
Form reversible weak network under static state to raise low-shear viscosity. The network dissociates quickly under stirring, pumping, atomization and other shear forces to restore slurry fluidity.
PASS mainly provides basic dispersion and suspension effects. When dealing with complex raw materials, hard water and ultra-high solid content slurry, it is hard to achieve ideal deflocculation effect by using PASS alone. That is why dedicated deflocculants are widely matched in practical production.
4. GOWAY Supporting Products: FG-2017 and Related Additives
Foshan GOWAY New Materials has been engaged in ceramic additives for more than ten years. We specially developed FG-2017 multi-purpose ceramic deflocculant for mainstream PASS systems. We also launch FG-MK03, FG-N203B, FG-SL01A and other products to fully cover body and glaze application scenarios.
| Model | Product Type | Key Features | Applicable System | Recommended Dosage (Based on Dry Raw Material) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FG-2017 | Composite Inorganic & Organic Deflocculant | Strong deflocculation, hard water resistance, good synergy with PASS, universal for body & glaze | All types of body slurry & regular glaze slurry | 0.10%~0.30% |
| FG-MK03 | High-efficiency Dispersant | Low foam, excellent dispersion for ultra-fine particles | Colored glaze & matte glaze system | 0.08%~0.25% |
| FG-N203B | General Deflocculant | Cost-effective, stable performance | Mass production wall & floor tile body slurry | 0.12%~0.35% |
| FG-SL01A | Special Deflocculant | Anti-ion interference, fit for raw materials with high impurities | Low-grade raw materials & production lines with hard water | 0.15%~0.30% |
The above dosage is for reference only. Actual dosage shall be adjusted according to formula, water quality and production process. FG-2017 is a core matching product for PASS systems.
4.1 Core Advantages of FG-2017
- No adverse reaction when compounded with PASS; combined performance brings remarkable viscosity reduction and anti-sedimentation effect.
- Powerful chelating ability to neutralize calcium and magnesium ions in water and solve thickening problems caused by hard water.
- Good thermal stability, adapt to workshop temperature change, no obvious viscosity drift during long-term circulation.
- Low residue after firing, no negative impact on glaze gloss, color and physical properties of green body.
5. Synergy Mechanism of PASS and FG Series Products
PASS Basic System
Complete preliminary modification of particles and build suspension network to guarantee basic slurry stability and relieve mild agglomeration and sedimentation.
FG-2017 Deflocculant
Strengthen electrostatic repulsion, thoroughly break up stubborn agglomerates, further reduce viscosity and optimize fluidity under high shear.
Synergy Effect: Ideal Slurry Rheology System
Complete dispersion, stable viscosity, excellent suspension and qualified thixotropy. Fully adapt to milling, transportation and glazing processes and greatly cut down production defects.
The two products form a function-complementary compound system. PASS focuses on overall stability and structure maintenance, while FG-2017 focuses on deep deflocculation and fluidity optimization. For production feeding, add PASS first and stir evenly, then add FG-2017 and keep stirring for 5~10 minutes to maximize synergistic performance.
6. Formulation & Application Plan for Different Slurry Systems
7. Standard Laboratory Trial Procedure
- Prepare Reference Slurry: Make blank slurry according to actual factory formula, solid content and water quality, test initial viscosity and sedimentation performance.
- Add PASS: Dose PASS according to regular production usage, stir at high speed for 3~5 minutes and record slurry status and viscosity.
- Gradient Dosing of FG-2017: Set gradients of 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25%. Stir well and test viscosity respectively.
- Suspension Stability Test: Keep static for 8h / 24h, observe delamination and sediment thickness, select groups with better comprehensive performance.
- Simulated Glazing Test: For glaze slurry, simulate bell glazing and curtain glazing to check atomization, sagging and glaze curtain status.
- Firing Test: Prepare samples with better formulas for firing test, inspect green body strength, glaze appearance and color.
- Confirm Mass Production Plan: Determine the reasonable proportion of PASS and FG-2017, carry out small-batch trial production before full-scale promotion.
8. Troubleshooting for Common Production Issues
Cause: Insufficient dosage of FG-2017, or hard water with high ion content. Solution: Increase FG-2017 dosage moderately; add a small amount of chelating agent for production lines using hard water.
Cause: Insufficient suspension capacity of the whole system and weak structure of PASS. Solution: Adjust PASS dosage appropriately. Do not increase deflocculant blindly; add a small amount of suspension agent if necessary.
Cause: High viscosity under high shear and incomplete particle dispersion. Solution: Increase the proportion of FG-2017 to strengthen deflocculation and optimize high-shear fluidity of glaze slurry.
Cause: Poor shear resistance of additive system. Solution: Switch to FG-2017 and other high-stability models, optimize feeding method and avoid one-time concentrated dosing.
9. FAQ
10. Customized Additive Solution Inquiry
Get Exclusive PASS & FG Series Solutions for Your Production Line
Raw material formula, water quality, equipment and process vary from line to line. GOWAY technical team can customize reasonable proportion and application plan of PASS and FG-2017 according to your actual working conditions.
Our Services:
- On-site & laboratory formula trial and additive gradient test
- Special optimization for body slurry, transparent glaze, colored glaze and other systems
- Solutions for hard water and high-impurity raw materials
- On-site production diagnosis and process guidance
Please provide the following information for inquiry:
Feel free to contact GOWAY technical team to help your ceramic production achieve higher efficiency and lower cost.
Technical Explanation & Disclaimer
- All dosage and parameters in this article are for general industry reference. Laboratory tests and small-scale production trials are required before formal application based on local raw materials, water quality and equipment.
- FG-2017, FG-MK03 and other series products are independently developed ceramic additives of Foshan GOWAY New Materials. They match mainstream PASS systems. Product performance shall be subject to official technical data sheets.
- Additive performance is affected by raw material batches, ambient temperature and stirring time. Regular inspection of slurry indicators and proper dosage adjustment are recommended.
- This content is for technical reference only. Our company shall not be liable for production problems caused by improper on-site operation.
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