There’s more to our minerals...

than meets

Delivering value through quality, flexibility and technical service.

Global resourcesMinerals play an essential role in theproduction of high quality ceramics.

That’s why, as one of the world’s leading providers ofceramic raw materials, our commitment to quality is asstrong as yours. For over 300 years, Sibelco and itspredecessors have been supplying premium mineralproducts, working with customers who are focussedon continually improving yields, increasing productivityand delivering market-leading ceramics.

Quality is worth little unless it can be tailored to your needs. So atSibelco, we work hand in hand with our customers to identify anddevelop the best raw material solutions from a multi-mineral portfoliothat encompasses plastic clays, kaolins, fluxes, silicas, preparedbodies and glaze minerals. And with operationson five continents, we can bring value to your business no matterwhere in the world you are.

All our products are backed by the very highest standards oftechnical support, provided by our specialist teams of TechnicalService Engineers dedicated to each of our key application areas:sanitaryware, tiles, tableware, structural ceramics, electrical porcelainand craft pottery.

Local expertiseTo reinforce our ability to meet changing marketneeds we are increasing our focus on key ceramicmarkets, not only with infrastructure investments inquarrying, processing and distribution but also withstate-of-the-art technical facilities. We’reharnessing Sibelco’s local expertise at locationsaround the globe and creating regional technicalcentre networks.

In Europe, we currently have four fully operational ceramictechnical centres that produce leading edge application supportto our customers, and are equipped for a vast range of technicalprocedures on all aspects of ceramic production, from rawmaterial analysis through to customer body development. Ourtechnical centres deliver the very highest standards of technicalsupport for existing and new customers whilst providing the idealplatform for research and development work into future mineralsfor this industry.

Structural

Tiles

Map Showing the Locationof the European CeramicTechnical Centres*.

Sanitaryware

Tableware

*In addition to our dedicated application centres we also undertakeproject work for all other areas of ceramic whitewares.

The Key Stages in Sibelco’s Application Support Process for Customers

Benchmarking• Raw material analysis.

• Full body analysis.

• Yield costbenefit analysis.

Proposal• Targeted to achieve

agreed improvements.

• Yield analysisto ensure viability.

Trials• Initially small scale.

• Assistedproduction trials.

• Yield analysis toensure targetedimprovements.

Production• Body analysis at regular

intervals on introductionof new material and after.

• Regular technical visits.

• Direct access toSibelco technicians.

Some of the key benefits of Sibelco technical support are:

� Complete raw material evaluation� Customer body development assessment� Customer body optimisation to improve yield or to reduce loss� Production fault diagnosis

Technicalsupport

The main aim is to deliver an agreed programmeof manufacturing improvement either by processchange or body re-formulation.

The process aims to deliver:

Structured work plans• Development work follows a logical sequence• Timescales set for completion of variousphases of work

Targeted improvement• Customer specific problems are identifiedand specific recommendations made toovercome them

Measurable results• At key stages a cost/benefit analysisundertaken to ensure improved profitability

Particle Analysis, a key consideration in the development of high performanceceramic body formulations, the particle sizing suite is capable of measuring particlesize characteristics from several millimetres down to nanometres by variousmethods. These include optical microscopy, laser light scattering, sedimentationand BET specific surface area.

Thermal Analysis for assessment of firing properties, including contact and non-contact dilatometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetryand optical shrinkage and melting behaviour

Fault Diagnosis, cross-section preparation, optical microscopy techniques andenergy dispersive X-ray analysis

Mineralogical Evaluation, X-ray powder diffraction and thin section opticalpetrography

Rheology, traditional ceramics industry techniques such as Ford Cup and TTV andapparent viscosity, along with rotational and oscillatory rheometrical instruments

Chemical Analysis, qualitative and quantitative X-ray fluorescence, flamephotometry, carbon and sulphur, soluble salts by ion chromatography and traceanalysis by ICP-OES and atomic absorption

Materials Testing, including Pfefferkorn plasticity, 3-point bending, tensile andcompressive force and dynamic materials analysis (DMA)

All backed by Pilot Plant facilities capable of producing large scale samples of trialmaterials and minerals, as well as emulating many full-scale industrial processingmethods such as spray drying, milling, firing and mixing.

Technical centresEach production site within Sibelco has a dedicatedquality control laboratory and associated staff,devoted to ensuring superior product quality andconsistency. The Technical Centres support thesequality control laboratories as well as providingTechnical Service, Development and Research forour core ceramic applications.

Each Technical Centre is equipped to undertake almost any projectwithin the application area, from raw material analysis and evaluationthrough to body (and glaze) development and performance testing,and is staffed with Technologists and Experts from relevant scientificfields and industries to ensure project delivery.

These industry specific methods and evaluations are augmentedby a full range of instrumental techniques, either at each TechnicalCentre in the case of key methods (such as chemical analysis,rheometry and particle analysis) so that a fast efficient turnaroundof analyses can be achieved, or as shared facilities in the cases ofthe more specialised equipment.

Our Research team also plays a critical rolein supporting our technical service functions:

• it helps evaluate and develop new processing techniquesfor minerals

• it assists in the development of improved products

• it provides a platform for in-depth analysis of customerprocessing problems

Research for Sibelco is about identifying the future needsof the industries in which we serve, which can only be donethrough partnership with customers so we can helpshape all our futures.

ResearchServing customers in diverse industries withwide product portfolios demands continuousdevelopment and improvement.

Much of Sibelco’s research work is focussedon future mega trends such as energy reduction,sustainability and local resource maximisation.

A key aim is to ensure that we provide customersin all locations with a multi- mineral portfolio thatis economically sustainable and meets end userrequirements with minimal supply chain costs –in essence adding value to minerals to enhancetheir manufacturing capabilities.

StructuredTechnical Service

Improved yieldsIncreased productivity

Enhanced quality

More saleablepieces and/orhigher selling

prices

IncreasedSales

revenue

Newproducts

Newapplications

Newprocesses

Technical Service

DevelopmentCreating a

Sustainable Future

Research

New idea,shapedwith the

Customer

Sibelco’s European technical centres provide the highest levelsof technical support. By combining our research capability withdedicated application based teams we can provide the idealpartnership for the future.

There’s more to our minerals than meets

Your Partnerfor the future

Technical Service

We can assist with manufacturing performance improvementbased on structured assessments of production cycles.

From these, we’ll find the best fit raw materials to maximiseproductivity, giving you the necessary process and rawmaterial information to make an informed choice on how toimprove the manufacturing process and final product quality.

Process Innovation

If you’re looking for a real step change in both manufactureand innovative products for the future, working with Sibelco cantake your business beyond today’s traditional manufacturingboundaries towards new mineral solutions for the future.

Combining our technical service capability with research anddevelopment and working in partnership with you, Sibelco canprovide the support you need to help shape your future.

To create a step changefor your business,simply contact us at:qualityceramics@sibelco.com