Basaltic tephra:: potential new resource for ceramic industry

This preliminary study reveals that basaltic tephra (pumice) is a material suitable for the production of high quality ceramics and also provides important evidence concerning the transfer of the process of manufacture from the laboratory to commercial production. Specifically, the shapes of pores and the uniformity of the pole size frequency distributions in the basaltic ceramic preparations are the major textural properties controlling compressive strength, whereas the contents and textures of fibrous minerals occupying the pores appear to be less significant in determining the physical properties of these ceramics. (C) 2000 IoM Communications Ltd.