The basic knowledge of tile (1)
2008-08-07

                                                                                                                                                 Tile knowledge                                                                                                                        Chapter nine- The basic knowledge of tile (1)

Definition and use The so-called tile, a fire-resistant metal oxides and semi-metal oxides, through the grinding, mixing, suppression, glazing, the process of sintering, acid and alkali-resistant form of a porcelain or stone, such as the construction or decoration of the materials. Tiles are often used to form wall and floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complex mosaics. Tiles are most often made from ceramic, with a hard glaze finish, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, marble, granite, slate, and reformed ceramic slurry, which is cast in a mould and fired. 

Source and history The word of tile is derived from the French word tuile, which is, in turn, from the Latin word tegula, meaning a roof tile composed of baked clay. Less precisely, the modern term can refer to any sort of construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games. Tiles were among the first ceramic articles created. Ceramic refers to materials that begin as inorganic nonmetallic substances and then are shaped and fired to create sufficient mechanical strength for their purpose. Tiles were first produced without any glaze or other surface covering. Messages or names of people were sometimes carved on tiles. Babylonian writings, for example, were carved on tiles, then fired and preserved. Nearly 22,000 carved tiles filled the library of King Assurbanipal. Early in their use, tiles became decorative items. A fine example and perhaps the first instance of glazed tiles is the Ishtar Gate of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (575 B.C.), re-erected in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The tiles are embossed and depict imaginative yellow and brown animals. Similarly produced tiles still cover doors, facades, and domes of ancient Iranian palaces and mosques. Ceramic tiles appear again and again throughout history, in palaces of diverse cultures and locales. Ceramic production developed in Italy during the Middle Ages. Roman and Arab sources inspired groups of artists in various towns. From this purely artistic origin, ceramic technology flourished across Europe and has spread throughout the world. Today, tile is even more functional and decorative, maintaining and improving on the features of the earliest glazed and unglazed tiles.

Types and introduction Glazed tile Glazed tile is a type of ceramic tile to which a glaze has been applied. After the glaze is painted or sprayed on, the tile is filed at high temperatures, causing a chemical reaction which makes the glaze vitrify. The resulting tile is resistant to water and stains because of the glaze, and it has an attractive look, as a wide variety of colors and designs can be created with glaze, with finishes ranging from extremely glossy to matte. According to the different gloss it can also be divided into the following two: light glazed tiles, suitable for creating "clean" results. Matte glazed tiles, suitable for "Fashion" effect.

Homogeneous tile Homogeneous tile has no surface glazing, and positive and negative of the material are same, so named. Homogeneous tile is a wear-resistant tile. Although there are varieties of color-penetrated tiles, but relatively speaking, their color is much less than glazed tiles. As the interior design of the increasing tendency plain design, homogeneous tile is also increasingly becoming a fashion, and widely used in the halls, corridors and other outdoor aisles and renovation projects on the ground, but general less used for the wall Face. Most of the non-slip tiles are homogeneous tiles. 

Polished tile Polished tile a kind of bright brick that the surface is polished. Compared to the rough homogeneous tile, polished tile is more bright and clean. Polished tile’s nature is hard wear-resistant, except for the toilets, kitchen and indoor environment, polished tile is suitable for other majority of the use of interior space. In the use of infiltration technology, the polished tile can mimic the effect of stone and wood.

Vitrified tile In fact, the vitrified tile is absolute tile. Its surface is smooth but needn’t polishing, so there is no problem of polishing stomata. Vitrified tile is a strengthening of polished tiles, produced from high temperature. The texture is more wear-resistant and hard than the polished title. There is no doubt that the price is also higher.

Mosaic tile Mosaic tile is a special existence of the bricks, generally making up by dozens of small pieces of brick to form a relatively large slab. It is widely used in indoor and outdoor walls and grounds with delicate color. It is mainly divided into ceramic mosaics, marble mosaic and glass mosaic.