Dilatometry is a technique for measuring dimensional changes in different types of materials, including raw and fired materials, conglomerates, glass, glazes and metals, through a predefined thermal cycle. This analysis is extremely valuable for understanding the behaviour of materials during the firing process, evaluating aspects such as the expansion coefficient of unfired (‘green’) materials, fired substrates, glazes and the bond between glaze and biscuit. It also allows the sintering cycle of ceramics to be optimised.
Using a dilatometric instrument, it is possible to precisely quantify the dimensional changes of a sample during heat treatment, thus providing fundamental data for the calculation of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CTE).
