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Ceramic Tile

Common Product
MasterFormat 09 30 13 Ceramic Tiling; 09 60 00 Flooring; 12 36 00 Countertops

This information reflects our best understanding of product composition in 2020.

Ceramic tiles are used in a variety of applications including on floors or walls for commercial, light commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Ceramic tiles are made primarily of natural materials including clay, feldspar, and...

More about Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tiles are used in a variety of applications including on floors or walls for commercial, light commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Ceramic tiles are made primarily of natural materials including clay, feldspar, and sand. They are fired at very high temperatures (approximately 2000-2200F). Because of this high temperature processing, they are typically considered inherently non-emitting materials. Backing or coating materials applied after firing may contribute additional content and volatiles but were not found to be common. The content information is commonly provided in terms of the raw materials combined to make the ceramic tile and is therefore provided as such here. The firing process alters the structure of the material. Information on the oxide content of the finished tile is provided in the All Contents tab. 

Ceramic tiles can either be porcelain or non-porcelain. Porcelain tiles may contain more refined materials and are fired at higher temperatures for longer times. They are more dense and have lower water absorption than non-porcelain ceramic tiles and are therefore often recommended for areas that see more moisture, like bathrooms. Porcelain tiles tend to be more expensive, and because they are more dense, can be harder to work with, but they are more durable and therefore recommended for high traffic applications. Both non-porcelain and porcelain ceramic can be either glazed or unglazed. 

Many tile manufacturers recycle scrap unfired and fired tiles from their own production back into the manufacturing process. This content is included below as the same raw materials. Some manufacturers incorporate additional recycled content. Post-consumer recycled content may include glass or ceramic tiles. Pre-consumer recycled content may include granite or other mineral dust or ceramic scrap from other products such as toilets. The type of recycled content in products is not always disclosed. Some other types of recycled content that have been researched but may or may not be used in products at this time include post-consumer cathode ray tube materials or industrial waste such as fly ash or municipal incinerated bottom ash. Cathode ray tubes may be used in several countries, including the U.S. and are a particular concern because they contain high levels of lead that may be dispersed during processing or when the resulting tiles are cut or abraded. 

Roughly 30% of tiles used in the United States in 2018 were domestically manufactured. The countries providing the most ceramic tile to the US include China, Mexico, Italy, Spain, and Brazil. Tariffs since imposed on imports may have shifted this mix. US manufacturers have largely phased out the use of lead and other toxic heavy metals in glazes. It is unclear if this trend is also taking place in other regions. Given that lead has historically been used in ceramic glazes, and cookware products imported from various locations including China, Mexico, Italy, and Spain have been recently found by the FDA to contain excess lead, it is estimated that lead-based glazes may still be common in ceramic tile manufacture outside of the United States. Lead and other heavy metals in glazes may be released as part of dust generated when tiles are cut or abraded. In addition, if a glaze is not properly formulated or fired, lead and cadmium have been shown to leach into food from ceramicware products, and therefore may leach out of ceramic tile glazes under certain conditions as well. 

Manufacturers prescribe wet cutting methods or the use of manual cutting tools during installation to reduce the generation of dust and potential exposure to silica dust and toxic metals. Integral dust collection on equipment or local exhaust ventilation is also recommended when cutting grinding or removing ceramic tiles.

Name % Weight Whole Function GREENSCREEN® Sources
Kaolin
1332-58-7
36.98% Body component Subscribe to view
FELDSPAR
68476-25-5
30.73% Flux Subscribe to view
Quartz
14808-60-7
8.63% Body component Subscribe to view
Limestone
1317-65-3
8.22% Body component Subscribe to view
Talc
14807-96-6
6.16% Body component Subscribe to view
Aluminum oxide
1344-28-1
4.11% Body component Subscribe to view
NEPHELINE SYENITE
37244-96-5
4.11% Flux Subscribe to view
Frits, chemicals
65997-18-4
0.28% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Kaolin
1332-58-7
0.25% Glaze component Subscribe to view
FELDSPAR
68476-25-5
0.11% Flux Subscribe to view
Lead oxide
1317-36-8
0.11% Residual of frits, chemicals Subscribe to view
Zinc oxide
1314-13-2
0.10% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Wollastonite
13983-17-0
0.05% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Chromium iron oxide
12737-27-8
0.05% Pigment Subscribe to view
C.I. pigment blue 72
68186-87-8
0.03% Pigment Subscribe to view
Chrome Rutile Yellow
68186-90-3
0.03% Pigment Subscribe to view
Zircon (Zr(SiO4))
14940-68-2
0.03% Abrasion resistance Subscribe to view
C.I. Pigment Red 231
68186-99-2
0.02% Pigment Subscribe to view
BARIUM CARBONATE
513-77-9
<0.01% Flux Subscribe to view
Name % Weight Part % Weight Whole Function GREENSCREEN® Sources
Ceramic Tile Body
98.94% 98.94% Body Subscribe to view
Kaolin
1332-58-7
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
37.38% 36.98% Body component Subscribe to view
FELDSPAR
68476-25-5
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
31.06% 30.73% Flux Subscribe to view
Quartz
14808-60-7
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
8.72% 8.63% Body component Subscribe to view
Limestone
1317-65-3
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
8.31% 8.22% Body component Subscribe to view
Talc
14807-96-6
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
6.23% 6.16% Body component Subscribe to view
Aluminum oxide
1344-28-1
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
4.15% 4.11% Body component Subscribe to view
NEPHELINE SYENITE
37244-96-5
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Body)
4.15% 4.11% Flux Subscribe to view
Ceramic Tile Glaze
1.06% 1.06% Glaze Subscribe to view
Frits, chemicals
65997-18-4
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
26.51% 0.28% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Kaolin
1332-58-7
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
23.39% 0.25% Glaze component Subscribe to view
FELDSPAR
68476-25-5
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
10.00% 0.11% Flux Subscribe to view
Lead oxide
1317-36-8
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
10.00% 0.11% Residual of frits, chemicals Subscribe to view
Zinc oxide
1314-13-2
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
9.36% 0.10% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Wollastonite
13983-17-0
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
4.68% 0.05% Glaze component Subscribe to view
Chromium iron oxide
12737-27-8
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
4.68% 0.05% Pigment Subscribe to view
C.I. pigment blue 72
68186-87-8
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
3.12% 0.03% Pigment Subscribe to view
Chrome Rutile Yellow
68186-90-3
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
3.12% 0.03% Pigment Subscribe to view
Zircon (Zr(SiO4))
14940-68-2
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
3.12% 0.03% Abrasion resistance Subscribe to view
C.I. Pigment Red 231
68186-99-2
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
1.72% 0.02% Pigment Subscribe to view
BARIUM CARBONATE
513-77-9
(Nested within Ceramic Tile Glaze)
0.31% <0.01% Flux Subscribe to view

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Known or Potential Residuals

Known or Potential Residuals for Chemical
CASRN NAME GREENSCREEN® TYPE FREQUENCY % Weight Chemical % Weight Product SOURCE
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Other Process Chemicals

CASRN NAME GREENSCREEN® TYPE FREQUENCY % WT CHEM % WT PRODUCT SOURCES
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HBN Resources (5)

HBN Resources for Product
TYPE TITLE
Report Post-Consumer Cullet In California
Report Optimizing Recycling: Criteria for Comparing and Improving Recycled Feedstocks in Building Products
Report To Increase The Use Of Recycled Content In Building Products: Reduce Health Hazards & Improve Feedstock Quality
Tool Countertop Materials Hazard Spectrum
Tool Flooring Hazard Spectrum

Sources

Sources for Common Product Data
Source Uploaded Document Linked Document
BEES - Recycled Glass
Boron in Ceramics
Ceramic Research Co - Roles
Ceramic Tile Kilns
Ceramic Tiles Derived from Coal Fly Ash
Cobalt - Ceramic Tile Occupational Exposure
Common Fluxes
Crossville HPD
Crossville SDS
CRT and Ceramics
CRT E-Scrap News
DalTile - Lansdale Cleanup
Daltile FAQ
Daltile HPD
Daltile SDS
DryTile Declare
EcoCenter Marfil Tile
Emser Tile Declare
EPA - CRT Tile Recycling
EPA - CRT Tile Recycling 2
EPA Frits
FDA Import Alert - Ceramic
FireClay HPD
FireClay Specifications
Florida Tile HPD
Florida Tile Microban
Florida Tile SDS
Frit Consorium EU - Compositional Table
Frits and Pigments
Healthy Stuff Study
Imagine Tile HPD
Marazzi Group Mystone Declare
Microban Silver
Monitoring HF Emissions
Mosa HPD
Mosaic Tiles
Patent BRPI0801785A2
Patent CN102617154B
Patent CN106278138A
Patent US6127298A
Patent US6174608B1
Porcelanosa Declare
Porcelanosa HPD
Raw Materials - Frits and Glazes
Science Direct - Ceramic Tiles
StonePeak SDS
TCNA - Antimicrobial Tiles
TCNA EPD 2020
TCNA Exposures to Crystalline Silica and Metals
Tile Glaze 101
TRI Data - 2018
V&B HPD