|
barbottina: aqueous suspension produced during wet grinding inside
large continuous mills, where water is mixed with the
raw materials. See: atomisation. |
bicottura: the complete firing of the piece and its vitreous covering
or decoration can comprise more than a single thermal
cycle, where in most (but not necessarily all) cases
each subsequent firing takes place at a lower temperature
than the preceding one. As such the firing cycles can
be single firing, double firing or triple firing. B.
is subdivided into ‘rapid double firing’
in which both thermal cycles are generally less than
an hour in a rolled furnace, and ‘slow or traditional
double firing’ in which the thermal cycles take
several hours. With respect to single firing, b. gives
the product a shinier glaze, greater colour definition
and weighs less. |
bio-architecture: the branch of architecture that uses building techniques
and materials with limited environmental impact, striving
to reduce all types pollution to the minimum whether
they be chemical-physical or electromagnetic. B. takes
into consideration all possible measures to avoid damage
to the ecosystem in which the building is placed, risks
to the physical and mental health of the people who
will use it (from workers to final users) and in general
considers its relationship to the environment at the
local, regional and planetary level. Found especially
in Europe, North America and Australia (the Australian
architect Glenn Murcutt won the prestigious Pritzker
Prize in 2002), B. is gaining popularity and consensus
throughout the world. See also: Sustainable construction. |
Bq (becquerel): International System (IS) measuring unit that quantifies
the activity of a radioactive source. 1 Bq is equal
to one disintegration per second. |
 |
carbon dioxide: heaviest gas in the atmosphere.
It is formed during all combustion processes, respiration,
and decomposition of organic material through the complete
oxidation of carbon. Variations in the concentration
of CO2 in the atmosphere due to various anthropological
activities (combustion, deforestation) provoke modifications
in the climate over time. CO2 has the greatest responsibility
for the greenhouse effect and for global warming. |
clay: raw material used in the production of ceramic tiles.
Its most important characteristics are: plasticity,
hardening during the drying process, acquisition of
a rigid form after firing, and shrinkage during the
drying and firing process. |
clinker (or Klinker) tiles: bricks or tiles
of small format with elevated thickness in which the
composite mixture is composed of clay and low-quality
kaolin, feldspathic flux and non-plastic materials.
It is differentiated from vitrified tiles for the heterogeneity
of the mixture and for its reduced vitrification but,
as with vitrified tiles, is frost-resistant, impervious
to chemical attack and has a notable mechanical resistance
to bending. C. products are obtained through pressing
or extrusion and are fired at temperatures above 1,200°
C. with a cycle of several hours. They are used for
both external and internal paving. The largest producer
today continues to be Germany, the country in which
it was invented around 1930. |
cogeneration: production associated with electrical energy and heating.
In specific cases it constitutes an element of high
energetic efficiency which maximises the recovery of
heat obtained through the generation of electrical energy,
utilising it directly in the process of ceramic elaboration. |
cogenerator: see cogeneration |
|
eco-compatibility: defines the capacity to interact with the environment
without upsetting its delicate equilibrium. In other
words, our actions are eco-compatible when we can carry
them out in such a way that the pollution rate and exploitation
of environmental resources remains within the limits
of the absorption and regeneration capacity of the recipient
ecosystem in order to avoid an increase in the level
of pollution over time. |
|
feldspathic materials: raw material widely distributed
across the earth’s surface with no risk of its
supply being depleting, derived from the decomposition
of rock - such as quartziferous porphyry, granite, syenite
or gneiss - rich in mineral content, from which clay
is composed. They determine the process of vitreous
formation that assures the high compactness of the product. |
Feng-Shui: traditional Chinese art of systemising a space in harmony
with the forces of the cosmos. The first traces of this
art, developed according to the wisdom of the I Ching,
the Book of Changes from the fourth millennium BC, is
found in the Confucian era (VI-V century BC). F.S. derives
from the traditional Chinese concept of the world based
on the opposition of the two complimentary forces Yin
and Yang, on the idea of cosmic breath, on vital energy,
and on Chi (Ki in Japanese). The discipline also confers
objects, for example a lamp or a table, with their own
individual energy, which can vary according to form
(square, rectangular, triangular, spherical) or material
(wood, metal, brick, plastic). |
|
gamma radiation: not corporeal in nature, but rather electromagnetic
radiation whose power of penetration is significantly
greater than other types of radiation. When a nucleus emits
a particle it separates into two fragments, one represented
by a (alpha) and the other by ß (beta) according
to what remains of the original nucleus (these emissions
are known as disintegration, decay or transmutation).
Following the emission of a and ß radiation, the
nucleus is found in a state of agitation and emits ?
(gamma) rays during its return to its fundamental state.
In this way there is a balancing of the new nucleus
that leads to a lowering of its potential nuclear energy.
The spontaneous emission of ? rays, as with any natural
or artificial spontaneous decay, is an eso-energetic
process. |
Giga Joule (GJ): MKS system unit of measure for
work or for energy. The force of one Newton fulfils
the work of one Joule when its point of application
is moved one metre in the direction of the force, e.g.
1 Joule = 1 Newton x 1 metre. 1 Giga Joule (GJ) = 1,000,000,000
Joules. |
|
ionogenic radiation: ionogenic radiation is composed
of particles and electromagnetic waves capable of extremely
high penetration of materials. This allows the radiation
to move electrons that it encounters in its path from
one atom to another. In this way the atoms, buffeted
by the radiation, lose their neutrality (which consists
in having an equal number of protons and electrons)
and gain an electronic charge, becoming ionised. Ionisation
can provoke chemical phenomena in living organisms that
can lead to lesions observable at both the cellular
level as well as within the organism. One speaks of
somatic damage when the radiation damages the cellular
and extra-cellular structures and of genetic damage
when it provokes changes in the genetic structure.
The
radioactive substances found in nature represent one-tenth
of the total and consist of nuclides with atomic numbers
greater than 82 (lead) and less than or equal to 92
(uranium). There is a much greater number of artificial
ones, composed of radioactive elements with an atomic
number greater or equal to 93 (transuranium) and of
artificial isotopes formed from stable elements (radioisotopes).
Regarding implications for construction, see the paragraph
dedicated to Radon.
[Source: http://www.prismanet.com/barsanti/scienze/radiazioni.htmt] |
|
LCA: The
term LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), now in common usage,
was first used during the 1990 SETAC (Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry) congress in Vermont, USA,
in order to better characterise the analyses carried
out until then
under the name REPA. Based on the definition supplied
by SETAC in 1993 the Life Cycle Assessment is an objective
procedure to evaluate the energetic and environmental
burden of a product, process or activity. See also the
paragraph: LCA. |
|
mSv/year: regulations formed to reduce the risk of ionised radiation
fix precise limits of doses that are expressed in milliSv/year
(or mSv/year). Italian legislation only addresses risks
to exposure to radon found in the workplace (D. Lgs
230/95), while in the home reference is made to the
recommendations of the European Union. Nevertheless
all of the regulations fix ‘recommended values’,
values of radon concentration above which it is necessary
to take measures to reduce these values. A situation
is considered acceptable when it is below the ‘recommended
values.’ (Source: www.italprotezione.it/leggi.htm) |
|
quartziferous sand: raw material widely used in the
ceramics industry and which carries out a structural
function, limiting dimensional variations in the firing
due to its presence in the clay mixture. These sands,
whose value is assigned on the basis of purity and fineness,
are found on all five continents and are present in
all the European countries. |
|
single firing: process in which the glaze and
clay are fired at the same time. Prior to the development
of s.f. in the 80s, the method generally used in Italy
was double firing. New technology has led to the creation
of a much thinner product, reducing production and transportation
costs. The tile in s.f. is also more resistant and can
be used for commercial pavements subjected to a high
intensity of traffic. |
sustainability: among the definitions of s., that given in the Brundtland
Report (mentioned often within this site) has generated
various new variations. For example, according to the
editor of Econews Guy Dauncey, “Sustainability
is a condition of existence that allows the present
generation (of the human and other species) to enjoy
social well-being, a viable economy and a healthy environment,
(…) without compromising the capacity of future
generations (human and not) to benefit from these in
equal measure.” For a more in-depth understanding
of this concept see the paragraphs: S_consumption, S_building,
S_cities and ecoprocurement within the macro-concept
Sustainability is now. |