Adquisición de baldosas de porcelana en China: baldosas de porcelana esmaltada o de masa completa

Elegir el piso for your home, hotel or commercial space is a critical decision that involves balancing aesthetic appeal, durability, and functionality. Porcelain floor tiles are often the preferred choice for many home owners due to their exceptional durability, ease of maintenance, and resistance to stains and scratches. While tiles are being produced in many countries across the world, China has become one of the leading manufacturing hubs for tiles of all kinds. In another blog post we discussed all general details about tiles, such as the difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles, and where to buy them. If you have missed this article, you can find it here.

In this article we want to take a closer look at porcelain tiles, and the different types of tile bodies and tile glazings. We have structures this article in 5 parts, to cover all the main types of porcelain tiles. We are going from high quality to lower quality:

1. The Full Body Porcelain Tile
2. Glazed Porcelain Tile with Colored Body
3. Glazed Porcelain Tile with White Body
4. Double-Charge Tile
5. Soluble-Salt Tile 

Before we dive into the different types of porcelain tiles, let's very briefly review the general benefits of porcelain tiles. Las baldosas de porcelana son un tipo de baldosas de cerámica fabricadas a partir de arcilla cocida en horno que se calienta a temperaturas extremadamente altas. Este proceso crea un material denso, duro y muy duradero que es conocido por su baja porosidad y resistencia al agua. Las baldosas de porcelana son excepcionalmente versátiles y están disponibles en una amplia variedad de diseños, colores y patrones para adaptarse a diferentes estilos y preferencias. Ya sea que desee un aspecto contemporáneo, clásico o rústico, estas baldosas de calidad brindan una amplia gama de posibilidades estéticas, lo que las hace adecuadas tanto para espacios interiores como exteriores. 

Las baldosas de porcelana ofrecen numerosos beneficios que las convierten en una opción popular tanto para aplicaciones residenciales como comerciales:

• Durabilidad: Las baldosas de porcelana son increíblemente duraderas y pueden soportar un alto tránsito sin mostrar signos significativos de desgaste. Esto las hace ideales tanto para áreas residenciales, como pasillos y cocinas, como para entornos comerciales, como centros comerciales y espacios de oficina.
• Facilidad de mantenimiento: una de las principales ventajas de las baldosas de porcelana es su facilidad de mantenimiento. Requieren una limpieza mínima; barrerlas con regularidad y fregarlas de vez en cuando suele ser suficiente para mantenerlas impecables. Esta cualidad de bajo mantenimiento las convierte en una excelente opción para hogares con mucho tráfico o espacios comerciales.
• Resistencia a las manchas y a los rayones: Las baldosas de porcelana son muy resistentes a las manchas y a los rayones, lo que les ayuda a conservar su apariencia original a lo largo del tiempo. Su superficie no porosa evita que los líquidos penetren, lo que hace que los derrames y las manchas sean fáciles de limpiar. Además, su superficie dura resiste los rayones del uso diario, lo que garantiza la longevidad y la durabilidad.

Full-body tile, often referred to as unglazed, through-body, or technical tile, represents the pinnacle of durability and longevity in tile manufacturing. Unlike other tile types that rely on surface layers for their design, the composition of a full-body tile is homogenous throughout its entire thickness. The manufacturing process involves mixing natural clays and coloring pigments together from the start, so the color and pattern are not just on the surface but are consistent all the way through the tile body. Consequently, if a full-body tile were to be chipped, scratched, or worn down over decades of heavy use, the newly exposed surface would reveal the exact same color and texture, rendering the damage nearly invisible. This inherent robustness makes it the most resilient option available and the unequivocal recommendation for demanding environments such as airports, shopping malls, and industrial settings. Although this comprehensive manufacturing process makes it a more expensive option, its exceptional strength and hard-wearing nature ensure a lifespan that is unmatched by other tile categories.

3.1 Composición de las piezas de cuerpo entero

Las baldosas de porcelana de masa completa, también conocidas como baldosas de porcelana sin esmaltar, se diferencian de las baldosas esmaltadas en cuanto a su composición y proceso de fabricación. Estas baldosas están hechas de arcillas naturales y depósitos minerales sin la adición de un esmalte. La masa completa de la baldosa está compuesta de un solo material homogéneo, con un color y un patrón uniformes en toda su extensión. Esta consistencia se logra mediante el uso de depósitos minerales naturales o pigmentos de color mezclados con la arcilla antes de la cocción.

3.2 Aspecto y durabilidad

Las baldosas de porcelana de masa completa son conocidas por su apariencia natural y terrosa y su durabilidad excepcional. Debido a que el color se extiende por todo el espesor de la baldosa, cualquier daño o rasguño que pueda ocurrir es menos notorio que con las baldosas esmaltadas, donde el daño al revestimiento de la superficie puede revelar un color diferente debajo. Las baldosas de masa completa son generalmente más gruesas y densas que las baldosas esmaltadas, lo que ofrece una resistencia superior al impacto y la abrasión. También tienen una alta resistencia al deslizamiento, lo que las convierte en una opción ideal para áreas que requieren una superficie segura y antideslizante, como baños, cuartos húmedos, patios al aire libre y entornos comerciales con mucho tráfico peatonal.

3.3 Mantenimiento y resistencia a las manchas

Si bien las baldosas de porcelana de masa completa son excepcionalmente duraderas, pueden ser más propensas a mancharse en comparación con las baldosas esmaltadas porque carecen de una capa protectora en la superficie. Los poros naturales del material sin esmaltar pueden absorber líquidos, lo que puede provocar manchas con el tiempo. Para contrarrestar esto, las baldosas de masa completa suelen requerir la aplicación de un sellador protector. Este sellador proporciona una capa adicional de protección, pero deberá volver a aplicarse periódicamente para mantener su eficacia. A pesar de esto, las baldosas de masa completa son las preferidas en muchos entornos debido a su alta durabilidad, apariencia natural y resistencia superior al deslizamiento.

Glazed tiles are perhaps the most versatile and widely recognized category of tile, offering nearly limitless design possibilities thanks to modern production techniques. The fundamental process involves applying a thin, impervious layer of liquid glass, or glaze, onto the surface of a ceramic or porcelain tile body before it undergoes firing. This glaze serves multiple purposes: it creates the final color, pattern, and texture of the tile, and it seals the surface, making it non-porous, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. While traditional methods involved simpler glazes, contemporary manufacturing has been revolutionized by high-definition digital inkjet printing. This advanced technique operates much like a sophisticated office printer, capable of rendering complex, high-resolution images, photorealistic patterns, and nuanced color gradations directly onto the tile's surface. This allows for the authentic replication of natural materials like marble, wood, and stone, providing consumers with an enormous spectrum of aesthetic choices to perfectly match any design vision, from intricate mosaics to minimalist solid colors. The only difference to glazed tiles with a colored body, is that the white body isn't as forgiving if a tile chips. The white body below the glazing is making the ship or crack much more visually recognizable, which is a real down side.

Double-charge tiles, also known as double-loaded tiles, are a clever innovation in vitrified tile manufacturing that combines durability with cost efficiency. The process involves fusing two distinct layers of clay powder together under immense pressure before firing them as a single, cohesive unit. The lower, foundational layer constitutes the bulk of the tile's body and is made from a standard, rudimentary clay mixture. The top layer, however, is composed of a more refined mixture of clay and pigments that will ultimately define the tile's visible design and color. This upper design layer is substantially thick, typically around 3 to 4 millimeters, which gives the tile impressive durability and a wear layer that can withstand significant foot traffic. If you examine the tile from the side, you can physically see the demarcation between the two fused layers. This two-layered construction allows manufacturers to create a robust and aesthetically pleasing surface while conserving the more expensive, color-rich materials for the top portion only, thereby gaining a significant price advantage over full-body tiles where the design and color permeate the entire thickness.

These types of tiles are getting rather uncommon, and many factories completely switch to production lines for glazed tiles. Thus you might not come across this type of tiles as much anymore.

Soluble-salt tiles represent a cost-effective method for creating polished, patterned surfaces that offer significant aesthetic appeal at an accessible price point. The manufacturing process is unique in that it infuses the design directly into the tile's surface before it is fired. Using a technique analogous to screen-printing, a design template is laid over the unfired tile body, and a solution containing water-soluble metallic salts is applied. This liquid solution permeates the substrate, penetrating approximately 1 to 2 millimeters into the clay body. During the intense heat of the kiln firing, these salts react and melt, creating a durable, pre-determined pattern that becomes an integral part of the tile's surface. Because the design is not merely a topical layer but is embedded within the tile itself, it offers better wear resistance than a simple glaze. Typically finished with a high polish, these tiles are prized for their glossy, elegant appearance and are a popular choice for residential and light commercial flooring where a sophisticated look is desired without the higher cost associated with more complex manufacturing methods.