Ceramic engobes are the intermediate layer between the body and the glaze, responsible for opacity and adhesion. Esmaltec develops engobes to order for each process.
Applied directly to the body, before the glaze, the engobe is made of clays, kaolin, ceramic frits and other minerals. The proportions are set by the body and the firing cycle, so that both layers expand compatibly and the tile does not craze or warp.
Floor tiles, wall tiles and porcelain tiles use different bodies and need different engobes. Esmaltec adjusts the formulation to the customer’s body, application technique and firing, aiming for the best balance between opacity, stability and cost.
Each engobe is developed in the laboratory and validated on the customer’s production line, with support from Esmaltec’s technical team. The company is based in Rio Claro, São Paulo, in Brazil’s largest ceramic cluster, and supplies customers in Brazil, Latin America and other continents.
The engobe hides the color of the body, improves glaze adhesion and balances the expansion between the layers, giving a more even surface with fewer defects.
In most glazed floor and wall tile processes, yes. Whether an engobe is needed, and its formulation, depend on the body and the finish required.
Yes. Each engobe is adjusted to the customer’s process, with laboratory tests and follow-up on the production line.
Need a tailor-made raw material? Our technical team develops the formulation together with your process.
Talk to our technical team