International

Alternatives to Ukrainian clay: Turkish clay demonstrates potential for white tile manufacturing

By Lisa McDonald / June 21, 2024

The ongoing war in Ukraine is driving tile manufacturers to look for alternative sources of clay for tile manufacturing. In a recent open-access paper, researchers from Spain and Türkiye investigated the potential of clay sourced from the Afyon region of Türkiye as a possible alternative to Ukrainian clay for white tile manufacturing.

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Video: Protecting elephants and trains through fiber-optic sensing

By Lisa McDonald / June 19, 2024

Death from train collisions is the second-highest cause of unnatural elephant deaths in India. Austria-based information provider Sensonic contracted with Indian Railways to deploy a fiber-optic-based elephant detection and alert system along the railway’s East Coast network.

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The rebirth of stained glass: From medieval religious art to modern architectural design, Part 3

By Guest Contributor / April 30, 2024

Though the tradition of creating grand stained-glass windows is less common than it was before, the art form remains an important part of our culture today. In April 2024, CTT is running a special three-part series on stained glass. Part 3 covers the revival of stained glass in the 19th and 20th centuries and its use today.

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PACC-FMAs 2024 welcomes a swell of new attendees for a week of talks and sloths

By Lisa McDonald / April 19, 2024

The 2024 Pan American Ceramics Congress and Ferroelectrics Meeting of Americas took place April 7–11 in Panama City, Panama. The conference witnessed a surge in attendance compared to 2022 and welcomed a record-number of students from South American countries.

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The rebirth of stained glass: From medieval religious art to modern architectural design, Part 2

By Guest Contributor / April 16, 2024

Though the tradition of creating grand stained-glass windows is less common than it was before, the art form remains an important part of our culture today. In April 2024, CTT is running a special three-part series on stained glass. Part 2 provides an overview of the early history of colored glass and details the rise and fall of stained-glass windows between the 11th and 16th centuries.

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Dairy residues on Neolithic pottery show that ancient Europeans loved cheese from multiple species

By Guest Contributor / April 5, 2024

Archaeologists have repeatedly shown that dairy products were an essential part of late Stone Age diets despite virtually all Neolithic Europeans being lactose intolerant. University of York researchers led a study that suggests early farmers used dairy products from multiple different animals and reduced the lactose content in milk by making it into cheese.

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The rebirth of stained glass: From medieval religious art to modern architectural design, Part 1

By Guest Contributor / April 2, 2024

Though the tradition of creating grand stained-glass windows is less common than it was before, the art form remains an important part of our culture today. In April 2024, CTT is running a special three-part series on stained glass. Part 1 overviews the techniques used to create stained glass.

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Navigating supply constraints: Reappraisal of red clays in porcelain stoneware production

By Lisa McDonald / March 29, 2024

With Ukrainian clay in short supply and high demand, tile manufacturers are considering reformulating their tiles based on clay in local deposits. Researchers in Italy conducted a comprehensive characterization of two iron-rich Italian clays to determine their suitability for porcelain stoneware production.

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Finnish startup scales sand battery technology to the next level

By Lisa McDonald / March 15, 2024

Finnish startup Polar Night Energy, which developed and installed its first commercial-scale “sand battery” energy storage system in 2022, is now collaborating with Finnish district heating company Loviisan Lämpö to build an industrial-scale sand battery system in Pornainen, Finland.

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Video: 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards showcase the best of brick design

By Lisa McDonald / March 13, 2024

Since 1989, the Brick Industry Association has sponsored the Brick in Architecture Awards to recognize exceptional uses of clay brick in architecture. The 44 global winners for the 2023 awards include entries spanning the United States, Canada, China, and Mexico, plus the first-ever winner in Russia.

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