Naroda

CSIR-CGCRI, Naroda Centre was established in the year 1977 to cater to the needs of the Ceramic Industries in the small and medium scale sectors in Gujarat and adjoining areas with the following main objectives:

• Evaluation and utilization of locally available ceramic raw materials.
• Offering testing facilities to ceramic and allied industries.
• Developing of traditional white ware ceramics.
• Undertaking sponsored research and transfer of technology.
• Technical assistance to the ceramic industries in improving quality, productivity, cost reduction, import substitution and export promotion.
• Training of personnel for manpower development in the ceramic industry.
• Rendering consultancy services to the industry.
• Improvement in rural pottery & development of technologies for diversification in the product range.

The new Innovation and Facilitation Unit of CSIR-CGCRI, Naroda Centre was inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister of State Shri Saurabh Patel and Prof. I. Manna, Director, CSIR-CGCRI.

• CSIR-CGCRI, Naroda Centre’s Brochure [Page 1   Page 2]

Major Activities

• Technology development for the quality improvement of the traditional ceramic products like tiles, sanitary wares etc.
• Development activity for the rural artisans and SMEs Sectors in traditional ceramics for societal benefits
• Utilisation of industrial wastes for the production of traditional Ceramics.
• Beneficiation of the raw materials.
• Development of energy efficient refractory.
• Futuristic research in application of Nano technology in traditional ceramics.

Other Activities

• Technical consultancy to ceramic industries.
  CGCRI, Naroda Centre, offers expert services to manufacturers of tiles, sanitaryware, tableware, Insulators, refractories & Kiln furniture and other allied industries such as clay processing industries for practical advice & technical trouble shooting, process improvement, rejection control, product quality improvement, waste utilization and new facilities creation at the manufacturers end. The activities pertaining to optimization of process of manufacturing are also taken up in form of sponsored projects.
• Testing and evaluation of ceramic raw materials and products as per relevant standards; IS0 9001:2015.
• Training of personnel for Human Resource Development in the Ceramic Industry.

• Utilization of Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) in Ceramic Application.
• Standardized process for manufacturing of Emery Stone.
• Technology for Suitable Substitution of various ceramic waste for its gainful utilization in body, engobe and glaze for fired wall tiles.
• Energy saving low mass kiln furniture with higher life for use pottery industries in Ahmedabad region.
• Synthesis of Mullite Grog by calcining china clay and other alumina containing precursor.
• Production of Bone China utilizing the china clays of Gujarat.
• Optimizing process parameters and suggesting suitable remedy for improvement in productivity of stoneware products.
• Technology Upgradation and Development of Terra Cotta clusters in Gujarat State.
• Manufacturing of Glazed Floor Tile utilizing low energy intensive technology for body and glaze production.
• Development of High Alumina Grinding Media.
• Production of Steatite Porcelain for Grinding Media as well as low Loss Insulators.
• Development of High Strength Black Pottery & Kabis
• High strength glazed Terracotta with low temperature lead bearing and leadless glazes.
• Development of Glazes and Engobes for Roofing Tiles.
• Development of low cost floor tile matt engobes utilizing crockeryware scrap powder.
• Development of Glazed Floor tile body utilizing singular blended clays and various ceramic scraps.
• Manufacturing of washed clays and singular blended clay.
• Replacement of Ukrainian clay in the vitrified porcelain tiles production.
• Utilization of fly ash in Traditional Ceramic Products.
• Utilization of Rajpardi clay in Traditional Ceramic Products.
• Patented Technology for Grinding of Ceramic Fired Scrap.
• Technology for manufacturing lead free Blue Pottery.
• Integrated pottery development program for new products and economic upliftment of rural potter.

Ongoing Projects

 Projects completed during last 10 years

 Major Facilities Available at CSIR-CGCRI, Naroda Centre

Pilot Plant/Materials processing facilities          

• Gradient Furnace, Gabbrielli, GmbH (up to 1200oC).
• Roller-hearth kiln (up to 1200oC).
• Hydraulic press for tiles, Gabbrielli, GmbH (specific pressure 300 Kg/cm2).
• Planetary Mixture.
• Ribbon blender.
• Micro pulveriser.
• High alumina mill (10 Kg. capacity).
• Vibro energy mill (10 Kg. capacity).
• Filter press (25 Kg. capacity).
• Magnetic channel.
• Hydraulic classifier, Richard Mozley, UK, Test Rig.
• Electric furnaces of various denominations (up to 1700oC), Agni GmbH, Nabertherm, GmbH, Naskar, Bysakh, etc.
• Gas fired furnace 1200oC.
• Dearing pug mill, Edward & Jones, UK (8mm, 15mm, 25mm dia.).
• Jaw crusher.
• Levigation unit (20 Kg.).
• Ball mills of 10 Kg. to 100 Kg. capacities.
• Raising hearth furnace up to 1600oC.
• Pug mill-Non de-airing.
• Hot air oven (Trey Dryer).
• Pot mill.
• Low temperature water bath.
• Double disc polishing machine.
• Hot plate.
• High speed stirrer.
• Humidifying chambers.
• Centre polishing machine.
• Vicat apparatus.
• Magnetic stirrer.
• pH meter (model .361).
• Vertical autoclave.
• Drying oven for ceramic tiles.
• Electronic balance Mettler Toledo.
• Polishing machine.

Facilities for nano coating:

• Dip coater.
• Spin coater.
• Spray pyrolysis set up.
• Rotary vacuum evaporator.
• Ultrasonic coater.
• Roller furnace for third fired decoration.
• Polishing machine for nano coating.

Equipment s for materials characterization:

• X-Ray Diffractometer (Rigaku, Japan)
• ICP (Inductive Couple Plasma Analyzer) with microwave digester.
• Thermal analysis (TG/DTA), Seiko, Japan (up to 1400°C).
• Laser based Particle Size Analyzer (0.3 to 400 µ) Cilas, France.
• Spectrophotometer Konica Minolta., Japan (L, a, b values).
• Glossmeter, Rhopoint, UK.
• Contact angle analyzer.
• Dilatometer, Orton USA (up to 1200oC).
• MOR equipment, Ceramic Instruments, Italy.
• PIE surface abrasion test, Ceramic Instruments, Italy.
• Depth abrasion test, Ceramic Instruments, Italy.
• Autoclaves of different capacities.
• Tank for vacuum water absorption test, Ceramic Instruments, Italy.
• FTIR Spectrometer (Spectrum 100), M/s Perkin Elmer Pvt. Ltd., Singapore.
• Optical microscope model BX-51-N-33-Olympus, Japan.
• Brookfield viscometer (LVDV II*) BET surface area measurement.
• Brookfield rheometer for clay slip viscosity & rheological.
• Slipperiness meter.
• Compression testing machine.
• VEE BEE consistometer.
• Motorized Liquid Limit Device.
• Fast Firing Furnace (1200°C).
• Laboratory fume hoods.
• TC12+ Temperature Calibrator.
• Flame photometer 128.
• UV-VIS Spectrophotometer.
• Digital Vernier Calliper 0-600mm/24″, 0.01mm.

Dr. Parag M Solanki, Chief Scientist & Scientist-In-Charge

Dr. Amish G. Joshi

Dr. Parvesh Agrawal

Dr. Asha Anil

Dr. Parag M Solanki,

Chief Scientist & Scientist In-charge
Phone: +91 79 2281 1213/2282 3345
E-mail: siccgcrinc@cgcri.res.in,
pmsolanki@cgcri.res.in