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Abstract
The effects of curing temperature on surface characteristics of TiO2-Fe2O3 multi-oxide thin film coated glazed wall tile were studied. The thin film was developed by sol-gel method using spin coating technique and subsequently cured at 600°, 700° and 800°C by fast firing. DTA/TG of the gel as well as XRD of the calcined gel powder was carried out. The surface characteristics of the thin film were characterized using optical microscopy, FESEM-EDX and gloss meter. The mineral hardness test and stain resistance test were also carried out. The results indicated that the surface characteristics of the thin film coated glazed wall tile changed with the increasing curing temperature. The FESEM investigation showed that density of the film and interface reaction between glaze and thin film increased with higher curing temperatures. Furthermore, increasing curing temperature of thin film coated substrate resulted in significant improvement in gloss and hardness of the coated surface. Thus, this study exhibits the potential application of TiO2-Fe2O3 thin film coating on the glaze not only as decorative coating but also for improving surface characteristics of glazed wall tiles.