Yes. Morbi's tile cluster needs a steady supply of clay, feldspar, quartz and other minerals, and a large trade has grown up to supply it. A Bureau of Energy Efficiency study of the Morbi cluster says most of these raw materials are easily available in Gujarat and a neighbouring state.
You can buy those minerals for export too. The main challenge is not finding a seller. It is finding a processor whose material is consistent from one lot to the next.
What is available
- Clays, including ball clay and kaolin (china clay), in raw, washed or ground form.
- Feldspar, both sodium and potassium types, crushed or ground to a stated mesh size.
- Quartz and silica sand, ground to different particle sizes.
- Other minerals such as talc, calcite, dolomite and bentonite, supplied for body and glaze recipes.
- Processed glaze materials, including frits and zirconium silicate opacifiers; see what types of frit are made in Morbi.
Miner, processor or trader
The supply chain has layers. Miners dig the material. Processors wash, sort, grind and blend it. Traders buy from both and resell. Many sellers in Morbi are traders.
A good processor is usually the best partner for an export buyer. It controls grinding and blending, so it can hold a specification. A trader may give you a different source each time, which means different chemistry and colour.
The checks are similar to those for tiles: visit the plant, see the grinding and storage, check that the exporter on your documents is the company you audited. See how to tell a trader from a manufacturer.
What to put in the specification
- Chemical analysis limits for the main oxides, such as silica, alumina, iron oxide and alkalis.
- Particle size, stated as mesh size or residue on a named sieve.
- Moisture content at loading.
- Fired colour or whiteness, tested on a sample fired at your temperature.
- Loss on ignition, which shows organic content and carbonates.
- The mine or source, and a promise to notify you before it changes.
Testing and shipping
Ask for a certificate of analysis for each lot, and check it with an independent lab on a sample drawn at loading. Compare every lot against the sample you approved, not just against the limits.
Minerals ship in bags or bulk bags and fill a container by weight. Packing is covered in how frits and glazes are packed for export, and the same methods apply to most minerals.
Customs codes depend on the mineral. Kaolin, other clays, feldspar and quartz each have their own HS heading. Confirm the codes, and whether any Indian export rule or import rule in your country applies, with your customs broker before you order.
Next step
We find and audit processors, collect samples and arrange independent testing before loading. To discuss what you need, book a free sourcing review.