Electroporcelains from Raw Materials in Uganda: A Review

Porcelains are vitrified and fine grained ceramic whitewares, used either glazed or unglazed. Electrical porcelains are widely used as insulators in electrical power transmission systems due to the high stability of their electrical, mechanical and thermal properties in the presence of harsh environments. They are primarily composed of clay, feldspar and a filler material, usually quartz or alumina. These materials are widely available in Uganda, but little research has been carried out on them in relation to technical porcelains let alone their use for the same. Based on the abundance of the requisite materials and the corresponding demand for insulation materials, this paper reviews the current and traditional methods of manufacturing electrical porcelains. The major objective is to review the processes for production of electric porcelains from the basic raw materials including material characterisation methods.