Traditional ceramic products such as tiles continue to make up most of the manufactured ceramics market. Yet even though the production of these products is well established, manufacturers still struggle with the challenge of shrinkage during drying and sintering processes due to the colloidal nature of clay. Shrinkage can cause structural integrity issues and lower dimensional accuracy, so minimizing the amount of shrinkage that occurs is a goal in the ceramics industry.

Fluxing agents, such as feldspars, can help combat shrinkage by creating a glassy phase at low temperatures, which provides a rigid and inert skeleton within the clay body to limit shrinkage and enhance the mechanical strength. However, growing concerns about sustainability in the ceramics industry means manufacturers are exploring environmentally friendly alternatives to current common fluxing agents.