Know Your Materials: Morbi – The Ceramic Capital of India
January 7, 2025
Morbi is a small town in Gujarat! But with close to 1000 factories and exporting to about 180 countries worldwide, the total volume of vitrified products produced in Morbi is next only to China. Most reputed brands we see or hear about mostly get their products made in Morbi’s ceramic factory. On a visit to a factory, it is not uncommon to see boxes with the branding of several well-known local and international companies along with unbranded ones. Most tiles can be acquired at a cost of less than 30% at which they retail, provided we can buy such a large volume.
What types of vitrified tiles are available?
There are three main types of vitrified tiles available on the market. Their properties and their application vary.
1. Glazed Vitrified Tiles (GVT) Tiles
These are the most widely available tiles. As the name suggests, they contain a very thin layer of glazing – the design – printed over a ceramic base. The tiles come in matt or gloss finish and are often the cheapest. They come in sizes ranging from 1×1 foot up to as much as 4×10 feet
Advantages:
Since the design is printed, there is usually a huge variety of patterns and colours to choose from. Patterns can mimic natural materials such as marble, granite etc. in appearance
Disadvantages:
The glazing surface is less than 1mm thick. When used in areas of heavy footfall, the top glazing layer could disappear due to wear and tear. This exposes the ceramic base below.
2. Double-Charged Tiles
Double-charged tiles are made by fusing two layers of pigments directly over the ceramic base. The pigment layer is about 3 or 4mm thick and, hence, resistant to wear and tear.
Advantages:
Since the top layer is thick and not printed but actually of pigments, it is more resistant to wear and tear and surface-level damage. Therefore, this type of tile is recommended in areas of heavy footfall such as in public buildings.
Disadvantages:
Since it is the mixing of pigments and not printing, the design options are limited. Also, its sizes are limited – usually about 2×4 feet.
2. Full-Body Tiles
Full-body tiles are made of a single material. The colour and pattern extend throughout the tile and are also the most sturdy. It comes in various finishes such as gloss, rustic, stone, matt, etc. It is the closest alternative to natural stone in the vitrified tile segment.
Advantages:
Since the colour, design and pattern extend throughout the tile, it wouldn’t matter if it is scratched or chipped. It has a wide variety of applications including countertops, apart from floors and walls.
Since it has the same material throughout it can be cut to different sizes and several designs can be worked out.
Disadvantages:
It is often the most expensive of the options available.
How are they made?
The industrial manufacturing of vitrified tiles is elaborate. A decently sized factory can churn up to 2 lakh sq.ft. of finished tiles every single day!
Here is a photo journey from one of the factories manufacturing GVT tiles which is similar for the most part for the types as well.
The environmental cost of the large-scale vitrified tiles industry
Large-scale industrial production comes with an equally large environmental cost! The ceramic industry is an extremely energy-intensive one. Morbi has a very high concentration of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) pollution. Furthermore, given the raw materials which are fine sand, Morbi faces an extremely high instance of fine particle pollution with fine particle pollution of almost 5 times than the limit advised by WHO. The constant cover of dust is a testament to this.
Furthermore, polishing and cleaning require significant use of water which is mostly left out untreated leading to groundwater pollution. Additionally, most of these industries are run by migrant labor from Bihar and other central states. Are there significant safety measures, facilities, social amenities, and safety measures in place for the labour force?
In any large-scale production, there are often also large-scale environmental and social impacts. This would be the same with other building materials as well. The trip to Morbi was an eye-opener where we got to see the other side of the material that is often showcased in shiny shop interiors.
The building industry, by default, imposes heavy costs on the environment.
But can it be minimised?
Can we be conscious of our material use?
Can we find alternatives that cause less environmental impact?
Can we look at a circular economy that focuses on material reuse?
