Ceramics — which raw materials are used for preparing porcelain? Choose the most appropriate option.

Introduction / Context:
Porcelain is a vitrified ceramic characterized by high whiteness, translucency in thin sections, and high strength after firing. Understanding its raw material composition is fundamental to ceramic technology and helps explain firing behavior, phase development, and final properties such as hardness and low porosity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are dealing with traditional triaxial porcelain systems.
• Typical raw materials include kaolin (china clay), feldspar, and quartz (silica).
• Proportions vary with product and firing schedule.

Concept / Approach:
Kaolin provides the clay matrix and contributes to shape-forming and fired whiteness; feldspar acts as a flux, promoting liquid phase formation and vitrification; quartz (silica) contributes to skeletal structure and thermal stability. Together, these minerals create a dense, glassy matrix with mullite development that imparts strength and translucency to porcelain bodies.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard ceramic formulations and textbooks universally list kaolin, feldspar, and quartz as the base trio for porcelain bodies, sometimes with minor additives for workability and color control.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Single-material choices (A, B, or C) ignore the necessary triaxial balance of clay, flux, and filler.
• “Minerals (generic)” is imprecise; while true in a broad sense, the precise correct answer is the combined set.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming porcelain is just “fine clay”; without feldspar and quartz, vitrification and strength would be inadequate.

Final Answer:
All of these