When clay minerals such as kaolin are heated in kilns to very high temperatures, the resultant product in the form of ceramic is known as porcelain, which is then used to make very tough, strong, and translucent pieces of tableware, kitchenware, sanitary items, decorative pieces, objects of art, and the most popular item, tiles. Porcelain is hard and supple and at the same time extremely strong and highly impervious to liquids. It is also highly resistant to chemicals and extreme heat. Other characteristics of porcelain include smoothness, brittleness and resonance.

A porcelain tile is a square or rectangular piece of ceramic tile, glazed or unglazed used in covering the surfaces of floors and walls. Porcelain floor tiles are a very common trend in tile installation. There are many different styles of porcelain tiles in the market and they have proved to outperform other types of tiles in durability and looks.

One of the best properties of porcelain ceramic tile is its hardness, which is rated from zero to five according to ISO 10545-7 standard for surface abrasion resistance of glazed tiles. This rating gives porcelain tiles a very low water absorption rate (less than 0.5 percent), which makes polished porcelain tile an ideal choice for bathrooms and showers because it is resistant to water penetration.

Once installed, porcelain tiles require very low maintenance, as they are easy to clean and are resistant to mold growth, stains and bleaching. Porcelain tile is also highly resistant to chipping and scratching and lasts for many years. The tile is a homogenous mix so damage just blends in.

Porcelain tiles are growing in popularity in both the domestic and commercial markets. Industry experts predict the consumption of porcelain tiles alone to double in the next 10-15 years. Not only is the demand for hard tiles is growing, the trend for 'floor to ceiling' tiles is equally strong. Producers are now able to replicate a range of natural stones, finishes and designs but with the additional benefit of being durable, strong and easy to clean. Current production methods can produce porcelain to resemble marble, slate, limestone, granite, travertine and quartzite.