To provide an apparatus and a method of drying a ceramic molding by which the ceramic molding is efficiently and continuously dried on a series of lines with a simple structure without leaving moisture inside the ceramic molding and is uniformly dried without causing the difference of moisture content between the inside and the outer peripheral part (part near the surface) of a relatively large ceramic molding.
The drying apparatus 1 for drying the extruded ceramic molding 8 on a transporting passage 7 is provided with a charging chamber 2 for charging the ceramic molding 8, a 1st heating zone 3 where the indoor relative humidity is controlled to ≥30%, a 2nd heating zone 4 where the indoor relative humidity is controlled to ≥20% and the indoor temperature is controlled to 50-150°C, a 3rd heating zone 5 where the indoor temperature is controlled to 50-150°C and the indoor relative humidity is controlled to ≤50%, and a cooling chamber 6 for cooling and taking out the ceramic molding 8. The charging chamber 2, the 1st heating zone 3, the 2nd heating zone 4, the 3rd heating zone 5, and the cooling chamber 6 are successively formed in this order along the transporting passage 7.
OTSUKI TAKASHI
NAKAMURA AKIHIDE
