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What is the difference between Ceramic and Porcelain Flooring?

Answer:
Ceramic and porcelain flooring are almost the same thing,

except for some differences in the ingredients and processes used to manufacture each kind.

One of the industry's measurement indicators for ceramic or porcelain tile with regard to usage under certain conditions is the Porcelain Enamel Institute's (PEI) guideline for abrasion resistance.

These measurements help to classify the tiles by their potential for resisting wear and tear. The PEI ratings range from 0 to 5, with 0 being for light duty (walls, etc.) and 5 being for heavy traffic.

In addition, ceramic and porcelain tile's moisture absorption rate is used to indicate the density of a particular tile. Since porcelain tile is manufactured using finer particles and higher temp/pressure, it is much denser than typical ceramic tile, thus it has a lower moisture absorption rating than ceramic tile.

Some sources say the only real difference is in the clay that is used; that is, porcelain is typically made using light colored (white, tan, gray) clay; ceramic is typically made using darker (terracotta, red) clay.

The lighter clay tends to be of finer particle sizes, which, when coupled with higher temp/pressure to manufacture, results in denser tiles. These carry a higher resistance to absorption of moisture, stains, etc.

The darker clay tends to be of coarser particle sizes, and the manufacturing process uses less lower temp/pressure, thus the end result is a tile which is more prone to moisture absorption.

There are a number of other considerations one could look at regarding ceramic and porcelain flooring materials, including how the tiles are finished (glazed, polished, etc.); whether or not the tiles are "layered" (thin, highly compressed, glazed top layer and basic material below: sort of a 'hybrid' ceramic lower/porcelain upper), and others.

In summary, there is not a lot of difference between ceramic and porcelain flooring materials. When considering which is most suitable for a given project, look for the PEI ratings and the percent of moisture absorption indicated. These two measurements should suffice for just about any DIY tile project at hand.