Firing Process In Ceramics

Firing clay is necessary to create durable wares and the more you know about the ceramic firing process the more control and success you will have with your pots.

Firing process in ceramics. The purpose of this initial firing is to turn your pottery into ceramic material. Pit firing is an atmospheric process all of the colors and patterns are derived from the process and what is consume in the fire. The melting that occurs is on the molecular level. This can help troubleshoot many of the problems you experience with your pieces.

However there comes a point when it is useful to understand the process that clay goes through during drying and firing. Pit firing is the original method for baking clay. That s why we decided to post this excerpt from linda bloomfield s book science for potters as a handy guide to just what happens inside the kiln when firing pottery. Firing is the process of bringing clay and glazes up to a high temperature.

Electric kiln firing is one of the most common methods for firing clay because electric pottery kilns are readily available and simple to install. The drying and firing process many potters especially beginners use prepared clays without much thought. The firing process supplies the energy to form new chemical bonds in the material vitrification and sometimes new minerals e g mullite forms from kaolin in the firing of porcelain. The materials experience irreversible structural changes reaching the proper ceramic structure that is responsible for the final properties of the product.

To the human eye pots and other clay objects do not look melted. The firing process is measured in cones a standard unit of measurement that accounts for time and temperature. The cold water halts the firing process. The earth is used to make the pot then it s put into a reduction chamber kiln then plunged into water.

In raku firing all of nature s elements are used earth fire air and water. The next step is to put the piece into the kiln for the first round of firing called a bisque firing. In this post we are sharing some of the principles of firing clay. It dates back nearly 30 000 years ago.

The firing process is the key step in the manufacturing of ceramic products because it controls their properties. The final aim is to heat the object to the point that the clay and glazes are mature that is that they have reached their optimal level of melting. Waterproof decorative or functional glazes may be added prior to the first firing or may require a subsequent firing more common. This process is done typically in a hole in the ground or a pit pots are placed in the pit and burned.