Ceramic Firing Temperature

For success a potter must know their glazes temperature ranges at which they become mature.

Ceramic firing temperature.

A common temperature range for industrial ceramics. The glass phase that forms during the firing of a ceramic material can be thought of as the glue that holds the finished work together. A body glaze layer that forms between the clay body and glaze. If fired at too low a temperature the glaze will not mature.

We get many questions about clay firing temperatures. Ware and glaze types. When potters talk about ceramic firing ranges they are usually referring to the three most common. Cone 10 13 range 2381 2455 f 1305 1346 c.

Each ceramic glaze should be fired to a specific temperature range. As the temper ature in a kiln rises many changes take place at different temperatures and understanding what happens during the firng can help you avoid problems with a variety of clay and glaze faults related to firing. Clay bodies have ranges of temperature that they can be fired to. Firing converts ceramic work from weak greenware into a strong durable permanent form.

The ware is returned to the kiln for a very low temperature firing in order to fuse the overglazes. Cone temperature conversion chart. If the temperature goes too high the glaze will become too melted and run off the surface of the pottery. Firing temperatures cone equivalents showing various clays and glazes mid range stoneware porcelain clays mature vashon clays crystal white dove alpine white etc.

If the temperature goes too high the glaze will become too melted and run off the surface of the pottery. Very high fire porcelain. This is the hardening tightening and finally the partial glassification of the clay. Mostly yellow with a hint of orange.

For mid range material a kiln should be firing at a temperature between 2124 and 2264 1162 1240. The fancy name for this is vitrification or the ceramic chemistry that transforms a clay body into a hard non crystalline glass. And a body clay with underglaze yellow orange to light yellow from this point up low fire clays will start to melt damaging shelves and other pots low fire clays mature. Mid fire earthenware should be fired between cone 2 and cone 7.

You cannot fire pottery in a home oven because ovens do not get up to the high temperatures of more than 1 500 degrees fahrenheit that you need for firing clay. People want to know if they can fire a certain clay to a certain cone. The temperature needed to transform soft clay into hard ceramic is extremely high and is usually provided by a kiln. This is the most common temperature range for industrial ceramics.

First it is important to know that the maximum cone rating of a stoneware or porcelain clay is the temperature at which it vitrifies.