Digitalfire Ceramic Materials Database

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Jordan Fireclay

Low Iron Fireclay

Chemistry %

CaO	0.20
MgO	0.50
K2O	1.99
Na2O	0.20
TiO2	1.20
Al2O3	20.18
SiO2	67.23
Fe2O3	1.71

Volatiles %

LOI

6.78

PCE - Pyrometric Cone Equivalent	26-27
MLPT - Melting Point (MP)	3020F
WABS - Water absorption	Cone 1: 6.6% Cone 5: 3.4%
FSHR - Firing Shrinkage	Cone 1: 5.2% Cone 5: 6.7%
UPSD - Ultimate Particle Size Distribution	10 microns: 61.5% 5: 51.5% 2: 40% 1: 31.5% 0.5: 22.5%

A popular raw material for pottery clay bodies for many years. There is some confusion about the claimed physical properties of this material (the chemistry and firing absorption and shrinkage do not match with our own testing of the material). We found that by itself it has a drying shrinkage of more that 7%, which is a little too high for typical pottery clay bodies. We found it had excellent drying properties in spite of the high shrinkage (it scored A000 on the DFAC test). It had a 1% fired porosity at cone 6 and reached zero % around cone 7. It should be possible to make a pottery clay from Jordan fireclay as 100% of the mix and it should be serviceable around cone 5 to give some margin for error of over firing. However adding 25% kaolin should improve it somewhat, reducing shrinkage and increasing the maturing range to cone 6.

This material is known to contain natural feldspar fluxes, this resists the growth of cristobalite during firing, thus resisting shivering and thermal shock failure. Strangely, the chemistry from the manufacturer does not suggest this either.

Out Bound Links

(Materials - Parent) Fireclay
Fire Clay
(Typecodes) 1: CLO - Clay Other
(MDT) Ron Roy
This is the traditional Ron Roy materials file. He...
(MDT) North America
The decision about what materials to include in th...
(Typecodes - Type) 1: FRC - Fireclay

XML for Import into INSIGHT

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="Jordan Fireclay" descrip="Low Iron Fireclay" searchkey="Maryland Ball/Stoneware Clay" loi="0.00" casnumber="70694-09-6">
<oxides>
<oxide symbol="CaO" name="Calcium Oxide, Calcia" status="" percent="0.200" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="MgO" name="Magnesium Oxide, Magnesia" status="" percent="0.500" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="K2O" name="Potassium Oxide" status="" percent="1.990" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Na2O" name="Sodium Oxide, Soda" status="" percent="0.200" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="TiO2" name="Titanium Dioxide, Titania" status="" percent="1.200" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Al2O3" name="Aluminum Oxide, Alumina" status="" percent="20.180" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="SiO2" name="Silicon Dioxide, Silica" status="" percent="67.230" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Fe2O3" name="Iron Oxide, Ferric Oxide" status="" percent="1.710" tolerance=""/>
</oxides>
<volatiles>
<volatile symbol="LOI" name="Loss on Ignition" percent="6.780" tolerance=""/>
</volatiles>
</material>