Ceramic PropertiesA property in this context is a created physical phenomenon in a glaze or body that can be achieved in a variety of ways (called mechanisms). For example, there are a number of ways to suspend a glaze slurry, a number of mechanisms of glaze opacify or body plasticity, a number of ways to achieve a specific glaze color, etc. Whether a mechanism is physical or chemical, we need to understand all the options to choose a suitable one for a specific application.
Consider an example: If we define 'glaze color' as a property, then we can attach a 'glaze color mechanism' to the oxide chrome, specify 'pink' as the detail and explain how the mechanism works. Likewise, to alumina oxide we can attach a glaze color property noting that with chrome, manganese, and cobalt it can achieve pink colors. Now if we search for the specific instance of pink in the glaze color property in this area we will find these two mechanisms listed. You will not fully appreciate the potential of this until you really need to produce a specific effect and this area makes you aware of a way to do it that you never considered or even thought existed.
Another example is opacification, most people are not aware of how many ways there are to opacify glazes. This area makes it easy to browse all the mechanisms, evaluate the tradeoffs and select the best one (or combination). See Also - Understanding Ceramic Oxides
Fired glazes are composed of oxide building blocks. Each of the oxides contributes different properties to the fired glaze and interacts with others in different ways. Understanding these gives you control. - Identifying Glaze Mechanisms
If you can look at a glaze recipe and pick out the materials add to produce the color, opacity and variegation you can transplant these into your own base glaze - Variegating Glazes
This is an overview of the various mechanisms you can employ to make glazes dance with color, crystals, highlights, speckles, rivulets, etc. - COE, Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion
A measure of the reversible volume or length change of a ceramic material with temperature. The more it expands during heating the more it contracts while cooling down. Glazes that do not have a similar thermal expansion to the body cause problems like crazing, shivering, and weakened ware. At 2000F... - Rheology
Rheology refers to the array of characteristics that a ceramic slurry exhibits, its flow, thixotropy, etc. Technicians seek to understand and control the dynamics of the slurries they use to maintain consistency and optimize them for the product and process at hand. This is done by the control of wa... - Plasticity
This term is used in reference to clays (or more often bodies which are blends of clay, feldspar and silica particles) and their ability to assume a new shape without any tendency to return to the old (elasticity). In industry plasticity is gauged by the way a clay behaves in forming machines and by... - Opacifier, Opacification
A glaze additive that transforms an otherwise transparent glaze into an opaque one. Common opacifiers are tin oxide and zircon compounds. Opacifiers typically work by simply not dissolving into the melt, the white suspended particles reflect the light. However another mechanism of opacity is crystal... - Vitrification
'Vitrification' is a process. As clay is fired hotter and hotter, it reaches a point where, if cooled, it will produce ware of sufficient density and strength as to be useful for the intended purpose. The intended purpose may well require some porosity to gain another more important advantage (i.e. ... - Matte Glaze
A glaze that is not glossy. Of course, unmelted glazes will not be glossy, but to be a true matte a glaze must be melted and still not glossy. To be a functional matte it must also resist cultery marking and clean well. The mechanism of typical matte glazes is a micro crystalline surface (high CaO g... - Deflocculate, deflocculation, deflocculant
The process of making a clay slurry that would otherwise be very thick and gooey into a thin pourable slurry. Deflocculants (or electrolytes) are liquids or powders added in small amounts and they work their magic by imparting electrical charges to clay particles making them repel each other. It is ...
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