Ceramics Basic Terms

A natural material extracted from the earth s crust.

Ceramics basic terms.

Yagi studio getty images. Creation of an object out of clay. 61 3 8761 6344 a b n. The term pottery includes many varieties of ware from the crudest vessels of prehistoric times to the most beautiful decorated porcelains stoneware and earthenware.

It is the indispensable factor in pottery or ceramics sculpture. Once heated fired to between 660 and 1470 f 350 and 800 c the clay is converted to ceramic and will never dissolve again. 30 456 822 810. 61 3 8761 6322 fax.

The heat treatment of ceramics materials at least to the sintering state in practice to a minimum of red heat 600c 1112f. Ceramics terms glossary begun largely using the complete guide to high fire glazes. Stoneware all ceramic wear fired between 2 100 and 2 300 degrees. Firing is what most ceramics have in common.

As well saw dust kilns fail to reach the required temperature. Vitrification the firing of pottery to the point of glossification. Ceramic tiles get their hardness from being fired. Firing involved two different cycles.

The composition if clay particles renders a plastic quality which means it deforms under pressure and retains a new shape without. Basic having a high ph as opposed to acidic. The crystallinity of ceramic materials ranges from highly oriented to semi crystalline vitrified and often completely amorphous e g glasses most often fired ceramics are either vitrified or semi vitrified as is the case with earthenware stoneware and porcelain varying crystallinity and electron composition in the ionic and covalent bonds cause most ceramic materials to be good thermal. Technically ceramics are those things made from materials which are permanently changed when heated.

Wedging a method of kneading clay to make it homogenous by cutting and rolling. Ceramics are used in a variety of applications including window glass implantable teeth brick ceramic bones nuclear fuel tennis racquets solid state electronic devices engine components cutting tools valves bearings and chemical processing equipment. Transparent glaze transmits light clearly. The very word ceramic originally comes from sanskrit and means to burn these four basic processes digging the raw material from the ground adding water shaping and firing have been used to make ceramics for thousands of years.

Neither sun heat nor an over will fire ceramics works. In western terms raku is a process in which pieces are rapidly heated to 1800 degrees f. For example clay has chemically bonded water in it which will cause it to slake down disintegrate when a dried clay object is put in water. Throwing creating ceramic shapes on the potter s wheel.