Ceramic Firing Temp

The ware is returned to the kiln for a very low temperature firing in order to fuse the overglazes.

Ceramic firing temp.

The fancy name for this is vitrification or the ceramic chemistry that transforms a clay body into a hard non crystalline glass. 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. This is the hardening tightening and finally the partial glassification of the 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. Mid fire earthenware should be fired between cone 2 and cone 7. This is the most common temperature range for industrial ceramics. If the temperature goes too high the glaze will become too melted and run off the surface of the pottery.

If the temperature goes too high the glaze will become too melted and run off the surface of the pottery. For success a potter must know their glazes temperature ranges at which they become mature. Each ceramic glaze should be fired to a specific temperature range. First it is important to know that the maximum cone rating of a stoneware or porcelain clay is the temperature at which it vitrifies.

If fired at too low a temperature the glaze will not mature. Clay bodies have ranges of temperature that they can be fired to. 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. Mostly yellow with a hint of orange.

When potters talk about ceramic firing ranges they are usually referring to the three most common.