Triaxle Blend Test

Process

Test Glazes Prepared: Ingredient A: 800g of Custer (feldspar), Ingredient B: 400g Whiting & 400g Kaolin, Ingredient C: 400g Magnesium Carbonate & 400g Silica

Plastic glaze containers were filled per the Hopper handout, each contained a 100g blend of ingredients (A, B, and C). Water was added to the cups to create the glaze.

Glazing Test Cups: The ceramic test cups were dipped into the glazes and numbered to coincide with the numbers on the plastic containers using black underglaze.

These cups were fired to cone 10 in an reduction kiln.


Glaze Evaluation: After the cups were fired, the appearance of each was evaluated and the most successful mix was selected to be used for the color test.

Test Glaze: To replicate the results on Test Cup 9, a 100g test glazed was prepared with the three ingredients: ( A: 40g Custer, B: 10g Whiting & 10g Kaolin, and C: 20g Magnesium Carbonate & 20g Silica) Water was added, and the glaze was applied to a bisque-fired cup. The cup was fired in a cone 10 reduction kiln and the results were as expected. Note the image to the left.

Test Cup Results: The glaze had a semigloss finish, and ran in areas where the glaze was applied a little thicker.

This glaze mix was used for the Modifying a Glaze Color Test


A Look into Feldspars & Fluxes

While feldspars are a type of flux, not all fluxes are feldspars.  Here’s the breakdown:

The name feldspar is German and means field stone. They make up about 60% of Earth’s crust and are highly adaptable due to their diverse crystallography and chemistry. These naturally occurring minerals, comprising sodium, potassium, and calcium aluminosilicates, are crucial in ceramics. They provide alumina and silica, helping to form a glassy phase during firing.

This is a broader category that includes any material added to a glaze to lower its melting temperature. Besides feldspars, fluxes can also be materials like whiting (calcium carbonate), zinc oxide, lead oxide, and others. This is not a complete list of Fluxes.