Two transparents having opposite melt fluidity/surface tension balances


Thursday 16th June 2016

insight-live.com/glossary/34">Low-fire glazes must be able to pass the bubbles they and the underlying bodies generate (or clouds of micro-bubbles will turn them white). This cone 04 flow tester makes it evident that 3825B has a higher melt fluidity (A has not even dripped onto the tile). And its higher surface tension is demonstrated by how the flow meets the runway at a perpendicular angle (it is also full of entrained micro-bubbles). Notice that A, by contrast, meanders down the runway, a broad, flat and relatively clear river. Low-fire glazes must pass many more bubbles than their high-temperature counterparts, the low surface tension of A aids that. A is Amaco LG-10. B is Crysanthos SG213 (Spectrum 700 behaves similarly, although flowing less). These two represent very different chemistry approaches to making a clear glaze. Which is better? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Pages that reference this post in the Digitalfire Reference Library:

Ulexite, The perfect storm of high surface tension and high LOI: Blisters., Surface tension differences between two glazes, Surface Tension, Terra Cotta, Transparent Glazes, Glaze Blisters, Clouding in Ceramic Glazes


This post is one of thousands found in the Digitalfire Reference Database. Most are part of a timeline maintained by Tony Hansen. You can search that timeline on the home page of digitalfire.com.