Potters can learn from how glazes are fit on ceramic tile

Thursday 12th January 2017

These are insight-live.com/glossary/18">thermal expansion curves for body, engobe and glaze (from a dilatometer, a device that measures it against increasing temperature). The upper line is the body. The center line is the engobe. The lower line is the glaze. The ceramic tile industry is very conscious, not only of glaze-fit but also engobe-fit. Engobes (slips) are employed to cover brown or red burning bodies so they glaze like a porcelain. Typically technicians tune the formulation of the engobe to have an expansion between the body and glaze. The body is highest so that during cooling, as it contracts, it puts a squeeze on the engobe (the engobe thus never finds itself under tension). The glaze has the lowest expansion, it is under a state of compression by the engobe (and slightly more by the body). This equilibrium enables the tile to wear for many years without crazing or shivering. Chart courtesy of Mohamed Abdelmagid.

Pages that reference this post in the Digitalfire Reference Library:

Too much frit in an engobe and it will lose opacity and whiteness, Digitalfire Tech Tips PDF Handouts, Engobe, Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion, Ceramic Tile

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