Zircopax as a fining agent to de-bubble a stained glaze

Thursday 3rd August 2017

The cone 03 insight-live.com/glossary/71">porcelain cup on the left has 10% Cerdec encapsulated stain 239416 in the G2931K clear base. The surface is orange-peeled because the glass is full of micro-bubbles that developed during the firing. Notice that the insides of the cups are crystal-clear, no bubbles. So here they are a direct product of the presence of the stain. The glaze on the right has even more stain, 15%. But it also has a 3% addition of Zircopax (zircon). Suppliers of encapsulated stains recommend a zircon addition, but are often unclear about why. Here is the reason: It is a "fining agent".

Pages that reference this post in the Digitalfire Reference Library:

Zircopax, Zircon, Orange Peel Surface, Encapsulated Stain, Glaze Bubbles, Ceramic Stain, Fining Agent

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.