Ceramic Clay Firing Temperatures And Times

As a kiln is firing up and cooling down the changes in temperature make some profound changes in the clay.

Ceramic clay firing temperatures and times.

By cone 08 the ware is sintered and has become a ceramic material. Generally bisque firing is done between cone 08 and cone 04 no matter what the maturation temperature of the clay and of the glazes that will be used later. People want to know if they can fire a certain clay to a certain cone. Firing at cone 06 to 04.

Very low fired overglazes and lusters are then applied to the. Raku clay is usually bisque fired to cone 04 to 1 clays that are to have crystalline glazes should be bisque fired slightly higher than normal i e. Between the range of cone 8 and cone 12 high fire stoneware will mature. At the same time the clay body still is quite porous and absorbent enough for easy glazing.

A cone 04 glaze firing schedule with down firing. Ceramic work is typically fired twice. The temperature needed to transform soft clay into hard ceramic is extremely high and is usually provided by a kiln. However anywhere from 2305 to 2336 1263 to 1326 may be appropriate depending on the specific clay used and desired effect.

This is the hardening tightening and finally the partial glassification of the clay. Firing clay from mud to ceramic. The clay goes from this soft totally fragile substance to one which is rock hard impervious to water wind and time. We get many questions about clay firing temperatures.

The ware will often not only go through a bisque firing but also a higher temperature glaze firing. The average firing temperature for high fire stoneware is 2381 1305. The goal of bisque firing is to convert greenware to a durable semi vitrified porous stage where it can be safely handled during the glazing and decorating process. As well as firing clay the glaze must also be fired to maturity.

First it is important to know that the maximum cone rating of a stoneware or porcelain clay is the temperature at which it vitrifies. Firing temperatures cone equivalents. It is important to match the firing temperature of the glaze to the maturing temperature for the particular clay body. All cones mature with time and temperature.

It is bisque fired and then glaze fired. 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. Because the bisque firing has already changed the clay into the ceramic material glaze firings can increase temperatures faster at the beginning and middle of the firing. This range is usually used for luster glazes and very low firing overglazes.