Ceramic Clay Firing Temperatures

Ceramic work is typically fired twice.

Ceramic clay firing temperatures.

The clay goes from this soft totally fragile substance to one which is rock hard impervious to water wind and time. 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. The temperature needed to transform soft clay into hard ceramic is extremely high and is usually provided by a kiln. For success a potter must know the correct temperature range at which their glaze becomes mature.

This is the hardening tightening and finally the partial glassification of the clay. However anywhere from 2305 to 2336 1263 to 1326 may be appropriate depending on the specific clay used and desired effect. The average firing temperature for high fire stoneware is 2381 1305. People want to know if they can fire a certain clay to a certain cone.

By cone 08 the ware is sintered and has become a ceramic material. Between the range of cone 8 and cone 12 high fire stoneware will mature. 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. If fired at too low a temperature the glaze will not mature.

We get many questions about clay firing temperatures. Stoneware glaze some decals fire to cone 10. The three most commonly used clay bodies are earthenware clay bodies mid fire stoneware clay bodies and high fire stoneware clay bodies. Each ceramic glaze should be fired to a specific temperature range.

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. Cone temperature conversion chart. Firing clay from mud to ceramic. It is bisque fired and then glaze fired.

If the temperature goes too high the glaze will become too melted and run off the surface of the pottery. Clay can be divided into several classes based on its characteristics and at what temperature the clay must be fired in order for it to become mature or reach its optimum hardness and durability. Firing converts ceramic work from weak clay into a strong durable crystalline glasslike form.