Ceramic Terms

6. Raised surface design on a clay piece.
7. A ruff, thick mixture of water and clay.
8. [Blank] casting. Forming pottery by pouring slip into a porous mold, usually made from potters plaster.
9. Ceramic material which has been heated to a high temperature to burn off moisture and other gasses therefore is predominantly inert. This is then ground to a required grain size to add to a body formulation.
10. A series of small irregularities on the outer edge or rim of pottery ware. Mainly caused by incorrect fettling.
11. Fine grained earth materials formed by the decomposition of igneous rocks; plastic when wet; strong when dry; and hard when exposed to high temperatures (fired).
13. Ceramic ware that has been fired once and has no chemically bonded water left in the clay.
14. A ceramic glass-like composition, melted or fused together. Used to render soluble constituents of glazes insoluble.
17. The dispersion of clay slip or glaze by the addition of an alkaline electrolyte e.g. sodium silicate, Dispex, etc.

1. A strong opaque ceramic ware that is high-fired, well vitrified, and nonporous
2. A network of cracks in the glaze caused by tensile stresses greater than the glaze is able to withstand. These may result from mis-match of the glaze with the body.
3. Mechanical mixing of clay or slip with water.
4. A defect in glazed ware characterized by the engobe or glaze separating from the body in flakes. This is usually due to high compressive stresses in the layer.
5. The property which enables material to be deformed by a force which exceeds a certain minimum value and to retain its new shape when the deforming force is removed. The ability of a material to be modelled.
7. Fire clay boxes of various shapes, in which ware is placed to protect it from contamination or flame impingement during firing.
10. Pieces of ceramic that help you gauge whether a kiln has reached sufficient temperature
12. A method of de-airing and dispersing moisture uniformly by hand in a piece of clay. The lump of clay is repeatedly thrown hard onto the work bench, turned over and occasionally cut through and re-joined.
13. Plaster or wooden form used to enable the movement of ware without handling.
15. Small blister or bubble on fired clay surface.
16. A substance that lowers the melting point of material in which it is present.