Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science (DoITPoMS)

DoITPoMS Micrograph Library Micrograph 188 and full record

Micrograph 188 and full record

Link to image file for micrograph 188
Micrograph no
188
Brief description
Part of a Denby pottery mug
Keywords
ceramic Link to MATTER Glossary entry for ceramic, clay, pottery, vitrification
Categories
Ceramic
System
Al2O3-SiO2
Composition
Mostly clay (which consists of alumina and silica)
Standard codes
Reaction
Processing
Firing, which causes vitrification of the clay
Applications
Crockery
Sample preparation
Polished but unetched
Technique
Reflected light microscopy
Length bar
200 μm
Further information
On firing, water trapped within the clay evaporates as the temperature rises. Vitrification occurs above about 1000ºC, and the clay material fuses into a dense glassy material. Aluminium silicate crystals bond the matrix, increasing the strength, and the object shrinks and becomes more dense. Glaze is then applied, which vitrifies when the object is fired again, and bonds to the surface making it waterproof.
Contributor
Dr K M Knowles
Organisation
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge
Date
09/08/02
Licence for re-use
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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