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Lead Bisilicate Frit

Lead bisilicate frit

This term refers to frits having approximately one molar part of lead and two of silica. This ratio of silica and lead produces a stable low solubility powdered glass material that can be used in production with relative safety to workers. Of course it can be put into a recipe of unbalanced chemistry to create a glaze that is leachable.

Many lead bisilicate frits contain from 1-3% Al₂O₃ and are referred to as "lead alumina bilsilicates". This addition further stabilizes the frit glass powder itself (and prevents phase separation is the glass during firing).

Many manufacturers used to make this frit formula. But today, especially in North America, it is difficult to find a source. While available in some places, they only sell to manufacturers (not to potters, schools or hobbyists). Ceraflux from Hammond Lead Products might be the best choice.

For certain glazes care must be taken not to ball-mill these frits too fine (eg. tin glazed earthenware). Some products are dry milled by the manufacturer, others are well milled (much less common).

What is the secret of the higher gloss glaze on the right? Yikes, it is lead!

These cone 04 glazes have the same recipe (a version of Worthington Clear sourcing B₂O₃ from Ulexite instead of Gerstley borate). While the one on the left is OK, the one on the right is great! Why? It has 10% added lead bisilicate frit. Of course, I would not recommend this, I am just demonstrating how well it melts. Still, we gasp at the thought of using lead while we thrive on unstable flux-deprived, glass-deprived and alumina-deprived base stoneware glazes with additions of toxic colorants like chrome and manganese!

Out Bound Links

• (Materials - Related) Lead Sesquisilicate Frit

  2PbO.3SiO2

• (Materials - Parent) Frit - Frit master

  Ceramic Frits

• (Hazards) Lead in Frits: The Hazards

  - UnDescribed

• (Hazards - General) Lead and Ceramics

  Inorganic Lead and Ceramics by Edouard Bastarache

• (Typecodes) 1: GNM - Generic Material
• (Typecodes) 1: FRL - Leaded Frit
• (Typecodes - Type) 1: FRT - Frit
• (Materials - Related) Red Lead - Pb3O4

  Minium, Lead(II,IV) oxide

• (Materials - Related) Lead Carbonate - 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2

  White lead

In Bound Links

• (Materials - Parent) Ferro Frit 3403 - Lead alumina bisilicate frit
• (Glossary - Unspecified) Metallic Glazes

  Metallic glazes can most easily be produced in oxidation by mixing a very high percentage of manganese dioxide with a low melting frit. The metallic visual effect is modified by the degree of melting of the glaze, the saturation of metallic oxides in the recipe and the amount of crystallization tha...

• (Hazards - Unspecified) Lead in Ceramic Glazes: What Did We Learn?

  The long slow death of lead use in ceramics taught us some lessons. Manufacturers who still use acid tests to determine glaze toxicity risk liability.

• (Materials - Parent) Solargil Frit FR2 - Lead bisilicate frit
• (Materials - Parent) Ferro Frit 4064 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit with small amount of sodium

  Frit 4364, Frit 3531, Frit DA4064

• (Materials - Parent) Ferro Frit 3602 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit

  F3602

• (Materials - Parent) Ferro Frit 3498 - Lead alumina bisilicate

  F3498

• (Materials - Parent) Ferro Frit 4364 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit
• (Materials - Parent) Frit B300 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit

  B-300

• (Materials - Parent) PotteryCrafts Frit P2950 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit

  PotteryCrafts Frit 2950

• (Materials - Parent) Pemco Frit Pb-700 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit (1% alumina)

  Frit Pb700

• (Materials - Parent) Potclays Frit 2261 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit

  Potclays Lead Bisilicate Frit

• (Materials - Parent) Frit 3647 - Lead bilsilicate frit
• (Materials - Parent) Pemco Frit Pb-545 - Lead bisilicate

  Frit 545, Frit P545

• (Materials - Parent) P29 Frit - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit

  P29 Bly-bi-silikat, Frit P29

• (Materials - Parent) Ceraflux - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit (1% alumina)

  Lead alumina bisilicate

• (Materials - Parent) Lead Bisilcate B-15 - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit (with 1% TiO2)
• (Materials - Parent) Hommel Frit 437 - Lead alumina bilsilicate (small amount of alkali)
• (Materials - Parent) BPS Lead Bisilicate - Lead alumina bilsilicate frit
• (Materials - Related) Lead Monosilicate Frit
• (Materials) Ceradel Frit C 1251 - Lead monosilicate frit, Monosilicate de plomb

  C1251 Fritte, C 1251 Fritte, Ceradel Frit 1251

• (Materials - Parent) Frit Welte FR 2015 - PbO.2SiO2 - Lead bisilicate frit
• (Materials) Ceradel Frit C 1250 - Lead bisilicate frit, Bisilicate de plomb

  C1250 Fritte, C 1250 Fritte, Ceradel Frit 1250

• (Materials - Parent) Ceradel Frit C 1249 - Lead bisilicate frit, Bisilicate de plomb

  C1249 Fritte, C 1249 Fritte, Ceradel Frit 1249,C-1249

• (Materials) Ferro Frit CE VTR 29 - Lead bisilicate frit

  Frit VTR 29, Frit VTR29

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