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Oxide System

In ceramic glaze calculation, a 'system' refers to a collection of glaze recipes that share a common set of oxides and material types (e.g. cone 10 dolomite mattes, cone 06 fritted boron glossies, cone 6 alumina matte, cone 8-10 crystalline) and preparation, application and firing methods. Also, a 'system' implies or states limits for each oxide beyond which unpredictable results are likely to occur. Ways of relating the oxide formulas of glazes to their physical fired results also imply confinement to a system.

For example, expansion calculations are relative within systems. For example, if you have a dolomite, whiting, feldspar, kaolin, silica glaze and you try a bunch of variations, the calculated expansions will give you an indication of which variations have higher and lower expansions. But if you introduce lithium carbonate, or boron frit, or zinc, for example, now you have a different system. Also, some oxides, like Li₂O do not impose their expansions in a linear fashion, thus they compromise a system because they do not calculate as well. Another critical factor is melting: If a glaze is not completely melted the expansion calculation is invalid, the glaze is not within the system. A third factor: Crystalization: When a glass crystallizes its physical properties are different. A fourth factor: Non melting particles, like zircon, impose their expansions in a manner different than if they melt and participate in the glass chemistry.

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