Gum Arabic

Alternate Names: Acacia Gum

Description: GLAZE BINDER, HARDENER

Notes

Used to make glazes harden and adhere to the ware (where they have insufficient clay percentages in the batch). Normally only small amounts of gum are needed and they are put into the water before powder is added (typically a solution is prepared in hot water, then this added to the glaze batch before all its water has been added).

Do not underestimate the degree to which this can harden a glaze. If your glaze dries up in the bucket, for example, you may not be able to remix it if it contains a significant gum addition.

Since this is an organic gum it is subject to spoilage. It also has a distinct odor that is unpleasant to many people. Gum Arabic is also expensive compared to some substitutes.

Gum Tragacanth is another organic gum.

Related Information

Links

Oxide	Analysis	Formula

Typecodes	Additives for Ceramic Glazes Materials that are added to glazes to impart physical working properties and usually burn away during firing. In industry all glazes, inks and engobes have additives, they are considered essential to control of cohesion, adhesion, suspension, dry hardness, surface leveling, rheology, speed-of-drying, etc. Among potters, it is common for glazes to have zero additives.
Typecodes	Additives for Ceramic Bodies Materials that are added to bodies to impart physical working properties and usually burn away during firing. Binders enable bodies with very low or zero clay content to have plasticity and dry hardness, they can give powders flow properties during pressing and impart rheological properties to clay slurries. Among potters however, it is common for bodies to have zero additives.
URLs	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_arabic Gum Arabic at Wikipedia
Materials	CMC Gum CMC gum is indispensable for many types of ceramic glazes. It is a glue and is mainly used to slow drying and improve adhesion and dry hardness.

By Tony Hansen
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