Two transparents having opposite melt fluidity/surface tension balances

Low-fire glazes must be able to pass the bubbles they and the underlying bodies generate (or clouds of micro-bubbles will turn them white). This cone 04 flow tester makes it evident that 3825B has a higher melt fluidity (A has not even dripped onto the tile). And its higher surface tension is demonstrated by how the flow meets the runway at a perpendicular angle (it is also full of entrained micro-bubbles). Notice that A, by contrast, meanders down the runway, a broad, flat and relatively clear river. Low-fire glazes must pass many more bubbles than their high-temperature counterparts, the low surface tension of A aids that. A is Amaco LG-10. B is Crysanthos SG213 (Spectrum 700 behaves similarly, although flowing less). These two represent very different chemistry approaches to making a clear glaze. Which is better? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Related Pictures

The perfect storm of high surface tension and high LOI: Blisters.

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An example of how calcium carbonate can cause blistering as it decomposes during firing. This is a cone 6 Ferro Frit 3249 based transparent (G2867) with 15% calcium carbonate added (there is no blistering without it). Calcium carbonate has a very high loss on ignition (LOI) and for this glaze, the gases of its decomposition are coming out at the wrong time. While there likely exists a firing schedule that takes this into account and could mature it to a perfect surface, the glaze is high in MgO, it has a high surface tension. That is likely enabling bubbles to form and hold better.

Surface tension differences between two glazes

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Both are low fire transparents. In a melt fluidity test they flow in a similar fashion. But here, where a 10 gram ball has melted down onto the tile, differences in surface tension are clearly evident by the angle at which the edge of the glaze meets the tile.

Links

Glossary	Surface Tension In ceramics, glazes melt to produce a liquid glass. That glass exhibits surface tension and it is important to understand the consequences of that.
Glossary	Transparent Glazes Every glossy ceramic glaze is actually a base transparent with added opacifiers and colorants. So understand how to make a good transparent, then build other glazes on it.
Glossary	Terra Cotta A type of red firing pottery. Terra cotta clay is available almost everywhere, it is fired at low temperatures. But quality is deceptively difficult to achieve.
Troubles	Glaze Blisters Questions and suggestions to help you reason out the real cause of ceramic glaze blistering and bubbling problems and work out a solution
Troubles	Clouding in Transparent Glazes There a many factors to deal with in your ceramic process to achieve transparent glazes that actually fire to a crystal-clear glass
Materials	Ulexite A natural source of boron, it melts at a very low temperature to a clear glass.

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