This is a cone 6 transparent fritted glaze (converted from a Gerstley Borate one). Its B2O3 content is high, sourced by Ferro Frit 3134. Bubbles in transparent glazes often plague potters; many just keep trying new glazes until one works, or give up on never finding one. Why not try to fix this problem?
Let's assume this glaze melt has high surface tension. It pulls liquid inward around each bubble, stabilizing them round and making rupture more difficult. But if surface tension drops, even slightly, bubbles deform more easily and adjacent ones merge. What could help? Industrial technicians have found that surprisingly small recipe changes can really help with bubble release.

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.
This GLFL test compares the melting behavior of Gerstley Borate (GB) and Ferro Frit 3134 across a wide temperature range. Although both supply boron, they behave very differently because Gerstley Borate is a natural mineral blend while Frit 3134 is a premelted glass. Gerstley Borate shrinks dramatically to about half its original size by 1600°F, then suddenly becomes highly fluid between 1600–1650°F as reactive borate phases form and viscosity collapses. Frit 3134, by contrast, softens gradually, reflecting the progressive viscosity decline typical of a glass. It has no crystal decomposition or raw material phase changes, no sudden liberation of fluxes. It is softening while gases are still escaping (the GB was also foaming at 1650F).
So, if GB delivers boron through mineral breakdown and 3134 delivers it through viscosity-controlled glass softening, then why does a zero LOI frit have bubbles at 1700F? The dried ball is a compacted powder; it has plenty of voids. This melt begins extremely early, at 1350F, easily trapping air in the voids and gases generated by the binder holding the frit ball together. While bubbles have cleared this fluid melt by 1800F, a bubble-free glaze is much more challenging because there are more sources of decomposition gases and a stiffer, more viscous melt.

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.
Industry, late-melting glazes are a must for fast fire because there is no time for glazes to debubble. The later they melt (while still melting well at the target temperature), the more LOI gases of decomposition (generated by the body, glaze materials, glaze & body additives) can be expelled first. What about potters? These melt flow tests are of specific interest to anyone making clear glazes using frit 3134. They compare four common Ferro products fired to 1750F: Frit 3249 (29% B2O3), frit 3124 (14% B2O3), frit 3195 (23% B2O3) and frit 3134 (23% B2O3). Surprisingly, the one having the most B2O3 starts melting the latest (more than 200F after 3134), this is because of the amount of MgO in the formula. So, if your transparent glaze contains any MgO (G2926S, for example, contains 0.15 molar), the more that can be supplied using this (instead of 3134), the later the glaze will melt. Likewise, frit 3124 is a better choice than 3134 in cases where the percentage of clay can be reduced (since it supplies much more Al2O3). Glazes containing high percentages of feldspar are least likely to benefit because the main alternative source of KNaO is frit 3110, and it melts even sooner than 3134 (an exception is cases where the glaze also has high MgO and B2O3).
| Glossary |
Glaze Bubbles
Suspended micro-bubbles in ceramic glazes affect their transparency and depth. Sometimes they add to to aesthetics. Often not. What causes them and what to do to remove them. |
![]() PayPal | No tracking, No ads, No paywall, No transient content! Just organized, concise information constantly updated and improved. Was this helpful? Consider supporting me. |
Buy me a coffee and we can talk