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In industry it is normal to use frits whose chemistry is either unknown or approximate provided. The manufacturer has designed them for a specific use, so in many cases they comprise 80%+ of recipes used for that purpose. However potters more commonly use them as minor additions to recipes, they source needed oxides to the oxide formula (instead of raw materials).
Substituting a new frit into a recipe, without paying any attention to how its chemistry compares, is like adding a dog of unknown breed to a team. Knowledge of the breed is needed to know what good and bad it will contribute to the team. It’s a dog, but is it a sled dog? Ceramic glazes fire the way they do because of their oxide chemistry. Frits contribute oxides. Not knowing the chemical makeup of a key ingredient your recipe robs you of the single biggest DIY tool for understanding the fired properties: glaze chemistry.
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| Glossary |
Frit
Frits are used in ceramic glazes for a wide range of reasons. They are man-made glass powders of controlled chemistry with many advantages over raw materials. |
| Glossary |
Glaze Chemistry
Glaze chemistry is the study of how the oxide chemistry of glazes relate to the way they fire. It accounts for color, surface, hardness, texture, melting temperature, thermal expansion, etc. |
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