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These melt flow tests were fired at 350F/hr to 1850F and held for 15 minutes (I did firings at 50-degree increments across a wide range). It is amazing how active some frits are, even well below normal bisque temperatures! Frit 3110, Frit 3134, Frit 3195, Frit F-75 have all flowed all the way down for many previous temperatures. LA300 and Frit 3124 were just starting at 1800F, look at them now! Frit F-524 and Frit F-38 have gone from half-way at 1800F to water-falling over the end. Frit 3249 is still not out-of-the-gate but Frit F-69 (the Fusion Frits equivalent of 3249) is half-way. Note how the melt surface tension is evident by the way in which the melts spread out or hold together. By contrast, Gerstley Borate (labelled "GB"), the only raw material here, suddenly melted and flowed right over-the-cliff between 1600 and 1650! The best melter of all of them is high-boron high-zinc Frit FZ-16.
Materials |
Ferro Frit 3110
High sodium, high thermal expansion low boron frit. A super-feldspar in clay bodies. Melts a very low temperatures. |
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Materials |
Ferro Frit 3249
A magnesia borosilicate frit. Very low thermal expansion and melting point. Invaluable in pottery to increase the MgO in glazes and thereby prevent crazing. |
Materials |
Frit LA-300
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Frit B325
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Ferro Frit 3124
A commonly available calcium borosilicate frit. |
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Ferro Frit 3134
A frit with 23% B2O3. The most common of frits used in pottery in North America. Around the world, other companies make frits of equivalent chemistry. |
Materials |
Ferro Frit 3195
A commonly used boron frit, it is a balanced glaze all along at cone 06-02 (with the addition of 10-15% kaolin). Not fully glossy. |
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Fusion Frit FZ-16
The champion in our frit melt-off competitition. This frit showcases the amazing fluxing power of boron and zinc working together. It is 15.5% ZnO. |
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Fusion Frit F-38
High strontium low alumina borosilicate flux. |
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Fusion Frit F-75
High sodium, high thermal expansion low boron frit. An equivalent of Ferro Frit 3110. |
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Ferro Frit 3602
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Fusion Frit F-15
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Materials |
Fusion Frit F-69
A magnesia borosilicate frit having very low thermal expansion and melting point. Commonly used as a substitute for Ferro frit 3249. |
Materials |
Fusion Frit F-524
A low fire base glaze, add 10% kaolin, adjust thermal expansion using other frits. |
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. |
Projects |
Comparing the Melt Fluidity of 16 Frits
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