Generic Material

Generic materials are those with no brand name. Normally they are theoretical, the chemistry portrays what a specimen would be if it had no contamination. Generic materials are helpful in educational situations where students need to study material theory (later they graduate to dealing with real world materials). They are also helpful where the chemistry of an actual material is not known. Often the accuracy of calculations is sufficient using generic materials.

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Materials	Alumina
Materials	Calcined Alumina
Materials	Alumina Hydrate
Materials	Anhydrous Borax A white, odorless product crystalline granular by dehydrating Borax to remove the crystal bound water.
Materials	Antimony Oxide
Materials	Ball Clay A fine particled highly plastic secondary clay used mainly to impart plasticity to clay and porcelain bodies and to suspend glaze, slips and engobe slurries.
Materials	Barium Carbonate A pure source of BaO for ceramic glazes. This is 77% BaO and has an LOI of 23% (lost at CO2 on firing).
Materials	Barium Sulfate
Materials	Bentonite Bentonite can make a clay body instantly plastic, only 2-3% can have a big effect. It also suspends slurries so they don't settle out and slows down drying.
Materials	Bismuth Subnitrate
Materials	Bone Ash
Materials	Borax Pentahydrate
Materials	Boric Acid
Materials	Calcined Kaolin
Materials	Calcium Borate
Materials	Calcium Carbonate In ceramics, calcium carbonate is primarily a source of CaO in raw stoneware and porcelain glazes.
Materials	Calcium Feldspar
Materials	Calcium Silicate
Materials	Chrome Oxide
Materials	Cobalt Carbonate
Materials	Cobalt Oxide
Materials	Colemanite A natural source of boron that melts at a very low temperature.
Materials	Copper Carbonate A source of CuO copper oxide used in ceramic glazes to produce a variety of colors (used only or with other colorants).
Materials	Copper Carbonate Basic This form of copper carbonate is the article of commerce, a mixture of theoretical copper carbonate and copper hydroxide.
Materials	Copper Oxide Black The purest source of CuO copper oxide pigment used in ceramic glazes.
Materials	Copper Oxide Red
Materials	Cornwall Stone
Materials	Cryolite
Materials	Crystalline Silica
Materials	Diatomaceous Earth
Materials	Dolomite An inexpensive source of MgO and CaO for ceramic glazes, also a highly refractory material when fired in the absence of reactant fluxes.
Materials	English Kaolin
Materials	Epsom Salts
Materials	Feldspar In ceramics, feldspars are used in glazes and clay bodies. They vitrify stonewares and porcelains. They supply KNaO flux to glazes to help them melt.
Materials	Fibrous Wollastonite
Materials	Flint
Materials	Fluorspar
Materials	Ilmenite
Materials	Iron Oxide Black
Materials	Iron Oxide Red Red iron oxide is the most common colorant used in ceramic bodies and glazes. As a powder, it is available in red, yellow, black and other colors.
Materials	Iron Oxide Yellow
Materials	Kaolin The purest of all clays in nature. Kaolins are used in porcelains and stonewares to impart whiteness, in glazes to supply Al2O3 and to suspend slurries.
Materials	Kyanite Kyanite is a granular material used in the manufacture of ceramics and abrasives. It is notable for low thermal expansion and one-way expansion on heating.
Materials	Lead Carbonate
Materials	Litharge
Materials	Lepidolite
Materials	Light Magnesium Carbonate A refractory feather-light white powder used as a source of MgO and matting agent in ceramic glazes
Materials	Ceramic Rutile Rutile mineral ground to a very fine particle size (e.g. 325 mesh) contributes titanium and iron that colors and variegates ceramic glazes.
Materials	Lithium Carbonate A powerful melter very valuable in ceramic glazes. It is 40% Li2O and has an LOI of 60% (lost as CO2 on firing). This material in now incredibly expensive.
Materials	Magnesite
Materials	Magnesium Oxide
Materials	Magnesium Zirconium Silicate
Materials	Manganese Oxide
Materials	Manganese Carbonate
Materials	Manganese Dioxide A source of MnO used in ceramic glazes and the production of ceramic stains. Commonly made by grinding pyrolusite rock.
Materials	Mica
Materials	Mullite
Materials	Nepheline Syenite
Materials	Nickel Carbonate
Materials	Nickel Oxide Black
Materials	Perlite
Materials	Petalite
Materials	Potash Feldspar
Materials	Pearl Ash
Materials	Pyrophyllite
Materials	Red Lead
Materials	Rutile A raw TiO2-containing mineral used in ceramics to color and variegate glaze surfaces.
Materials	Silica Silica, sold as a white powder, is pure quartz mineral. Quartz is pure SiO2 silicon dioxide. It is the most abundant mineral on earth and most used in ceramics.
Materials	Sodium Carbonate
Materials	Soda Feldspar
Materials	Sodium Borate
Materials	Sodium Silicate A sticky, viscous liquid. The most common deflocculant used in ceramics. Also used as a bonding agent.
Materials	Spodumene Spodumene is a lithium sourcing feldspar, an alternative to lithium carbonate to supply Li2O to ceramic glazes. Contains up to about 8% Li2O.
Materials	Strontium Carbonate A pure source of SrO for ceramic glazes. It contains 70% SrO and has an LOI of 30% (released as CO2 during firing).
Materials	Talc A source of MgO for ceramic glazes, a flux or thermal expansion additive in clay bodies, also used in the manufacture of cordierite.
Materials	Tin Oxide
Materials	Titanium Dioxide A super white powder used in ceramic glazes to variegate, opacify and moderate color.
Materials	Tricalcium Phosphate
Materials	Ulexite A natural source of boron, it melts at a very low temperature to a clear glass.
Materials	Vanadium Pentoxide
Materials	Volcanic Ash Powdered volcanic ash is used to make ceramic glazes, some varieties have a chemistry similar enough to glaze that high percentages can be employed.
Materials	Wollastonite
Materials	Zinc Borate
Materials	Zinc Oxide A pure source of ZnO for ceramic glazes, it is 100% pure with no LOI.
Materials	Nickel Oxide Green
Materials	Borax Decahydrate
Materials	Zircon
Materials	Bismuth Oxide Bismuth is a very strong flux that enables glass melts lower than any other, even lead. However its price limits its utility to highly specialized products.
Materials	Attapulgite
Materials	Apatite
Materials	Silicon Carbide
Materials	Calcium Chloride
Materials	Stain
Materials	Frit Frits are made by melting mixes of raw materials, quenching the melt in water, grinding the pebbles into a powder. Frits have chemistries raw materials cannot.
Materials	Fireclay
Materials	Grog
Materials	Methylcellulose

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