Salt Fire Ceramics

Note that there is an absence of flux.

Salt fire ceramics. In its basic form salt reacts with the silica in the clay pots to produce sodium silicate sodium silicate is essentially a liquid glass and therefore naturally glazed the pots using the properties from the clay. My favorite low fire salt body is a mixture of equal parts plastic fireclay kentucky ball clay om 4 red clay and sand 20 to 60 mesh. When salt meets flame it creates sodium and chlorine. The salt from the wood created vapors in the kiln that then reacted with the clay bodies when fired at a very high temperature.

A great tip for salt soda and wood firing potters. The salt kiln must be prepared for the firing often involving repairs to the brick walls and arch and always extensive work preparing the refractory kiln shelves shelf props fire boxes burners door lagging clay wadding clay and clay discs to sit the pots on. Salt glaze or salt glaze pottery is pottery usually stoneware with a glaze of glossy translucent and slightly orange peel like texture which was formed by throwing common salt into the kiln during the higher temperature part of the firing process. However salt vapor fluxes the body making it harder than regular bisqueware even at cone 010.

Sodium from the salt reacts with silica in the clay body to form a glassy coating of sodium silicate the glaze may be colourless or may be. An important difference between salt and soda firing is what happens when the mixture vaporizes.