Ceramics
Ceramics are
objects that are made
from materials which
are permanently
changed when heated.
The changes are on the
molecular level, and can
also changes the
physical characteristics
of the object. The most
popular material used
when creating ceramics
is clay. Other materials
may be used when
creating ceramics,
materials like porcelain.
Terms &Definitions/ Tools &Materials
Bisque - Pottery which has been fired once, without glaze.
Bone Dry - Completely air dried.
Coil - A piece of clay rolled like a rope, used in making pottery.
Glaze - A thin coating of glass. This will be our final coating to our clay vessels. Glazes are
brushed on to bisque and then re-fired in the kiln.
Kiln - A furnace of refractory clay bricks for firing pottery and for fusing glass.
Leather Hard - Stage of the clay between plastic and bone dry. Clay is still damp enough to
join it to other pieces using slip.
Plasticity - The quality of clay which allows it to be manipulated into different shapes without
cracking or breaking.
Slab - Pressed or rolled flat sections of clay used in hand building.
Slip - Clay mixed with water with a mayonnaise consistency.
Popular uses for Ceramics:
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Aerospace: space shuttle tiles, thermal barriers, high temperature glass
windows
Consumer Uses: glassware, windows, pottery, dinnerware, ceramic tiles
Military: structural components for ground, air and naval vehicles,
missiles, sensors
Computers: insulators, resistors, superconductors, capacitors
Other Industries: bricks, cement
Communications: fiber optic/laser communications, TV and radio
components, mic2727rophones