Ceramic Clay Firing Temperatures

Stoneware glaze some decals fire to cone 10.

Ceramic clay firing temperatures.

The clay goes from this soft totally fragile substance to one which is rock hard impervious to water wind and time. Generally bisque firing is done between cone 08 and cone 04 no matter what the maturation temperature of the clay and of the glazes that will be used later. Ware and glaze types. Clay can be divided into several classes based on its characteristics and at what temperature the clay must be fired in order for it to become mature or reach its optimum hardness and durability.

People want to know if they can fire a certain clay to a certain cone. The three most commonly used clay bodies are earthenware clay bodies mid fire stoneware clay bodies and high fire stoneware clay bodies. You cannot fire pottery in a home oven because ovens do not get up to the high temperatures of more than 1 500 degrees fahrenheit that you need for firing clay. The temperature needed to transform soft clay into hard ceramic is extremely high and is usually provided by a kiln.

Ceramic work is typically fired twice. We get many questions about clay firing temperatures. As a kiln is firing up and cooling down the changes in temperature make some profound changes in the clay. If fired at too low a temperature the glaze will not mature.

However anywhere from 2305 to 2336 1263 to 1326 may be appropriate depending on the specific clay used and desired effect. This is the hardening tightening and finally the partial glassification of the clay. It is bisque fired and then glaze fired. By cone 08 the ware is sintered and has become a ceramic material.

Firing clay from mud to ceramic. Firing converts ceramic work from weak clay into a strong durable crystalline glasslike form. For success a potter must know the correct temperature range at which their glaze becomes mature. Between the range of cone 8 and cone 12 high fire stoneware will mature.

The goal of bisque firing is to convert greenware to a durable semi vitrified porous stage where it can be safely handled during the glazing and decorating process. Cone temperature conversion chart. The average firing temperature for high fire stoneware is 2381 1305.