Review article
the structure of ceramic materials
Ivana Miletić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5361-3757
; Konzervatorski odjel u Sisku, Sisak, Hrvatska
Abstract
In archaeology, ceramics are the most common movable
materials discovered during the course of excavations.
Knowledge of the structure of ceramic materials is vital
to its analysis. Variations in structure appear due to the
chemical properties of the clay itself, additives in the clay
and differences in the firing process. This work presents
data on additives naturally found in clay and those subsequently
added, and these are important due to functional
features such as resistance to temperature extremes, porosity
and, above all, the colour and tenacity of the fired
product. Variations in the structure of ceramic materials
also appear due to differences in the firing process, which
implies firing duration, temperature and atmosphere during
heating and cooling. Changes which emerge during
firing (in open hearths or in closed kilns) include: evaporation,
thermal decomposition of clay materials and sintering,
vitrification and cooling and emptying of kilns.
Various methods are used to study the structure of ceramic
materials. They are used in an attempt to ascertain
the composition of the clay and percentages of different additives
and to describe the chemical processes that occur
during firing.
Keywords
structure of ceramic materials; ceramics; clay; additives; firing
Hrčak ID:
26728
URI
Publication date:
22.8.2008.
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