The development and characterisation of zinc crystal glazes used for Amakusa-like soft porcelains

In porcelain production, as well as bodies expected to have white colour, compaction and translucency, suitable glaze compositions have great importance from both a technological and decoration point of view. Supplying the desired firing conditions is generally quite difficult for the porcelains having white colour after being fired in reducing atmospheres. In the present study, firstly it has been tried to make porcelain bodies similar to the Amakusa porcelain, which has been traditionally prepared in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan and widely used, by applying domestic raw materials and firing them in an oxidation atmosphere. Secondly, several zinc-containing glazes coloured with different colorants have been developed and applied to those bodies. After biscuit and gloss firing procedures, products have been characterised using dilatometry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.