Effect of Open Firing and Electric Furnace Firing on Material Characterization

Abstract

Ceramic production started with firing earthenware products using fire and has developed with various techniques and discoveries until today. Although these developments continue, ceramic products produced using traditional methods still exist. Considering today's conditions, it is essential to experimentally examine different firing environments of ceramics, considering both the cost and the sustainability of the products. This study aimed to determine the changes caused by the differences between open firing and electric furnace (800°C) firing environment in the local pottery production center in Sorkun village of Mihalıççık district of Eskişehir province. For this purpose, water absorption, firing shrinkage, bulk shrinkage, color measurement, chemical analysis (XRF), mineralogical analysis (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were examined the samples after two firing process. The results obtained determined that the ceramic samples had very close chemical and mineral contents after two firing methods. While water absorption, dry shrinkage, cooking shrinkage, and bulk shrinkage of the Open Firing sample were high, these values decreased in the Electric furnace sample. It was determined that whiteness (L*) and redness (a*) increased after the electric oven firing. The determination of similar mineral phases in XRD and SEM analyses confirms that the open firing environment of Sorkun village can reach approximately 800 ºC.

Keywords

• Ceramic
• Open firing
• Electric furnace
• Sorkun
• color
• XRD

References

1. [1] Ö. Dicle, ‘‘Günümüzde anadolu’da kadınlar tarafından yapılan çömlekçilik,’’ Ph.D. dissertation, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, Güzel Sanatlar Enstitüsü, İzmir, 2015.
2. [2] Ö. A. Türedi, Geleneksel Çömlek Sanatı. Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi, 2001.
3. [3] D. O. Erman, ‘‘Türk seramik sanatının gelişimi: Toprağın ateşle dansı,’’ Acta Turcica, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 18–33, 2012.
4. [4] R. P. M, Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.
5. [5] R. P.M., ‘‘Recent ceramic analysis: 2. composition, production, and theory,’’ Journal of Archaeological Research, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 165–202, 1996.
6. [6] G. Montana, ‘‘Ceramic raw materials: how to recognize them and locate the supply basins–mineralogy, petrography,’’ Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, vol. 12, no. 8, p. 175, 2020.
7. [7] H. Eleni, Ceramic kilns in ancient greece: technology and organization of ceramic workshops. University of Cincinnati, 2002.
8. [8] S. Cemalettin, ‘‘Geleneksel çömlekçilikte değişim ve yüksek pişirim cazibesi,’’ Art-e Sanat Dergisi, vol. 10, no. 19, pp. 242–251, 2017.

9. [9] ——, ‘‘İlkel fırınlar,’’ Master’s thesis, Anadolu University (Turkiye), 1990.
10. [10] M. Marino, N. Ch, and R. Denis, ‘‘Temperature evolution inside a pot during experimental surface (bonfire) firing,’’ Applied Clay Science, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 500–508, 2011.
11. [11] G. O. P, ‘‘Bonfire of the enquiries. pottery firing temperatures in archaeology: What for?’’ Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 243–259, 1992.
12. [12] K. A. Cengiz, ‘‘İndirgen (redüksiyon) ortamda sırsız seramik pişirim teknikleri ve uygulama yöntemleri,’’ Ankara Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 360–378, 2023.
13. [13] T. R, ‘‘Identification of pottery firing structures using the thermal characteristics of firing,’’ Archaeometry, vol. 56, pp. 78–99, 2014.
14. [14] D. E. Arnold, Ceramic theory and cultural process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
15. [15] O. C., T. P., and V. A. G., Pottery in archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
16. [16] M. J. G., ‘‘Pyrotechnology,’’ in Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, D. R. Brothwell and A. M. Pollard, Eds. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2001, pp. 493–506.
17. [17] Eskişehir Valiliği İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, ‘‘Sorkun Çömlekçiliği,’’ https://eskisehir.ktb.gov.tr/Eklenti/35598,sorkuntr2014.pdf, (Accessed Jan. 10, 2024).
18. [18] A. Ates, Seramik Teknolojisi. Marmara University., 1983.
19. [19] J. Molera, P. T, and V.-S. M, ‘‘The colours of ca-rich ceramic pastes: origin and characterization,’’ Applied clay science, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 187–202, 1998.
20. [20] R. C and P. Yiannis, ‘‘Effect of firing temperature and atmosphere on ceramics made of nw peloponnese clay sediments. part i: Reaction paths, crystalline phases, microstructure and colour,’’ Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 1841–1851, 2010.
21. [21] G. Elisabetta, ‘‘Ceramic technology. how to reconstruct the firing process,’’ Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 260, 2020.