Effect of Open Firing and Electric Furnace Firing on Material Characterization

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 66 - 73, 31.01.2025

Erdal Çetintaş

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

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