Common Glaze Materials (Table 3.1)

Alumina

(Al2O3 , Molecular Weight 102, Expansion: 0.063, Fusion: 2040° C)

Alumina Characteristics:

Silica

(SiO2, Molecular Weight: 60.1, Thermal Expansion: 0.035, Fusion: 1710° C)

Silica Characteristics:

Silica is the sine qua non of glaze formation: without silica, glaze making is not possible. While one can create sintered masses in the kiln in the absence of SiO2, such concoctions cannot rightly be called glazes.