Is raw glazing a more environmentally-friendly approach to pottery?
Because a bisque firing is no longer necessary, raw glazing has the potential to save energy and CO2 emissions created from producing this energy. For example, a typical bisque kiln firing for an energy-efficient electric kiln takes about 19KW.h of electricity, which could be saved from the production process.
What clay and glaze can be used with raw glazing?
Not all clays are suitable for raw glazing, some will disintegrate under the strain of being re-wetted by glaze at the leather-hard or dry stage. If this happens, strength can be added to clay by increasing the percentage of ball clay in the mixture (1) or by adding cellulose fibres.
Glazes used in raw glazing usually have clay as an ingredient as it helps the glaze to stick to the body of the unfired pot body a bit like a slip. This should prevent glaze defects like ‘crawling’ where the glaze separates from the pot body during firing (1).
