3D Clay

Medium to high temperature, silty, low plasticity, tan firing, very clean native stoneware.

3D is mined from our Ravenscrag, Sask. quarry. It is mechanically one of the cleanest and most consistent raw materials we have. In the raw lump form, 3D clay weathers and slakes very readily. 3D is suitable as an off-white filler and has excellent potential in dry press and tile bodies. It can also be employed in plastic bodies but precautions outlined below should be noted.

Process Properties

3D is and ideal alternative to sand or grog as an addition to bodies where plasticity needs to be cut and drying properties improved. However excessive additions may create a body that generates considerable slip during wheel throwing. Like sand, significant additions of 3D without corresponding impermeable plastic clays to balance it can make a body susceptible to water splitting during forming processes. Often small additions of bentonite (if it can be tolerated) will improve water splitting problems.

3D opens up the internal pore structure in the dry body matrix and this will help channel water out during drying. This will make for bodies that dry faster and thus might be subject to cracking if this is not controlled. Again, we recommend that body recipes employ complementary clays having less water permeability to balance the 3D filler.

Firing

3D matures around Orton cone 8-9 and begins to bloat slightly at cone 10. By itself it burns buff color to cone 7, grey-buff cone 8-9, and turns solid grey beyond cone 9. Employing 3D in high-fire clay bodies will make them slightly more vitreous but will also open up the pore structure.

Glazing

Since 3D creates or encourages an internal network of channels and pores in the body matrix it is possible that pinholing or glaze imperfections could result if ware employing large amounts of this material is glaze fired quickly. We recommend careful testing to isolate an optimum firing schedule.

Physical Properties

 Drying Shrinkage: 4.5-5.5%
 Dry Strength: n/a
 Drying Factor: B110
 Dry Density: 1.95

Sieve Analysis (Tyler mesh):

     +48     (300 microns): 0.0-0.6%
   48-65 (300-210 microns): 0.4-0.8
  65-100 (210-149 microns): 2.5-3.5
 100-150 (149-106 microns): 2.0-3.0
 150-200  (106-75 microns): 5.5-7.5
 200-325   (75-45 microns): 7.0-10.0

Fired Shrinkage:

   Cone 6: 4.5-5.5%
   Cone 8: 5.0-6.0
  Cone 10: 6.0-7.0
 Cone 10R: 6.5-7.5

Fired Absorption:

   Cone 6: 6.0-7.0%
   Cone 8: 4.5-5.5
  Cone 10: 1.5-2.5
 Cone 10R: 0.5-1.5

Chemical Analysis

 BaO       0.4
 CaO       0.2
 K2O       2.6
 MgO       0.5
 Na2O      0.1
 TiO2      0.6
 Al2O3    16.3
 P2O5      0.0
 SiO2     71.5
 Fe2O3     1.1
 MnO       0.0
 LOI       6.6%

Plainsman Clays Ltd.
Box 1266, 702 Wood Street, Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 7M9
Phone: 403-527-8535 FAX: 403-527-7508

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