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H450

High temperature, smooth, plastic, semi-vitreous, grey-buff burning, general purpose, native body for reduction and oxidation fired functional stoneware.

H450 is suitable for all types of functional and decorative stoneware. Unlike our other high temperature buff stonewares, this material contains no mineral sand, it is completely smooth. Where ever possible Plainsman native material H450 is preferable to more expensive white stonewares made from industrial minerals.

Process Properties

H450 has the dry strength and working character of a classic Plainsman native body and will stand up to product handling during manufacture very well. Even though H450 is smooth to the touch it still has a good distribution of particle sizes in the plus 325 mesh range (it draws from the illite, ball clay and kaolinite mineral families). As with any Plainsman native body, H450 has a higher dry shrinkage to plasticity ratio than most refined bodies and anyone who is used to using our bodies is aware of the care and attention to drying needed in making larger pieces, especially flat plates and shallow bowls.

Firing

H450 has a higher porosity that H550 because it utilizes a larger amount of Idaho kaolin than any other body we make (it also contains some fine refined silica powder). Buff bodies made from Plainsman native materials exhibit attractive grey-to-buff variegations at a porosity threshold around 2%. This is higher than H550 which normally fires a solid grey at about 1.6-1.8% porosity at cone 10R. Thus H450 does not fire quite as strong as H550, but for many it is a better compromise between fired maturity, esthetics and working properties.

H450 is the cleanest burning native material we make. In oxidation H450 burns to a much lighter grey buff than it does in reduction. It will display color variegation in most reduction kilns fired below cone 11. The nature of the variegation relates to radiation of vitreous darker grey color from points where fluxing begins. As firing proceeds these darker grey areas invade the entire buff-colored surface.

Since H450 contains some free silica, some care is required when heating and cooling it through quartz inversion temperatures, especially if ware is being refired.

Glazing

Since H450 is high in SiO2 you can expect it to accept most typical cone 10 glazes without crazing them. Glazes that craze on porcelain bodies will often fit well on H450. It is still possible to get crazing with glazes high in sodium and potassium or very low in silica or alumina. Watch out for high feldspar low silica/kaolin glazes. The nature of Plainsman bodies has permitted the use of such glazes, but they are not balanced. They weaken ware and compromise glaze durability and leach resistance. We recommend a boiling water:ice water immersion test to make sure your glazes glazes will not craze or shiver. One more thing about glaze fit: There is no single thing you can do to improve ware strength better than to make sure glazes fit properly. Poorly fit glazes can cut strength 200%, well fitted ones can double it.

Crazing is very common and it is a sanitary as well as strength and functional issue. Likewise, most potters do not think about glaze solubility in acids and hot liquids or resistance to scratching. If you would like to know how to adjust your own glazes to increase their functionality or to deal with problems like blistered, running, crystallizing, etc. please contact Plainsman.

Glaze Recipes

You can develop a compatible glossy or matte base for this body from our suggested starting point base recipes available at http://digitalfire.com/education/glaze/cone10.htm. Information is given on how to fit the glaze to your body and how to customize it it for colors, opacity, speck, variegation, etc. For slip decoration, be careful to match drying and fired shrinkage of the slip with the body.

Physical Properties

 Drying Shrinkage: 6.3-6.8%
 Water Content: 22.0-23.5%
 Drying Factor: C120

Sieve Analysis (Tyler mesh):

     +48: tr
   48-65: tr
  65-100: 0.5-1.5
 100-150: 1.0-2.0
 150-200: 5.0-7.0
 200-325: 7.0-9.0

Fired Shrinkage:

   Cone 8: 5.5-6.5%
  Cone 10: 6.5-7.0
 Cone 10R: 6.0-7.0

Fired Absorption:

   Cone 8: 3.0-4.0%
  Cone 10: 1.5-2.5
 Cone 10R: 2.0-2.5

Chemical Analysis

 BaO       0.3
 CaO       0.2
 K2O       1.5
 MgO       0.4
 Na2O      0.1
 TiO2      0.7
 Al2O3    19.7
 SiO2     67.2
 Fe2O3     1.2
 LOI       8.7%

Chemical Analysis

 BaO       0.3
 CaO       0.2
 K2O       1.5
 MgO       0.4
 Na2O      0.1
 TiO2      0.7
 Al2O3    19.7
 P2O5      0.0
 SiO2     67.2
 Fe2O3     1.2
 MnO       0.0
 LOI       8.7%

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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