This study began with the aim of expanding the range of materials used in slip casting, a technique widely used in ceramics. The performance of slip, the core material in slip casting, is determined by the chemical composition and physical properties ...
This study began with the aim of expanding the range of materials used in slip casting, a technique widely used in ceramics. The performance of slip, the core material in slip casting, is determined by the chemical composition and physical properties of the clay. To date, white porcelain clay has been the most commonly used base material for casting slips. It is primarily composed of kaolin and contains relatively few impurities, and thus offers high colloidal stability well suited to the casting process. In addition, white porcelain clay is formulated from a mixture of plastic clays and non-plastic raw materials, giving it a wide particle-size distribution that is advantageous for preparing highly concentrated casting slips. However, the tendency for material use to be limited to porcelain casting slips also points to the limits of clay-based expressive possibilities, as they tend to yield a highly refined, homogeneous white surface that is insufficient for expressing the natural hues and surface textures found in other clays.
In this study, porcelain casting slip was used as the base material, and mica and calcined clay were introduced as new additives to achieve differentiated formative effects. Although the methodological framework —namely, the use of additives—remains consistent with prior approaches, this study focuses on using the material properties of mica and calcined clay to produce natural coloration and surface textures that are difficult to obtain with conventional porcelain casting slip alone.
The principal advantage of mica and calcined clay as slip additives lies in their relatively light particles, which allow them to remain well suspended in the slip without readily settling. In addition, the chemical compositions of both materials are similar to those of the white porcelain clay used to formulate the porcelain casting slip, reducing the likelihood of causing significant physical changes when added. Both additives also offer distinct strengths in terms of formative effects. Depending on its type, mica provides rich variations in particle size, color, and luster, and generally produces surface effects reminiscent of stoneware. Meanwhile, the calcined clay prepared in-house from white porcelain clay allows for control over the desired color and particle size, and exhibits a distinct granular character with vivid coloration. As a result, experiments were conducted by adding mica and calcined clay as the primary additives to porcelain casting slip, and the effects of the developed slips were examined by incorporating the experimental findings into the production of artworks. The slip-development experiments were organized into five categories.
First, through a primary experiment in which mica was added at single particle-size ranges and addition ratios, and a secondary experiment using mixed particle sizes, the material characteristics of mica were assessed and its suitability as a slip additive was examined. The results indicated that mica coarser than 100mesh showed better castability. Overall, all types of mica were effective in producing visual effects; however, the outcomes varied depending on the type and particle size. Muscovite exhibited a pronounced granular texture, which became more pronounced as particle size increased, and, owing to its near-white color, it was also the most suitable for combined use with other additives. In addition, in terms of composition, it showed the greatest thermal and chemical stability during the firing process. Phlogopite offered significant advantages in its distinctive golden coloration and high luster associated with its magnesium content. However, when added beyond a certain addition ratio, reduced shape retention and glaze-induced cracking were observed. Biotite was tested only at a single particle size due to difficulties in material procurement, resulting in a narrower range of experimental outcomes; nevertheless, its castability was similar to that of muscovite, and owing to its high iron content, biotite produced darker coloration, with glazes appearing more bluish in reduction firing.
All types of mica exhibited much richer color variations in oxidation firing. As the addition ratio increased, particle distribution became denser, and as particle size decreased, the particles increasingly read as a surface tone. Furthermore, with the exception of cases in which 200-mesh phlogopite was added beyond a certain proportion, all mica-containing slips reduced shrinkage relative to the base slip, thereby contributing to the dimensional stability of the ceramic forms.
Second, the material characteristics of the calcined clay and the resulting visual changes on the surface were observed and analyzed through a primary experiment in which the calcined clay was added across single particle-size ranges, colors, and addition ratios, followed by a secondary experiment involving mixed particle-size ranges. Prepared from the same white porcelain clay used for the base slip, the calcined clay was classified into three particle-size ranges—16–30mesh, 30–60mesh, and 60–80mesh— and combined with synthetic pigments to produce a total of seven color variations. The calcined clay heat-treated at 600°C exhibited a reduction in mass due to the removal of bound water, resulting in improved suspension stability compared to conventional chamotte. However, owing to its porosity, viscosity control and de-airing during slip preparation were more challenging than with mica.
Visually, all calcined clay samples displayed uniform and vivid coloration with a clearly defined granular texture, most pronounced in the 16–30mesh range. As with mica, smaller particle sizes and higher addition ratios led to a denser particle distribution and increased the tendency for the particles to be perceived as a surface tone.
The calcined clay was produced using the same clay composition as the base slip and therefore showed excellent compatibility with both the body and the glaze. Moreover, the calcined clay used in this study was not an inert material sintered at high temperatures but retained a certain level of reactivity. Accordingly, while it did not reduce the firing shrinkage, increasing the addition ratio helped decrease drying shrinkage during forming and drying, thereby contributing to the structural stability of the ceramic pieces.
Third, blending experiments combining mica and calcined clay were conducted in order to maximize the strengths of each additive while compensating for their shortcomings. Although sufficient effectiveness was confirmed in the single and mixed particle-size experiments of each additive, even greater formative potential emerged in the mica–calcined clay mixed slips. When the two materials were combined in similar colors, the particulate effect was amplified without creating a visual dissonance. By comparison, when combined in contrasting colors, calcined clay particles in specific hues were interspersed among the naturally distributed mica particles, creating a subtle and balanced visual composition.
Fourth, the color range of the developed slips was expanded through the use of colorants. Stable synthetic pigments were used alongside three additional colorant materials—cobalt carbonate, iron oxide, and rutile. By composing a color spectrum in consideration of the inherent base colors of the mica and calcined clay particles, the expressive range of the developed slips was significantly broadened.
Fifth, experiments with additional materials such as silica sand and silicon carbide were conducted to explore the potential for expanding textural effects. Silica sand is characterized by partial vitrification during the sintering process and a coarse, granular surface texture, which creates subtle textural contrasts with the developed slips. However, this contrast was relatively moderate, limiting its capacity to produce dramatic surface changes. Silicon carbide presents a gray, stone-like texture that can be integrated with the developed slips without strong visual dissonance; nevertheless, its use required careful limitation due to gas generation during firing and differences in shrinkage rates.
Based on the results of the above experiments, selected slips were applied in the production of artworks to verify their formative effects. In order to effectively reveal the material properties of the developed slips, the works were produced on a larger scale and with greater thickness compared to conventional slip-casting practices. To this end, a method of assembling double-walled units was adopted. Variations in form thickness, particle density, and color were combined with additional post-processing to add linear elements, thereby emphasizing the materiality of the developed slips. The artworks were produced within three main frameworks.
First, works utilizing mica slips actively revealed stoneware-like surfaces that emerged when mica was used as a single additive.
Second, works using the developed slips presented their rich chromatic and textural range by blending mica and calcined clay or incorporating colorants. Through forms emphasizing frontality and multi-tiered structures composed of different slips, these works sought to foreground the material properties of the slips.
Third, works incorporating other additives included works using a silica sand-containing slip and glazed works. These works aimed to demonstrate subtle textural contrasts within layered structures, as well as surface effects arising from interactions between the developed slips and the glazes. In particular, the glazed works revealed new surface effects induced by interactions with slip additives, which motivated subsequent research.
This study examined the scope for expanding the developed slips through stepwise experiments with slip additives and the subsequent production of artworks that reflected the experimental outcomes. The developed slips are considered to possess sufficient value in significantly extending the formative characteristics of conventional white porcelain casting slip. However, certain limitations and shortcomings were also identified. Due to its material properties, mica is prone to becoming airborne and therefore requires careful handling. In addition, certain particle-size fractions of mica required calcination prior to use. Calcined clay, when used alone, offered limited visual differentiation and thus necessitated combination with other materials. Moreover, its particle porosity made precise control during slip preparation unavoidable. Nevertheless, with continued research aimed at broadening the range of additive combinations and systematizing process variables in forming and firing, the formative potential of the developed slips can be further expanded.