If glazes had no Stabilisers they would melt so well they would run off the pots and into a puddle on the kiln shelf! Stabilisers (Alumina and Boron) help stiffen the glaze so it can melt to a nice glass but not run off the pot. With @ScienceWeekUK
Sculptures: @freyjaaaaaa
3 main glaze components: GlassFormers, Fluxes Stabilisers. Glass-formers mostly come from Silica- it's the part of the glaze which actually forms the glass. There are a few technical variations but it's basically just sand! Pot + Heart #GemmaDyer + #Rainna from @PotteryThrow
To avoid having to fire at such high temperature a flux is used in glazes. Think of flux as a little gremlin that helps make glazes melt. Lower temperature glazes need more flux.
When there is a lack of #oxygen, the fuel does not burn completely and the kiln atmosphere becomes filled with #freecarbon. The free carbon atoms are so #o2 hungry they'll grab any #o2 atoms they can find breaking molecular bonds - literally robbing the clay and glaze of #oxygen.