Ceramic Soluble Salts

This terra cotta clay vitrifies here at 1957f cone 03.
Ceramic soluble salts. The changing from soluble to crystallization and back damages the surface of the ceramic because salt crystals are larger than liquid salt and therefore will shrink and expand the ceramic body. Barium carbonate can be used to precipitate the salts inside the clay matrix so they do not come to the surface on drying. How bad can efflorescence of soluble salts of fired ceramic surfaces be. The water dissolves the salt and draws it out of the ceramic.
Soluble salts respond to changes in humidity both high and low. Mark goudy and liza riddle are a couple from berkeley california who are blazing a new frontier in ceramic arts with their explorations into the applications of soluble metal salts. In high humidity salts become soluble and in low humidity they crystallize. Feb 16 2020 explore ceramic art community noticebo s board water soluble metal salt effects followed by 1601 people on pinterest.
When soluble salts are present within the ceramic structure at a percentage considered threatening the conservator must remove them. See more ideas about metal salts ceramics ceramic sculpture. This problem is common in many terra cotta materials but can also surface in others. Soluble salt compounds may be introduced into the ceramic pores from ground water agricultural run off seawater or other sources.