The Difference Between a Porcelain Kiln & a Pottery Kiln

History

• The use of kilns is an ancient practice. The production of porcelain in China dates back over three thousand years. The Yue-Kiln sites at Shanglin Lake carry the designation of a World Heritage location by UNESCO. The sites, which go back almost two thousand years, represent the real beginning of porcelain production in China with the use of kilns.

Materials

• The difference between pottery and porcelain lies in the materials used to produce each item. The basic material for pottery is clay. Pick up a piece of pottery and it is solid; no light shines through it. Porcelain contains a white clay known as kaolin with additives such as feldspar. Hold up porcelain to a light source; unlike pottery, some of the light shines through. Porcelain is thinner than pottery but stronger.

Process

• Whether pottery or porcelain, you load a kiln prior to firing. Place items on shelves leaving room from the walls of the kiln due to the heat. Kilns rely upon high temperatures, sometimes in excess of 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact temperature selected depends upon the items in the kiln. Porcelain requires much higher temperatures. For pottery the range is 800 to 1,100 degrees Centigrade or 1,472 to 2,012 degrees Fahrenheit. Porcelain temperature ranges from 1,200 to 1,400 degrees Centigrade or 2,192 to 2,552 degrees Fahrenheit.

Glaze

• Prior to placing an item of pottery or porcelain in a kiln you need to apply a coating of glaze. Glaze for porcelain enhances the decoration while glaze is necessary for pottery to enable it to hold liquids. The glaze becomes part of the piece and provides beauty and a distinctive appearance based upon the type used.