Investigation of the effect of frit composition on color of CuO containing glazes

Traditional tile is the name given to the artistic ceramic product obtained as a result of firing the glazed body, which is formed by shaping and combining the raw materials created and combined within a specified recipe at a certain temperature. The glassy layer, which is applied onto ceramic products for easy cleaning, providing hygiene, supporting strength, quality and aesthetics, is called glaze and it covers the surface of the body during firing. Traditional tile glazes are generally produced as frit based. Firit is a semi-finished glass product produced as a result of ceramic raw materials being weighed in certain proportions and melted and then cooled quickly. Ceramic products can be glazed with various methods and colored with metal oxides. It is possible to obtain blue and shades in an alkaline glaze applied in an oxidizing atmosphere with copper oxide addition, and every shade of green in a leaded glaze. The aim of this thesis study is to investigate the color effect of CuO on the frit based traditional tile glaze according to the existence of the lead, boron or alkali in the frit composition. For this purpose, traditional tile glaze recipes developed from different commercial frits. Moreover, a boron oxide based frit recipe was produced under laboratory conditions and evaluated in recipe studies. The developed frit-based leaded, alkali and boron glazes were applied onto the tile bodies and fired at 920 C°. Depending on the composition of frit, CuO has been found to exhibit different colors in the glaze. L * a * b * color analysis and XRD (x-ray diffractometer) analysis were performed for characterization of the final glazes. After that, successful glazes in terms of surface properties are applied onto artistic traditional wall tile panels.