What Is Paper Clay In Ceramics

Other air dry clays may have different finishes colors or textures.

What is paper clay in ceramics. The fired and glazed ceramic is indistinguishable to the naked eye from a non paper traditional clay. This quality is known as clay s plasticity. Clay and ceramic are often used to describe different materials for making pottery. Earthenware terra cotta stoneware porcelain and bone china clay bodies can be made into paper clay.

Paper clay is a clay that is mixed with shredded paper or other fibers. Paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage all the while reducing the heft of the work. They may not be non toxic. This makes it ideal for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture.

Ceramic paper clays blend premium high or low fire clays such as stoneware porcelain or earthen wares terra cottas etc with lesser fraction of choice pulp. When heated to high temperatures clay also partially melts resulting in the tight hard rock like substance known as ceramic material. These fibers create a very strong and versatile clay that is also lightweight. Paper clay is a specialty body made from paper pulp and clay making it extremely plastic due to the wet mix and de airing manufacturing process.

To get the a high performance result the right and special balance between paper pulp and pottery clay is needed. Clay is a natural material that comes from the ground and ceramics are various materials that harden when heated including clay. Paper clay is a form of air dry clay that is non toxic and has a wood like texture that can be drilled sanded or carved. Ceramic artist lisa merida paytes has found paper clay to be a great tool with which to build her ceramic sculptures.

Clay is a type of ceramic but not all ceramics are made of clay. It s perfect for building ceramics of any size including very large pieces that would be extremely heavy with standard clay. Made using any type of clay body earthenware stoneware raku or porcelain paper clay enhances green strength decreases warping improves joining capabilities in wet to wet and dry to dry situ ations and you can even attach wet paper clay to bisqued paper clay piece for repairing small breaks. The bisque firing temperature should be at least 1050 c.