A pottery kiln, also known as a ceramic kiln, is a chamber used to harden pottery by heating it to extremely high temperatures. Kilns come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they’re used for a variety of purposes. Kilns can be used to cure recently felled lumber, turn wood into charcoal, dry food products, and cremate human or animal remains, depending on their type. Pottery kilns, on the other hand, are used exclusively for the production of ceramics.
Manufacturers and independent artisans alike still use pottery kilns today. Modern kilns have advanced to the point where they can be calibrated to meet extremely precise firing temperatures. Pottery kilns, on the other hand, have been in use in some form or another for thousands of years. Of course, the first kilns were far less sophisticated than what is available today. These ancient kilns were simply large holes in the ground filled with a large fire. After that, the pottery was placed inside the fire to cure. Later came freestanding kilns with chimneys and other methods of temperature control, as well as the finished product.
High temperatures are applied to the formed pottery clay in pottery kilns. This heat changes the chemical makeup of the clay permanently, causing it to take a permanent shape that can only be changed by breaking the finished product. The final appearance of fired pottery is determined by the molding applied to the clay before it is placed in the pottery kiln, any glazes applied to it, and the temperature within the kiln. Pottery can have a variety of finished looks depending on the type of clay used, the application of any glazes, and the temperature in the kiln. It is known as “firing” pottery when it is placed in pottery kilns for heating.
Clay that has not been fired is a very malleable material. Clay particles themselves are porous and very fine. When pottery is fired in a kiln, the particles fuse together, resulting in a stronger, less porous material. The truth is that when clay is fired, it shrinks slightly in size. Although fired clay is much stronger than unfired clay, it is usually formed into large, thick objects due to its brittleness. Vases and dishes, for example, are usually quite heavy. Although there are many different types of pottery kilns, the basic principles of clay firing are the same in all of them.