What Is Paper Clay In Ceramics

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.

What is paper clay in ceramics.

Paper clay is a clay that is mixed with shredded paper or other fibers. This quality is known as clay s plasticity. This makes it ideal for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture. Paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage all the while reducing the heft of the work.

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. Clay and ceramic are often used to describe different materials for making pottery. Clay is a natural material that comes from the ground and ceramics are various materials that harden when heated including clay. When heated to high temperatures clay also partially melts resulting in the tight hard rock like substance known as ceramic material.

The bisque firing temperature should be at least 1050 c. 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. Paper clay sometimes referred to as fiberclay is any clay body to which processed cellulose fiber paper being the most common has been added. Paper clay ceramic is a user and eco friendly water based affordable modeling media made of clay blended with cellulose fiber from paper pulp recyled paper pulp when possible.

Ceramic artist lisa merida paytes has found paper clay to be a great tool with which to build her ceramic sculptures. Earthenware terra cotta stoneware porcelain and bone china clay bodies can be made into paper clay. Other air dry clays may have different finishes colors or textures. Pulp burns out in firing similar to wax.

Clay is a type of ceramic but not all ceramics are made of 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. It s perfect for building ceramics of any size including very large pieces that would be extremely heavy with standard clay. These fibers create a very strong and versatile clay that is also lightweight.