Ceramic research

Slip casting is a technique for the mass production of pottery and ceramics, mainly used for shapes that

are not easily manufactured on a wheel. Slip cast articles should not be confused with slipware, which is the pottery formed by any technique that is decorated using slip. In slip casting, a liquid clay body slip (usually mixed in a blunger) is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer on the inside of the mould

In a solid cast mould, ceramic objects such as handles and plates are surrounded by plaster on all sides with a funnel for slip and are removed when the solid piece is held. For a hollow casting mould, for objects such as vases and cups, when the plaster has absorbed most of the liquid from the outer clay layer, the remainder of the slide is poured for later use. After a period of additional water absorption, the moulded part is removed from the mould once it is leather hard (firm enough to handle without losing its shape.) It is then cleaned up and allowed to dry further, usually overnight or for several hours.

The technique is adapted to the production of complex shapes, especially if used with embossed decorations and thin walls. A lot of fine porcelain in factories is manufactured by this technique. It is also commonly used for sanitary facilities, such as toilets and ponds, and smaller rooms, such as figurines and teapots. The technique can also be used for small-scale production runs or to produce limited edition items, one on, especially reproductions of antique dolls and modern porcelain dolls.

An additive with deflocculant properties, like sodium silicate, can be added to the slip to disperse the raw material particles. This allows a higher solids content to be used, or allows a fluid slip to be produced with a bare minimum amount of water so that drying shrinkage is minimised, which is important during slip casting.

Referances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZzOTX9Ihqs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1YCRs6QtEY

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Qq3zCAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

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