• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

Red clay has been used for making rakuyaki for the past 400 years. Because the resources for red clay in Japan are being depleted, many potters in Japan began to develop new materials which can replace red clay. In this study, It is analyzed that the chemical and physical properties of red clay from Shigaraki (Shiga, Japan), and developed a novel engobe which can be used for making Rakuyaki instead of Shigaraki red clay. Results from Raman spectroscopic examination showed that ferric oxide content in Shigaraki red clay is 9.4 % (Goethite 5 %, Wustite 4.4 %), and that the mechanism of red color development by the firing at $900^{\circ}C$ for 10 min is the chemical transformation of Goethite into Hematite, and the subsequent formation of solid solution with Alumina and Silica. To make similar ferric oxide content to that of Shigaraki red clay, we added 5 g of Goethite and 9 g of Wustite to 100 g of White kaolin from Hadong area (Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea). The $L^*a^*b^*$ color scale of the mixture was 56.83, 27.22, and 23.28, respectively, and stable red color was successfully developed under the same firing condition used for Shigaraki red clay.