Developing Low Temperature Glazes for Omani Clay Artworks: Laboratory Investigation to Reduce Costs by Using Frits

Abstract

The role of using frits in developing glazes for ceramics has increasingly received attention across a number of industrial ceramics fields in recent years. Over the past decade, the link between using frits for developing ceramics glazes and the reduction of financial costs has been at the center of much attention. Determining the impact of using frits in the local ceramics industry in Oman is important for the future study of this creative field. Using imported ready-made glazes, despite their long commercial success, is associated with a number of problems, including a shortage of suppliers, high costs, and logistical difficulties. Consequently, there is an urgent need to address the importance of developing glazes locally to help establish some workable solutions for the aforementioned problems. To date, no research studies have investigated using local Omani earthenware clays to make glazes by combining them with commercial frits using empirical laboratory methodologies. By developing low temperature chemical glaze recipes, the main aim of this study is to explore the possibilities of using Omani earthenware clays (OECs) and frits to create glazes that are suitable for local Omani ceramic works.