jrgpots Posted June 29, 2013 Report Share Posted June 29, 2013 This August I am headed to some family property just a few miles away from the Amax molybdenum mine. I have seen beautiful triangularmolybdenum crystals in glaze, but don't know if it would be worth my time to develop moly crystal glazes. Who here has used molybdenum and how fickle or difficult are the crystals to grow? Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted June 29, 2013 Report Share Posted June 29, 2013 This August I am headed to some family property just a few miles away from the Amax molybdenum mine. I have seen beautiful triangularmolybdenum crystals in glaze, but don't know if it would be worth my time to develop moly crystal glazes. Who here has used molybdenum and how fickle or difficult are the crystals to grow? Jed I used it in 1972 when I was working on crystalline glazes for the MFA thesis.I got it from the Chemistry Dept. along with some tungsten and uranyl nitrate. I did some interesting experiments decades ago. I don 't remember the chemical being that much of a problem. I followed hand written notes from the Ceramic Engineering Dept at U I Urbana/Champagne from 1900 -1905 plus information by Samuel Robineau who fired Adelaide's pieces. The library there was the largest University library in the US at the time. Really great resources. The technique of producing crystalline glazes was more complex , especially without computerized controllers. The base glazes have zinc silicate and need to be over fired and "frozen" by rapd decrease in temperature. Then hold at a lower temp. to grow the crystals. Some glazes will change the shape of the crystals depending on the holding temperature. Look up the Natzlers. Their crystals were incredible. marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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