cahd Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Hello, I have done a lot of simple slip casting but really nothing with stains yet. As a part of a copper sculpture I was working with I produced a significant amount of blue-green dark crystals that I am 98% sure is dioptase forming from the reaction of copper, sodium chloride, water and acetic acid. Now rather than letting these little gems lay around as trinkets I was wondering if I could ground them to use as a stain for slip in unglazed ceramic. I know it is used as a pigment in paint but I am unsure what it will do in the kiln. Does anyone have any experience with it or knowledge about experimenting with likely impure pigments? Thanks, Chad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Miller Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Likely not dioptase, but copper acetate. Dioptase is a silicate and requires very specialized formation conditions--and silica. Copper acetate is produced with the very same chemicals you describe though. Copper acetate is also a blue green crystal that grows rather quickly. It's used in a few knock-offs of Japanese patination formulas. I'm not sure of the decomposition temperature, but you could probably calcine it to make copper oxide and use that in glazes as a more pure ingredient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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