Lò nung gốm sứ is an indispensable equipment in the process of creating ceramic products. Just from clay going through the kiln, they have turned into a product that thousands of people love and are present in most Vietnamese families. The article below, Long Phuong Porcelain will share about types of kilns in our country.
What is a ceramic kiln?
A ceramic kiln is a device used to create ceramic products. The furnace operates on the principle of heating ceramic products to a certain temperature, which can be up to thousands of degrees Celsius.
When heated, the materials that make up ceramic will undergo chemical and physical changes, forming a tightly bonded and durable structure. This firing process helps ceramic products become strong, durable and waterproof.
Ceramic kilns can be used by hand or machine to ensure product quality and save energy. There are many different types of furnaces used depending on the purpose of use and the product produced.
Ceramic kilns are widely used in many fields, from the production of household items such as dishes and cups, to construction products such as bricks, tiles, pipes, and even unique works of art.
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Ceramic kilns are commonly used in our country
Wood fired ceramic kiln - traditional method
Wood-fired ceramic kilns are a traditional and popular method from ancient times to the present. This is one of the oldest types of kilns in our country. The kiln has a cylindrical shape made from concrete or clay, and is composed of a push-burning floor, a wood-burning floor, a heating area and a cooling area. The heat emitted from burning wood leads to the firing area to fire the ceramics.
Firewood burning is a delicate art made by the thoughts and enthusiasm of the artisan who makes it. Each work has an unexpected and unique beauty, which is why so many people love it. wood fired ceramics. It is said that only when born from a wood stove, pottery can be so elegant and soulful. The color of time is the color that the wood stove creates for the ceramic, the ceramic remains quiet, as it is, as ceramic should be.
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Frog kiln - the oldest ceramic kiln
The frog kiln is considered the oldest ceramic kiln, appearing around the 17th century. Nowadays, although it is very rare to see this type of frog furnace, through indirect sources we can still imagine what the furnace looks like.
The ceramic kiln is made of civil bricks, shaped like a frog about 7 meters long, about 3-4 meters wide at its widest point, the kiln door is about 1.2 meters wide, and 1 meter high. The bottom of the ceramic kiln is flat and horizontal, covered with a layer of pink clay 6 meters thick. Over time, this material gradually changed to a layer of rustic bricks and mortar mixed with brick-making soil.
The furnace dome is about 2 meters to 2.7 meters high. On the side of the kiln there is a side door 1 meter wide and 1.2 meters high for stacking and unloading products. The frog oven is divided into 5 areas: row row, back row, middle row, mouse row and front row to store products.
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Ceramic kiln
The kiln appeared in the mid-19th century. This kiln has a 9-meter-long, 2.5-meter-wide, 2.6-meter high kiln divided into 10 equal flanges, the separation between the flanges is two columns. . The kiln door is 0.9 meters wide and 1 meter high.
The 10th flange, called the bean flange, connects to the smoke collection chamber through 3 narrow doors. To retain heat, the furnace flange extends and hugs the smoke collection chamber. The inner wall layer is made of Bat Trang bricks, the outer wall layer is built of civil bricks. The furnace uses firewood so the maximum temperature they can reach can be up to 1250 -1300 degrees.
The ceramic kiln uses charcoal
The charcoal ceramic kiln is a traditional firing method that has been around for a long time. This type of furnace has a simple structure, mainly consisting of a heating chamber and a furnace. Charcoal is put into the furnace. When burned, it creates high heat, heats the firing chamber and cooks the ceramic product inside.
This type of furnace is usually made from high-quality refractory bricks, has a variety of sizes and is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1000 degrees. However, for the kiln to operate effectively and durably, potters need to regularly maintain and clean the kiln.
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Bat Trang gourd furnace (dragon furnace)
People discovered the Bat Trang gourd furnace around the 30s of the twentieth century. This ceramic kiln usually has 5 - 7 - 10 gourds depending on usage needs. The bulb has a dome shape arranged consecutively and perpendicular to the target axis, looking like pieces of seashells facing each other.
Box kiln or vertical ceramic kiln
Box furnaces, also known as vertical furnaces, appeared around 1975. The furnace is built of refractory bricks, about 5 meters high and 0.9 meters wide. The furnace structure is simple, box-shaped, and vertical. The kiln floor is built high so that when it rains heavily, water does not overflow into the kiln and is not flooded during the rainy season. The oven has two doors at both ends, takes up little space and is low cost, suitable for small production families.
The box ceramic kiln has an area of 500 m2, with other storage areas bringing the total area to a minimum of 1000 m2. The main fuel to burn the kiln is wood and coal with an average heating temperature of up to 12,500C.
With the above structure, box kilns or vertical kilns are highly effective when firing ceramic products. In particular, even though the oven is at high temperature, the person working outside still does not feel hot.
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Gas ceramic kiln
Gas furnace is a step forward in the ceramic industry, born in 2006. This is a new type of kiln with less pollution, no ash and smoke, very little dust. The time to burn products with gas is shortened compared to using manual technology such as burning with coal or firewood, etc., thus, saving time for burning.
Ceramic kilns using gas are composed of two components: the furnace part and the combustion part. The furnace part contains ceramic products that are about to be fired, while the burning part will contain a gas tank and an igniter to create heat for gas combustion.
Electric ceramic kiln – the most common method
Currently, most businesses and ceramic production units use electric kilns because this type of kiln can easily control the temperature using a computer. The electric ceramic kiln uses heat radiation so it is relatively clean and does not take up much space to create finished products.
Convenient, saves time, reduces environmental pollution, not only that, the quality of porcelain fired with electricity will certainly be superior and more aesthetically pleasing than the ancient types of firing. This type of firing is often used in ceramic factories or ceramic teaching establishments.
Evaluate the efficiency of each ceramic kiln
To meet the increasing demand for ceramic production, choosing a suitable kiln is a decisive factor in the economic efficiency of the business. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of kiln, Long Phuong Porcelain has compiled:
| Các loại lò | Advantages | Defect | Note |
| Wood-fired ceramic kiln, frog kiln, guitar kiln and charcoal kiln | Wood-fired products often have natural, warm colors and bold traditional features. Low initial investment cost Does not require high technology during operation | It is difficult to control the temperature and firing time because it depends on many factors such as type of firewood, amount of firewood, furnace wind... Product quality is uneven, the rate of defective products is high. The firing process takes a long time Productivity of wood burning furnaces is usually low. For furnaces using charcoal: it is difficult to find and buy suitable types of charcoal | However, the kiln has a larger area, allowing the firing of large ceramic products such as jars, vases, screens... Besides, the structure of the kiln also helps store heat better, helping to save energy. save fuel. |
| Gourd furnace (dragon furnace) and box furnace (vertical furnace) | Large capacity, allowing to heat a large number of products. Has a better, more accurate ventilation and temperature control system. High productivity, can fire more products at one time. Product quality is uniform, less error | Requires high technology, workers must have experience to adjust temperature, furnace wind and other factors. High construction costs. Box kilns are more flexible and productive than potting kilns, but construction costs will be higher. | |
| Gas furnace | Compared to electric furnaces, it saves more energy. Firing time is faster than furnaces using charcoal. Can fire many different types of ceramics. | Difficult to control temperature. Can be dangerous if not used properly | |
| Electric ceramic kiln | Easy to use, highly applicable, chosen by many businesses. Good and accurate control of temperature and firing time. Electric ceramic kiln can fire many different types of ceramics. | Consumes a lot of power May cause electrical problems |
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Where to buy high-quality, reputable porcelain?
With a journey of more than two decades in the field of ceramics, Long Phuong Porcelain Proud to be a pioneer, constantly creating and developing more than 400 high-end porcelain designs. Each product is imbued with traditional features combined harmoniously with modernity, meeting all customer needs. We have a team of experienced staff who are knowledgeable about ceramics and the best service to bring customers the best experience.
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Contact Info:
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Email: info@longphuong.vn
CEO of Long Phuong Group Joint Stock Company, with more than 20 years of exploration and research to obtain the best formulas and professional experience, Long Phuong Porcelain has produced more than 400 designs of all kinds of household porcelain, Significant contributions to Vietnam's ceramic industry.
