Types of Porcelain - Porcelain can be divided into three main categories: hard-paste, soft-paste, and bone china. - Hard-paste porcelain is made from kaolin, alabaster, feldspar, and quartz. - Soft-paste porcelain is made by mixing clay with frit and firing at lower temperatures. - Bone china is made from bone ash, kaolin, and china stone. - Porcelain can also be classified as proto-porcelain, porcellaneous, or near-porcelain based on its whiteness and translucency.

History and Production - Porcelain was invented in China during a centuries-long development period. - Hard-paste porcelain was used in Japanese porcelain and Meissen factory in Europe produced the earliest European hard-paste porcelain. - Soft-paste porcelains were early attempts by European potters to replicate Chinese porcelain. - Bone china was developed in England as a competitor to imported porcelain. - Porcelain production reached new heights during the Song dynasty in China. - Chinese porcelain was highly prised in the Islamic world and exported to Asia, Europe, and Africa. - Japanese porcelain production began with the arrival of Korean potters captured during the Japanese invasions of Korea. - Arita became a prominent region for porcelain production in Japan. - Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory in Saint Petersburg became a major European producer. - Soft-paste porcelain was produced in France, Italy, and England.

Materials and Firing - Porcelain is primarily made from the clay mineral kaolinite. - Other raw materials used in porcelain production include feldspar, ball clay, glass, bone ash, steatite, quartz, petuntse, and alabaster. - Porcelain clays have lower plasticity compared to other pottery clays. - Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature than earthenware to achieve vitrification and non-porosity. - Firing temperatures for porcelain can reach over 1,300°C.

Decoration - Porcelain can receive underglaze decoration using pigments like cobalt oxide and copper. - Overglaze enamels are also used for decoration, allowing a wider range of colors. - Modern porcelains are biscuit-fired and then glaze-fired at a high temperature. - Another method is once-fired, where the glaze is applied to the unfired body and fired together in a single operation.

Applications and Manufacturers - Porcelain is widely used for insulators in electrical power transmission systems. - Porcelain tiles are made using the dust-pressed method and are dense and smooth. - Glazed porcelain has been used for personal hygiene and vitreous china is now the dominant material for modern sanitaryware. - Dental porcelain is used for dental restorations and is widely used in cosmetic dentistry. - Germer Porcelanas Finas, Porcelana Schmidt, Blue Ridge, CoorsTek, Inc., Polskie Fabryki Porcelany Ćmielów i Chodzież S.A., Kristoff Porcelana, and Lubiana S.A. are some porcelain manufacturers.

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