Frits

Frits are important components of most ceramic glazes. In simple terms, a frit is a type of ceramic glass. It predominantly consists of silica, diboron trioxide, and soda and is a combination of raw materials, which are melted and rapidly cooled, making them insoluble. This process basically creates a way to safely introduce materials into a glaze which would otherwise be toxic. Frits typically serve as a base component of glazes, however they can also be used alone in low temperature glazes, such as Raku and Majolica.  

Because of their various applications, there are numerous types of Frits, each with specific uses. Despite the diversity, however, manufactured frits typically all contain more than one kind of flux (for melting) and are stabilized with alumina and silica. This causes the frits to be more reliable in consistently reproducing glazes. Generally speaking, lead frits tend to produce shiny, durable surfaces and create bright colors when used with oxides, stains, slips, etc. Lead frits are particularly suitable for use with red clay. Borax frits are typically used in earthenware glazes when a lead-free glaze is required. Unlike lead frits, the color brightness is not as evident in borax frits. Alkaline frits, which are similar to borax frits, have high amounts of soda and potash. These are a particularly suitable base for crackle glazes.

At The Ceramic Shop we stock a number of frits. Please click on the links below to learn more about the frits we carry.