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Fluorspar
Fluorite, Calcium Fluoride, Blue John
Chemistry
Chemistry available on new site, see link above
Significant Temperatures
- 1330C: Melts
Hazards
- Fluorspar
Miscellaneous
- Family: Flux Source
- Region: North America
- Mined At: Unspecified
- Raw Mineral: No
- Generic: Yes
Notes
CaF2 is used in frit preparation and as a low-fire enamel opacifier. It's value lies in the fact that it is an active flux and at the same time an opacifier.
At higher temperatures the fluorine becomes volatile and is released as a poisonous gas. This happens as O2 combines with CaF2 to produce CaO and F2 gas. Even if the gas can be tolerated, the material slowly decomposes to evolve the fluorine gas, and thus is troublesome for use in glazes because of the blistering problems.
If fluorspar is being used as a source of Ca at higher temperatures to create CaO oxide in a glass there has to be an oxidizing atmosphere in the kiln to supply the needed oxygen.
Fluorspars have varying amounts of iron contamination and can be very clean.
Data
- Specific Gravity: 3.10
- Melting Point (MP): 1330C M
Linked Articles
Dealing With Glaze Blisters
Questions and suggestions to help you reason out the cause of ceramic glaze blistering problems and work out a solution
URLs
- Wikipedia Definition - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorspar
Suppliers
- Seaforth Products Corporation
Authors
- Tony Hansen (Owner)
XML
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