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KERAFLEX PORCELAIN: ABOUT 
Keraflex Porcelain is made from ceramic raw materials and an organic binding matrix which
burns out when fired. Once fired, Keraflex is pure porcelain - 0.5mm or 1.0mm thick.
There is no other clay body that allows such a wide range of possibilities!
-Keraflex Flexible Porcelain Tape is made from ceramic raw materials and an organic binding matrix which burns out when fired to cone ten, resulting in a strong and translucent pure porcelain.
-Keraflex Porcelain opens up a world of possibilities and applications previously unattainable in clay. The green strength and flexibility of the Keraflex sheets offers the most amazing breakthrough technology for both 2 and 3d work.
-Keraflex Porcelain is extremely thin, very flexible when green, yet strong and very translucent when fired. Before firing, Keraflex couldn’t behave less like porcelain.
-Keraflex Porcelain can be easily cut with scissors or a knife. You can then bond pieces together with the Keraflex Slurry to create layered effects on a 2d surface (wonderful when backlit) or 3d constructed work.
-Keraflex Porcelain can be soaked in lukewarm water to soften. With a feel much like a thick sheet of rubbery paper when wet you can then bend or fold the sheet into complex 3d forms then let dry before firing.
-Keraflex Porcelain can be used as a 2d painting or drawing substrate. There are a myriad of ways to apply imagery onto the surface, either by glazing, screen-printing, or drawing with oxides pre and/or post firing. Decals can also be used.-Keraflex can be used to decorate functional ware.
-Keraflex Porcelain shapes can be quickly applied to the surface of an unfired cone ten porcelain pot or bowl to give an embossed image, instead of the usual labor intensive shellac and sponge method. The work can then be glazed. Please see the Keraflex gallery for step by step instructions and examples of Judi Dyelle's Keraflex embossing technique!
-Keraflex Porcelain can be attached to other cone ten clay bodies. Fine Porcelain details that would be virtually impossible to achieve without Keraflex, can now be added to any other cone ten clay body. This allows you to add extremely fine details quickly and easily. Please see the Keraflex gallery for amazing examples of this method.
-We have extensively tested Keraflex Porcelain after firing, and found that Keraflex Porcelain is stronger than handmade sheets of porcelain of a similar thickness. This is due to both the density and uniformity of the Keraflex sheets. However, remember that the beauty of Keraflex Porcelain is that it IS still pure porcelain! Pure porcelain at that thickness is delicate by its very nature. When you have fired your Keraflex Porcelain artwork, you have then created something precious and beautiful and unique. Like any other piece of fine art, care should naturally be taken when handling your Keraflex Porcelain artwork.
There is no other ceramic medium that allows such a wide range of possibilities!
STORAGE
Sheets cannot dry out, as there is no water content. Simply store in the bag to keep clean prior to using your sheets.
3D MANIPULATION
After soaking in water for a few seconds, Keraflex becomes extremely flexible and can then be bent, shaped, twisted, folded, or woven and then left to dry before you fire it. You can even achieve a crease, if you desire a crisper fold!
With a feel much like a thick sheet of rubbery paper when wet, with care, Keraflex Porcelain can be gently folded to create thin and complex porcelain 3d forms. For maximum flexibility, soak the sheets for no longer than a minute or two in lukewarm water. The material will then have achieved maximum flexibility. Please note: soaking for extended periods of time may occasionally cause some gas bubbles to form on the surface of the sheets. This only occurs with the 1.0mm material and generally only after soaking for 8 minutes or longer.
No need to cover and control the drying process. The Keraflex does not have to be dried in a special way after soaking, unlike handmade sheets of porcelain, there is no fear of cracking while the product dries out. Simply let air dry then fire to cone ten. It couldn’t be simpler!
CONSTRUCTION
Keraflex Porcelain can also be used as a construction medium. No need to soak, straight out of the package Keraflex can easily be cut into complex shapes with scissors or a craft knife. Your Keraflex shapes can then be assembled to build 3d sculptures. You can choose whether to cut and construct before firing (some propping when firing may be necessary depending on the core strength of your form) If you wish to laminate sheets or pieces together pre-firing, a thin application of the Keraflex slurry provides a strong bond which also allows for the building up of several layers.
The Keraflex slurry is recommended as the best agent for laminating pieces together, as it is the same color temperature white as the Keraflex Porcelain sheets. It also creates a stronger bond than slip. Alternatively your shapes can be cut and fired flat and then constructed post-firing.
KERAFLEX SLURRY
The Keraflex slurry is an ideal binding agent for the Keraflex Porcelain tape, as it is the same color white as the Keraflex, fires to the same temperature and will provide a strong and invisible join, should you wish to join, laminate or strengthen your artwork. It is best applied to a dry surface. If you are working with Keraflex while wet, allow to dry before applying the slurry where needed. Gently prise apart the two surfaces to be joined, then apply the slurry and clip (paperclips are ideal) press, or prop your work until dry. Then fire to cone ten.
FIRING SCHEDULE
Cone Ten: 1280°C/2335°F
Once this temperature has been attained, you can switch the kiln off and allow to cool.
If you are manually programming your kiln, then an ideal firing schedule would be a two stage schedule of 200-250°F/80-100°C per hour to 1100°F/600°C. After that temperature is attained during the second stage, you can fire straight up to cone ten:1280°C/2335°F as quickly as you wish, keeping in mind the rate that your kiln manufacturer recommends as appropriate for your particular kiln.
It is recommended that you use cones to help gauge the top temperature, as Keraflex does need to attain the full 2300-2335°F/1260-1280°C to be fully vitrified.
Mutiple firings
You can fire Keraflex Porcelainas many times as necessary if for example, you are building up layers of visual imagery with stains or oxides or decals etc. Keraflex Porcelain can be glazed after firing to cone ten, and then refired to the recommended glaze temperature.
Bisque
It is not desirable or necessary to fire Keraflex Porcelain to bisque. Because the sheets are just 0.5mm and 1.0mm thin, at bisque they are extremely fragile. If it is necessary for your work to be fired in a group bisque firing, ask your technician to leave your work in the kiln until the final firing to the full temperature, so that your work is not being handled unnecessarily at the fragile bisque stage.
Shrinkage/Propping
Keraflex Porcelain is far more forgiving than other porcelains of the same thickness. Propping in the kiln for 3d pieces should be done as you would other thin porcelain work, however warping is far less significant with Keraflex.
We have found that flat pieces can even be loaded into the kiln overhanging the kiln shelves and will still shrink easily onto the shelf during firing with no warping or slumping, as long as you follow the recommended firing schedule.
As expected with porcelain, shrinkage is approximately 15% when fired to cone ten.
Note:If you have any questions about Keraflex Porcelain, simply click on the "contact us" button at the top of any page.