Ceramic...

Some of you may have already read it in one of my previous posts, but I started training as a ceramist this school year. The course lasts 5 years and is taught at the local academy. So twice a week, you'll find me at school desks and I can assure you, that's at least: intense.

Why, ceramic is just baked clay, isn't it?

That's about right, but not entirely.
Ceramic is indeed the generic name for all objects that were made of clay and then baked at a high temperature in an oven. Pottery, stoneware and porcelain include. under the heading of ceramics. But glass and diamond can also be considered ceramic, because ceramics are created by heating, for example in an oven, and sometimes in combination with pressure.

Ceramos.

The word ceramic comes from the Greek word 'Keramos', which can be translated as clay, pottery clay or 'work made of earth'.

After being worked, shaped and dried, clay was baked into a stony material, which was eventually called ceramic. Think of pots, tableware and art in porcelain, pottery or stoneware, building materials (eg. bricks, paving stones and tiles) but also sanitary facilities (eg. washbasins and toilet bowls).

Sustainability and environmental friendliness.

When it comes to sustainability, you can look at it in two ways.
Clay is the most important raw material for ceramics and is in most cases glazed. As a result, ceramic products are resistant to severe weather conditions and to both chemical and mechanical stresses. They are also colourfast and durable due to their long lifespan without maintenance.
But.
To make ceramics, the creations are baked at a very high temperature, usually several times, which of course consumes a lot of energy. A ceramic product can be very strong, but when you drop your beautiful handmade cup on a hard surface, it is usually broken. The dyes used to color the clay or glaze are also not always environmentally friendly.