Change in the amorphous photonic crystal structural color glaze under the regulation of firing condition

Abstract

By adjusting the addition amount of Ca₃(PO₄)₂ and boron frit, the amorphous photonic crystal structural color glazes with different colors were prepared without introducing colorants with the average heating rate of 4.1 °C/min and the firing temperature of 1300 °C. Furthermore, the effects of firing temperature and heating rate on the structural colors were studied. The results indicated that the contents of Ca₃(PO₄)₂ and boron frit were 2 and 4 %, 2 and 10 %, 3 and 8 % (mass fraction), respectively, the amorphous photonic crystal structural color glazes with purple, blue, and light cyan colors were prepared. When the firing temperature decreased from 1300 to 1250 °C, the presence of residual quartz and the uneven distribution of phase separation structures increased the brightness of structural colors and decreased the color saturation. In addition, after decreasing the average heating rate from 4.1 to 2.8 °C/min, the diopside was formed in the glazes. It absorbed iron at high temperatures and transformed into green diopside. Under the coupling effect of the chemical color generated by diopside and the structural color generated by phase separation structures, a cyan color with high color saturation appeared in the glaze.