Paper read ot a joint meeting of the Bristol Section and the Chemical Engineering
Group of the Society on December 7 'I'lic itiiitiiifiictiirc of liritisli c1icniic:tl stotiewiirc is iiti old iiitliistry ; tltc potter \'cdg\vootl in tltc iiiicltlle of t,lic 15t.11 century tlevclol~cd ii body for iiiortiirs iiiid Iiwtles, wlticlt litis not bccn I~ottcrerl to this thy. Apiirt, how- ever, froiii this csniiiple of ii grciit, potter's skill, t,lic tlcvelo~~tiiciit~ of stoiiewirc ltiiikitig in this colttit ry Itiis Uiit,il tlic Coiiiiiiciiceiiieiit. of the Grciit. \'i\r, ~iiucli of the stoiicwiire used iii this coittit.ry wiis i i i i p r t c i l f'roiii ii~JrOLtd, froiii countries \vltcrc co-opcr:ition I)ct\vccti iiiilkcrs of stonewire iiritl the cltctiiiciil itidustry liiitl rcsiiltcd in n more Itiglily cleveloped product;. Xnt uriilly, iii tlic csplosivcs intlristry conscquctit it poii wiir coiisitlurihly stiniulirtctl its production. 'l'ltc evils of itnlJrepiiri!diiess \vcre iilso iiinde iiiiitiifcst. in tlic poor qititlitics of sonic of tlic wire produced (litring tlte wiir period. ltccciit rcsetircli iiiid esy)crimcnt Iiiivc rcsitlted iti Ihitisli stoneware of' II yuiility greiit Iy superior to thiik nvitiliil~ic only n few yciirs ago. COMPOSITION OF STONEWARE Stoucwprc is ii clay suIJstiitice ; it coiiiplcs iilitttiitiiiitn silicntc. It i i ~i ~~i l l p contnias iiii CS~L'NB of silicri rtiltl is tlicrcfore dcfiiiitcly ricitl in clliirnctcr. 'I'ltcrc is oftcii coiisidcniblc confitsion oil the tliIIcrciicc itiiplictl I J ~ t h tcriiis ciirthon\vnrc! iiiitl stoiic\viiro. 'l!lic dilrercllce is olle of' vitriliciition or incltiitg. An ciisy roligli tlivision caiii 1JU3WNlctl riltlll*r SlO\Vly. tl1e stopprige of slipplies iilltl tltc dclnillltl f'or st ollC\VIITe