A new liquid-phase-separation glaze containing neodymium oxide

A color-changeable opaque glaze containing neodymium oxide was investigated. Results show that the glaze is a new example of the liquid-phase-separation type. The discrete phase droplets are from 50 to 500 nm in size. They are rich in Nd, Zn, Ca, and Mg and the continuous phase is rich in Si, Al, and K. The concentration of the discrete phase is approx. =45%. The large number of discrete droplets and the zinc oxide in the glaze increase its opacity to cover the selective light absorption and scattering of the neodymium ion and reduce the opalescence effect.