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Vulcan Clay 🪨🌋🏺

A novel volcanic clay body derived from basalt.

The material’s ecological characteristics were developed through collaboration between artisans and scientists. It combines in-depth material research with design vision to create functional objects while promoting renewed geological resources.

From the “know” to the “know-how,” a relationship between the artisan’s workshop and the scientist’s laboratory is created. 

* @icelanddesignandarchitecture * European Institute of Ceramic Arts @ieac_guebwiller * French National Centre for Scientific Research @cnrsMaterials Laboratory is2m @uha68 * @culturemoveseurope from the @goetheinstitut

in field e- -> B 

🪨🌌✨💫 Induced northern lights in a lava stone observed in S.E.M

Electrons follow their electric field within pumice cavities, windows on the quantum world. 

From the nano to the cosmos, everything, everywhere, all at once.

“The writing in the rocks is the signature of geological time, marks left by processes of sedimentation and mineralisation so slow that we cannot empathise with them – except in the space-time of volcanic eruptions.

When lava is in mouvement, we perceive the swirls of its inner core, the camouflage stripes and the fault lines of its structure, its veins and cells. This message is only readable for an instant before the petrified black mass becomes mute again. However, a section of petrified volcanic lava from the last volcanic eruption seen through an electron microscope at 100 µm shows a fine mineral lattice, behind which fields of electrons are still being moved by magnetic fields. This microscopic echo of the eruption is a material murmur obeying the same laws as the Aurora Borealis. Electrons in our bodies are moved by the same magnetic forces, constantly exchanging influence with the earth magnetic fields.”

Magma Geomancy Thomas Pausz 

Vulcan Clay.

Vulcan Clay

The concept presented here was initially driven by an intuition: granite and basalt are volcanic rocks. If clay can be derived from granite, an attempt was made to develop a clay from basalt, borrowing the technologies of ceramists to shape and fire it.

The research presented reveals the development of a new clay inspired by the recipe for porcelain but distinct from it, where the minerals in basalt replace the traditional ingredients, allowing us to transform that stone into ceramics—a new material.

From there, a series of empirical and heuristic tests was undertaken to create a preparation method for volcanic clay called « Vulcan Clay » (as a tribute to the Vulcan team of Katia and Maurice Krafft).

The work includes sourcing, analyzing, and preparing the ingredients and firing techniques to obtain a genuinely volcanic ceramic with 50% to 75% of basalt.

As intuition was confronted with practice, it became necessary to engage ceramists and scientists to understand precisely what happens and how, to guide the material. Navigating in the unknown continues, with back-and-forth exchanges between « know » and « Know-how »—between the artisan’s workshop and the scientist’s laboratory—creating a loop. This dialogue allows for joint progress towards innovation. It is up to independent creators to investigate and reclaim ceramic clay recipes. This project is an opportunity to bring together scientists and artisans to promote a material with ecological capabilities.

Partnerships:

@honnunarmidstod @ieac_guebwiller @cnrs @uha68 @goetheinstitut

On the wheel @anne_gloria.lefevre

Video by: @alexandre_costes_@cindyrunli

« Substance » Crushed down to a few micrometers, the slurry is mixed with fundamental clay minerals to obtain a new clay body.

« Matter before material » This chosique interpretation allows us to free the substance from “antropo-functionnalism” and to explore it as it is. ->hylomorphism

“Eutexie” Ferric iron is considered a powerful flux in glaze recipes. Here, for a clay body, the iron in the basalt’s hematite catalyzes the fluxing role of feldspar. It also plays a fascinating role under heat during firing: •Red iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) partially dissolves into feldspars once they start to soften—around 900°C—and accelerates their fusion. •From about 1200°C onward, Fe₂O₃ gradually forms black magnetite, then iron monoxide, releasing oxygen in the process: 3Fe₂O₃ → 2Fe₃O₄ + ½ O₂

Inside the kiln, there will thus be a mixture of CO and CO₂. The monoxide tends to oxidize; lacking fresh air, it will seek oxygen in trivalent iron compounds present in all clay bodies. Red iron oxide becomes a powerful flux once it loses some of its oxygen. In doing so, it speeds up the transformation of the clay.

Oxidized landscape.

The 100-meter-high cinder cone formed from accumulated scoria during a fountain-type eruptive phase. 
Such accretion.
 The basaltic scoria turns red due to oxidation, prolonged contact with the air, and the residual heat of the growing mound.
4FeO + O₂ → 2Fe₂O₃

Here, in the Vestmannaeyjar islands, stands Eldfell Volcano, which erupted in 1973.

Sampling fresh lava from the eruption site Litli-Hrútur July2023⛰️🌋⛰️

innriinnri places value on taking time to meticulously source unique materials and conduct deep research on them.

“Matter before material”

This approach stimulates a new design process for innovation, ensuring that every material choice is relevantly sustainable.

“Earth matters” @philipfimmano about the studio in @hadesignmag nr.09-2019