Open-source ceramic chemistry software

Glaze CTE calculator for crazing and shivering risk

Estimate thermal expansion and compare glaze fit before you commit to a kiln load.

View OpenGlaze on GitHub Self-host with Docker

Short answer

OpenGlaze estimates glaze CTE from material chemistry to help potters reason about glaze fit. A higher mismatch can suggest crazing or shivering risk, which should then be confirmed with real test tiles.

Why it matters

Crazing and shivering are often discovered after firing. CTE analysis gives you an early warning that a recipe may not fit the clay body.

Private by default

The supported launch path is self-hosted SQLite with Docker volumes, so studio recipes stay under your control.

Computational, not magic

The optimizer uses chemistry calculations and ranked suggestions; kiln tests still confirm real-world results.

How OpenGlaze helps

Calculate the glaze oxide chemistry.

Estimate CTE and compare against typical clay body ranges.

Use optimizer suggestions to move the recipe toward a safer fit.

FAQ

Can CTE predict every kiln result?

No. It is a useful model, not a substitute for test tiles and clay-body-specific validation.

What problems can CTE help explain?

CTE can help explain crazing, shivering, and some glaze fit issues.