polymers

Communication
Research on the Application of Polymer Materials in
Contemporary Ceramic Art Creation
Xiaobing Hu 1 , Yuanqian Lai 2, *, Yingshuang Hu 1 , Yingzhuo Li 1 , Dan Zhao 1 and Fang Tong 1

1 Fine Art School, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246001, China; 1976hxb@163.com (X.H.);
e2388298909@hotmail.com (Y.H.); onew121478@outlook.com (Y.L.); z13235918997@hotmail.com (D.Z.);
T768905708@hotmail.com (F.T.)
2 School of Art, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
* Correspondence: 101300148@seu.edu.cn

Abstract: Ceramicized polymer composites are prepared by adding various additives into the
polymer matrix, such as functional clay fillers, porcelain-forming additives, crosslinking agents,
flame retardants, reinforcement agents, etc. In recent years, polymer materials have been widely
used in the preparation of ceramic materials. Moreover, the addition of polymer materials in ceramic
materials results in increased bending in the ceramic body, and its mechanical strength has been
greatly improved; this advantage has led many contemporary ceramists to use polymer materials in
the creation of ceramic works, providing ceramic creation more space for operation. The introduction
of polymer materials into ceramic materials brings more possibilities than traditional ceramic creation
based on the tests of toughness, strength, and yield of the ceramic body. This article investigates
ceramic raw materials with high-polymer material ceramic function, high-polymer materials for
modern pottery to convey the artistic expression of porcelain texture, as well as the use of high-
polymer materials in gel-powered three-dimensional (3D) printing to refine the injection molding



process, all of which solve the difficulties of creating delicate artworks in modern ceramic art creation.


This paper mainly adopts the research method of recording and comparing the numerical value
Citation: Hu, X.; Lai, Y.; Hu, Y.; Li, Y.;
of adding ceramic materials into polymer materials and the physical shape after firing in ceramic
Zhao, D.; Tong, F. Research on the
creation, to form a relatively stable numerical value and firing curve for a certain type of ceramic
Application of Polymer Materials in
creation form. In this regard, the integration of modern ceramic creation and polymer materials
Contemporary Ceramic Art Creation.
Polymers 2022, 14, 552. https://
makes ceramic works a relatively special style in contemporary art, increasing its cultural connotation
doi.org/10.3390/polym14030552 and visual tension.

Academic Editors: Valentina Pintus

Keywords: polymer materials; modern pottery creation; vision and performance; three-dimensional
and Odile Madden
printing
Received: 18 January 2022
Accepted: 24 January 2022
Published: 29 January 2022
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
with regard to jurisdictional claims in Polymer materials are one of the rapidly developed and more used protective materials
published maps and institutional affil- in recent years, mainly including acrylate, epoxy resin, silicone, organic fluorine cellulose
iations. derivatives, etc. [1]. Professor Yibing C, Monash University, Australia, invented ceramic
polymer composites, used for refractory cables and were commercially produced by Ce-
ram Polymerik, Australia [2]. After research, Yuhong C, and other scholars considered
the feasibility of cellulose–chitosan copolymer products for the sealing and protection
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. of stone cultural relics and prepared cellulose–chitosan grafting copolymers [3]. After
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. protection by the sealing material with cellulose–chitosan grafting polymer concentration,
This article is an open access article
the stone sample maintains the original texture, luster, and color, and hydrophilicity, aging
distributed under the terms and
resistance, and other properties have been greatly improved, which has a broad prospect in
conditions of the Creative Commons
ceramic art.
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
Due to the participation of polymers in ceramic production, in the process of ceramic
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
production, the addition of ceramic enhancers can improve the strength of the initial
4.0/).

Polymers 2022, 14, 552. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14030552 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers

Polymers 2022, 14, 552 2 of 12

porcelain products and also improve their lubricity, as a lubricant in the process of ceramic
production can promote the formation of blank, prevent sticky mold, make the product
easy to off mold, and improve the quality and yield of finished products. In the current
ceramic production, the lack of edge drop phenomenon caused by the lack of blank strength
is more serious, which reduces the yield rate. The preparation of blank is a very important
link. Therefore, in the creation of modern ceramic art, how to improve the success rate
of raw material tire formation and the visual appearance of ceramic works has become
an urgent problem for contemporary ceramists and ceramic artists to solve. In recent
years, many scholars have discussed the influence of polymer materials interventional
ceramic raw materials on ceramic products in depth and mainly from several aspects.
First, polymer materials in ceramic preparation of raw materials are mainly put forward
since, with the improvement in people’s quality of life, traditional single stone, wood,
glass, ceramics, paint, and other materials cannot meet people’s needs, and therefore, a
large number of new decorative materials emerged and developed rapidly; this is reflected
in varieties and types, but also reflected in the material nature, function, and grade, so
features such as green environmental protection, superior function, luxury decoration, and
other remarkable performance aspects of multifunctional composite decorative materials
will be more favored by people [4]. Professor Wang and others believe that silica-based
materials are one of the most widely used materials in optics, memS, aerospace, and
some other industries [5]. In practical applications, silica-based materials need to be
connected with themselves or other heterogeneous materials, to assemble products with
various functions, and these researchers elaborated the future development trend of SiO2
ceramic connection, used to comprehensively understand the potential improvement of
SiO2 ceramic connection technology. Areias et al. and other scholars believe that municipal
sewage sludge can be directly added to clay bricks for construction. With Winkler and
the prediction chart, it is revealed for the first time that the maximum addition is 50
wt%. Clay bricks produced at firing temperatures of 850 ◦ C and 950 ◦ C and up to 15%
sludge addition have no environmental impact and meet the criteria of linear shrinkage,
water absorption, and mechanical strength. In addition, sludge as fuel contributes 40%
of the combustion energy in the sintering process. As a result, clay bricks with sewage
added may be made at the lowest price, costing only 16 percent of the corresponding
concrete bricks and 20 percent of ordinary clay bricks fired at higher temperatures [6].
Scholars such as Vilarinho believe that waste valuation is crucial because natural raw
materials are scarce. In Europe, eggshell waste is produced up to 150 kroner/year, and
landfills are often the only option. This research aimed to develop eco-ceramic wall tiles
using biological calcium carbonate from eggshell waste as raw materials. Several pastes
were prepared using eggshell wastes instead of the natural raw limestone used today.
Total substitution of bio-calcium carbonate using the same particle size method resulted
in a 19% increase in bending strength through the characterization of samples, without
affecting other properties (linear thermal coefficient, weight reduction, emission shrinkage,
water absorption, density, color coordinates), all values within the industrial range [7].
The application prospect of polymer materials in building ceramics is very broad, which
will make an immeasurable contribution to improving people’s living environment and
improving the quality of life [8–10]. In terms of firing and high-temperature resistance of
ceramic products, some scholars propose that continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic-based
composites have low density, high strength, high toughness, and good oxidation resistance
and, therefore, have become competitive candidates.
Moreover, it is proposed that in ceramic products, different new antioxidant interface
phases are needed to choose according to different fibers and ceramic matrix, and the
preparation method is optimized to prepare continuous uniform and dense interface
phases without damaging the fiber strength while improving the overall performance
of the ceramic matrix composites [11]. However, due to the relatively weak interface
strength of most CFCC and that the fracture process is more complex than traditional
composites, exploring the fracture process and the factors affecting the fracture process
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 3 of 12

is key to in-depth study and application of CFCC. Starting from the CFCC matrix defect,
Hailong X reasonably simplified the defect to the lip defect, solved the theory solution of
the defect stress strength factor (SIF) and the conformal transformation theorem, used it
as the criterion for crack expansion, and further analyzed the impact of the geometric size
of the defect on SIF [12]. Although this material may cause defects in the preparation of
raw materials, it provides the vision of technical support for the creation of contemporary
ceramic works. Second, the application of polymer materials is conducive to the 3D
printing of ceramic products. The 3D printing method is used to model ceramic products
in advance, and then, the design and modeling works are accurately produced through
3D printing equipment. As 3D printing can accurately realize the creative thinking of
artists and designers, 3D printing technology is increasingly used in the creation of ceramic
products and contemporary ceramic works. Moreover, given the difficulty of forming
complex structural porous ceramics, long mold making cycle and high cost, a research
group studied the forming process of porous ceramic materials based on 3D printing mold
and gel injection mold forming. Based on making high-precision regular resin mold using
light-curing molding technology, the low viscosity and high solid content alumina ceramic
slurry required for the gel injection molding process is optimized, and the aluminum oxide
ceramic billet is formed by the vacuum compression process, to achieve the net formation
of porous ceramic parts of complex structure [13]. Pan and other scholars proposed that it is
an attractive strategy to combine 3D printing technology with polymer ceramic technology
to construct wave-absorbing honeycomb with fine structure through a flexible process.
However, the preparation of honeycomb ceramics with superior mechanical and absorbing
properties is still a challenge. Using polysilazane and multifunctional acrylate as raw
materials, SiCN honeycomb ceramics were prepared by stereolithography. By optimizing
the multifunctional acrylate and its ratio, the decomposition of organic components was
matched with the ceramization process of the precursor, so that the ceramics had higher
compactness [14]. It can be seen that domestic and foreign researchers have achieved much
success in the preparation of polymer materials by adding ceramic raw materials and
using 3D printing technology to form the mechanism of ceramic formation, the structural
characterization of ceramic bodies, and the overall performance of ceramicized polymers.
Although most of these research results focus on the production of materials and special
ceramics, they provide many useful references for contemporary ceramic creation in terms
of materials and molding. This article discusses the application of polymer materials in the
creation of modern ceramic art. The purpose is firstly the fusion of polymer materials in
ceramic raw materials to improve the strength of the ceramic body; secondly, it is helpful
to increase the bending and toughness of ceramic creation, making it possible to create
difficult modern ceramic art; thirdly, the use of polymer gel injection molding technology,
combined with 3D printing molds, realizes the formation of complex shapes such as porous
and multi-layered shapes. Porcelain craftsmanship is used to study the multiple functions
and visual space of modern pottery creation. Through these three parts, the research aimed
to use interdisciplinary thinking to explore the integration of modern ceramic art creation
and the frontier fields of science and technology, and to play a guiding role in analysis,
style, and paradigm for modern ceramic art creation.

2. Methods
This study mainly began from the following research methods:
The first was the on-site recording method. The fusion of polymer composite materials
and ceramic raw materials involves the ceramic effect formed by different numerical ratios.
The different ratio values are mainly recorded through the recording method. The ceramist
marks the different ratio values. After the porcelain blank is naturally dried, The physical,
stress, and finished product styles of the porcelain blanks are recorded in detail for use as a
reference model.
The second was the sample burning method. Ceramics are made in three parts and
fired in seven parts. The fusion of polymer composite materials and pottery raw materials.
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 4 of 12

After the ceramic body is naturally dried, it must undergo trial firing to analyze the effect
of different temperature curves, kiln positions, and time on the formation of ceramic bodies.
The impact is ready to form a paradigm and improve yield.
The third method used was the cross-fusion method. Ceramic craftsmanship is a
multi-disciplinary fusion. This study focused on combining the cross-fusion method
with computer images, using computers to present creative ideas, and using 3D technol-
ogy to solve difficult craftsmanship. The creative concept and design thinking were put
into practice.

3. The Fusion of Polymer Materials and Ceramic Raw Materials Enhances the Artistic
Function and Spatial Vision of Ceramics
Ceramics is a general term of pottery and porcelain, but also a form of arts and crafts
in China. In the Neolithic Age, China had rough and simple, colored and black pottery. Tao
and porcelain have different textures and different properties. Tao is made of high viscosity,
with more plastic clay as the main raw material, is opaque, and has subtle pores and weak
absorbance, with the sound of attack turbidity. Porcelain is made of clay, feldspar, and
quartz, is translucent, does not absorb water, and has corrosion-resistant, rigid, and tight
fetal mass; the sound of its tapping is brittle. Traditional Chinese ceramic arts and crafts
have high quality and beauty, with high artistic value, aspects for which it is well known in
the world.
The basic raw material of ceramic is composed of rock weathering and decomposition
on the surface and belongs to the aqueous aluminum silicate mineral, including quartz,
feldspar, porcelain stone, clay, and ceramic raw materials. Among them, clay and kaolin
are plastic substances, which have plastic and binding roles in the process of porcelain
making, to ensure the strength of the billet body and various practical energy after firing.
Quartz is a barren material that reduces viscosity and, therefore, can reduce the viscosity
of the billet. The burning part of the quartz is dissolved in the feldspar glass, which can
improve the viscosity of the liquid phase, prevent deformation at high temperature, and
act as a skeleton frame in the porcelain billet after cooling. Feldspar is a flux raw material.
After high-temperature melting, some quartz and ceramic raw materials compounds can
be melted and the high viscosity glass can have a high-temperature bonding effect. The
main components of the clay are the oxides of silicon and aluminum, coupled with iron,
potassium, magnesium, calcium, titanium, and sodium, which together constitute the eight
elements of rock making and are also the elements often involved in porcelain making.
Among these eight elements, aluminum and silicon are the skeleton materials of ceramics,
while potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and alkaline-earth metal oxides belong to
melting materials. Iron and titanium oxides have coloring functions in firing white pottery
and white porcelain. Before the Song and Yuan Dynasties, porcelain raw materials were
made with the one-yuan formula of porcelain stone. After the Song Dynasty, with the
improvement of the kiln and the gradual improvement of the firing temperature, the circular
point of a single formula became increasingly prominent. The Yuan Dynasty invented the
binary formula of porcelain stone + kaolin creatively and improved the aluminum content
of the fetus.
Although the porcelain process can be made using a single raw material and trans-
forming it into porcelain, composites of binary ceramic raw materials cannot be used for tire
production, because the ceramic raw materials aluminum content is very high, melt content
is very low, it is difficult to burn, and difficult to incorporate with porcelain stone, and
therefore, improving the micro-structure, the mechanical strength, and thermal stability of
the porcelain tire, and reducing defects such as deformation are necessary. As ceramic raw
materials has an important role in porcelain making and significant component of Chinese
ceramic art, in the creation of contemporary ceramic art, increasing attention should be
paid to ceramic raw materials thermal stability to increase the success rate of ceramic art
modeling; the fusion of ceramic raw materials and polymer materials is also an area of
focus for current researchers and ceramic art creators.
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 5 of 12

As a natural clay mineral, ceramic raw materials has a layered structure, strong
adsorption properties, and good biocompatibility, and has a typical 1:1 layered silicate
crystal structure. These characteristics give ceramic raw materials a superior advantage in
contemporary ceramic art. This advantage is especially evident in architectural ceramic art
in terms of disguised thermal storage performance.
Calcination and acid immersion of silica nanoplates of natural-coal-mined ceramic raw
materialsite minerals were successfully synthesized so that Ag nanoparticles with small
particles, good dispersion, and size of around 6 nm can be evenly attached to the surface
of Sn2 + activated SNSs, which greatly improves the thermal conductivity and stability of
Ag/Sn2 + -SNSs. The structural synergy of Ag/Sn2 + -SNSs serves to improve the thermal
conductivity of the phase transition materials. The introduction of Agn Ps significantly
shortens the melting and solidification cycles of materials and promotes the heat transfer
of composite phase transition materials. Moreover, the composite phase transition material
can still maintain good thermal reliability after 202 cycles, fully indicating its application
potential in heat storage systems [15]. The phase transition properties formed by the fusion
of ceramic raw materials with other polymer materials are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Thermal properties of fusion of ceramic raw materials and polymer materials.

Phase Change Latent Heat Phase

Composite PCM
Temperature/◦ C Chang/(J g)
Lauric acid (65%)/expanded perlite 46 92
Lauriccapric acid + fire retardant/gypsum 20 30
Lauricstearic acid (40%)/gypsum 30 50.5
Capricmyristic acid (22%)/VMT 16 27
Capricmyristic acid/expanded perlite 23 88
LA-LAL/ceramic raw materials 22 45

According to the phase transition performance of several materials in the table, the
fusion material has good heat storage, ventilation, and air conditioning functions, suitable
for its use in ceramic heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, which makes the application
of ceramics no longer stay at the level of its use in floor tiles but be extended to applications
of a broader space, such as indoor murals, background wall, the wall device of a concert
hall, etc. Ceramic raw materials with polymer and polymer composite properties are
adopted by ceramists to enhance energy storage; this is most manifest in the contemporary
ceramist Zhu Legend ceramic work “The Box of Life” (Figure 1). To improve the toughness
of ceramic materials and ceramic artworks and create an interaction between space, sound,
light, and color, the potter used a fusion of ceramic raw materials and fatty acids and
alcohols on the solid–liquid phase-change material and determined the numerical required
according to the ceramic artworks to allocate and maximize the effect of polymer materials
in the performance of the ceramic billet. From the perspective of “The Box of Life”, due to
the enhancement of toughness of ceramic materials, the creative techniques and properties
of ceramics become diverse and more possible. After forming, the works, large and small,
with uneven mud pieces rolled into different shapes of flower elements, were installed in
the interior space, independent from the building having a mobile art space, changing the
use of ceramic as a single building material attribute. The conveyed idea in this artwork is
that with the rapid changes of social life, human feelings of the world are changing, but
ceramic art began by simple visual appreciation, gradually shifting toward an immersive
interactive experience; such an experience is based on the use of mud and the resulting
dialogue with nature and humanity, prompting human and space to convey the internal
linkage between people and objects. Due to the performance advantage of ceramic raw
materials composite with high-polymer material, the strength and toughness of artworks
are guaranteed and the thermal stability is improved during firing, thus improving the
 mobile art space, changing the use of ceramic as a single building material attribute. The
conveyed idea in this artwork is that with the rapid changes of social life, human feelings
of the world are changing, but ceramic art began by simple visual appreciation, gradually
shifting toward an immersive interactive experience; such an experience is based on the
Polymers 2022, 14, 552
use of mud and the resulting dialogue with nature and humanity, prompting human 6and of 12
space to convey the internal linkage between people and objects. Due to the performance
advantage of ceramic raw materials composite with high-polymer material, the strength
and toughness of artworks are guaranteed and the thermal stability is improved during
product yieldimproving
firing, thus and the smooth texture,
the product to follow
yield and thethesmooth
tradition of Chinese
texture, works
to follow theintradition
integrating
of
the
Chinese works in integrating the environment, people, light, and sound sources increasing
environment, people, light, and sound sources to form a complete space and to form a
the tensionspace
complete of theand
interior space in
increasing theterms of visual
tension of the art; it also
interior brings
space in aterms
senseofofvisual
temperature
art; it
and ecology to the viewer.
also brings a sense of temperature and ecology to the viewer.

Figure1.1. “The
Figure “The Box
Box of
of Life”
Life” by
by Zhu
Zhu Legend,
Legend, aa contemporary
contemporary ceramic
ceramicartist.
artist.

4.4. Incorporating
Incorporating Polymer
Polymer Materials into the CreationCreation ofof Modern
ModernCeramics
Ceramicsto toEnhance
Enhance
the
theTexture
Textureand andArtistic
ArtisticExpression
Expression of of the
the Porcelain
Porcelain
The
The ceramic
ceramic polymer
polymer material is aa new
material is new and
and rapidly
rapidly developed
developed thermal
thermalprotection
protection
material
material [16]. Different from traditional polymer materials, which burn in flame ororhigh-
[16]. Different from traditional polymer materials, which burn in flame high-
temperature
temperature environments,
environments, thisthis new
new material
material can
can maintain
maintain the
the polymer’s
polymer’ssoftsofttexture,
texture,
flexibility, and easy-to-form characteristics, and can quickly become ceramic
flexibility, and easy-to-form characteristics, and can quickly become ceramic when placed when placed
in flame or high-temperature environments; ceramic’s sintering body
in flame or high-temperature environments; ceramic’s sintering body is hard and has is hard and hasaa
certain bending strength and compression strength, and as a ceramic material,
certain bending strength and compression strength, and as a ceramic material, is flame- is flame-and
corrosion
and corrosion resistant.
resistant.
The
The polymermatrix
polymer matrixalsoalsoinfluences
influencesceramic
ceramicpolymer
polymercomposites,
composites,with
withdifferent
differentresid-
re-
ual
sidual substances, which have a great influence on the formation of ceramic bodies.Alexan-
substances, which have a great influence on the formation of ceramic bodies. Alex-
der
ander et al.
et al.prepared
preparedceramic
ceramicpolymer
polymermaterials
materials with
with polyethylene, nitrile rubber,
polyethylene, nitrile rubber,andand
polyvinyl
polyvinyl acetate, with aluminum hydroxide, ammonium polyphosphate, and talc asas
acetate, with aluminum hydroxide, ammonium polyphosphate, and talc
porcelain fillers, characterized the sintering effect with linear shrinkage rate and bending
strength [17], and studied the effect of different substrates on the sintering effect of ceramic
polymer composites.
The results showed that the certified polymer material prepared for the substrate
had the best sintering performance, with a linear shrinkage rate of −5.6% and bending
strength of 5.3 MPa. As an important component of ceramic polymer composition, the
number of porcelain additives has a great impact on the ceramic properties formed by
ceramic polymer composition ablation. Jianhua, G et al. developed the effect of low melting
point in glass powder content used in the porcelain-forming process [18]. The results
 polymer composites.
The results showed that the certified polymer material prepared for the substrate had
the best sintering performance, with a linear shrinkage rate of −5.6% and bending strength
of 5.3 MPa. As an important component of ceramic polymer composition, the number of
porcelain additives has a great impact on the ceramic properties formed by ceramic poly-
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 7 of 12
mer composition ablation. Jianhua, G et al. developed the effect of low melting point in
glass powder content used in the porcelain-forming process[18]. The results show that
with the increase in glass powder content, the porcelain filling mica and molten glass
show
powder that withtothe
react increase
generate in glass
quartz andpowder content,
magnesium the porcelain
silicate crystals. filling
Withinmica and molten
a certain range,
glass powder
with the react content
increasing to generate quartz
of the glass and magnesium
powder, the linearsilicate crystals.
contraction Within
of the a certain
ceramic body
range, with the increasing content of the glass powder, the linear contraction
increases, and the bending strength increases [19]. The co-crystal reaction formed by pol-of the ceramic
body
ymer increases,
materials is and theto
used bending
improve strength increases
the bending [19]. The
strength co-crystal
of ceramic reaction
molding, formed
which by
is the
polymer
expression technique often used by ceramists in ceramic production. Jingjing Zhang is
materials is used to improve the bending strength of ceramic molding, which is
the
oneexpression technique often
of the representative used by
ceramists. ceramists
In her works,inthe
ceramic
visualproduction. Jingjingpottery
tension of ceramic Zhang is is
one
oftenofexpressed
the representative
in a curvedceramists. In her works,
shape, producing the visual
columns tension
of ceramic of ceramic
works, such aspottery
those ofis
often expressed in a curved shape, producing columns of ceramic works,
the “Solitone” series (Figure 2), the “Porcelain Speak New Language” series (Figure 3), such as those of
the
etc. “Solitone” series (Figure 2), the “Porcelain Speak New Language” series (Figure 3), etc.

Polymers 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 12

artistic “suffering”, i.e., they need considerable effort and are labor intensive; this is also
owing2.to“Solitone”
Figure the ceramic
seriesraw materials
by Jingjing added in polymer materials, resulting in a massive
Zhang.
Figure
volume 2. “Solitone” series by Jingjing Zhang.
to be completed.
Due to the increased bending strength, ceramics can increase the volume of the work
in a public art space to accommodate the visual space of the environment. In addition,
many designers, architects, and well-known artists are focusing on ceramics and reenvi-
sioning how ceramics can be applied as a new element. The significance of ceramic inter-
vention in modern space is evident in the space design and art of the Norjin Hotel, which
presents a very good model. In the past, among the art forms used in hotels, modern ce-
ramics were ranked after all other art categories. However, the Norjin Hotel introduced
massive ceramic works into the environment. At the same time, ceramic elements in other
areas are used in different corners of the space. Ceramic artwork intervention in the hotel
space setting is not a possibility—it is already underway. However, there are still many
technical problems about the degree of intervention. Ceramics is a dominant process in-
dustry, and no matter how good the design and modeling, they eventually must pass
through fire; in the hotel lobby, massive ceramic elements (Figure 4) are used, after much

Figure3.3.Porcelain
Figure PorcelainSpeak
SpeakNew
NewLanguage
Languageseries
seriesby
byJingjing
JingjingZhang.
Zhang.

Due to the increased bending strength, ceramics can increase the volume of the work in
a public art space to accommodate the visual space of the environment. In addition, many
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 8 of 12

designers, architects, and well-known artists are focusing on ceramics and reenvisioning
how ceramics can be applied as a new element. The significance of ceramic intervention in
modern space is evident in the space design and art of the Norjin Hotel, which presents a
very good model. In the past, among the art forms used in hotels, modern ceramics were
ranked after all other art categories. However, the Norjin Hotel introduced massive ceramic
works into the environment. At the same time, ceramic elements in other areas are used in
different corners of the space. Ceramic artwork intervention in the hotel space setting is
not a possibility—it is already underway. However, there are still many technical problems
about the degree of intervention. Ceramics is a dominant process industry, and no matter
how good the design and modeling, they eventually must pass through fire; in the hotel
lobby, massive ceramic elements (Figure 4) are used, after much artistic “suffering”, i.e.,
they need considerable effort and are labor intensive; this is also owing to the ceramic raw
materials added inSpeak
Figure 3. Porcelain polymer
New materials, resulting
Language series in a massive
by Jingjing Zhang. volume to be completed.

Figure 4.
Figure 4. Ceramics
Ceramics installation
installation in
in hotel
hotel furnishing
furnishing by
by Jingjing
Jingjing Zhang.
Zhang.

Haibin et
Haibin et al.
al. [20]
[20] studied
studied thethe effect
effect of
of the
the number
number of of ceramic
ceramic additives on the me-
chanical strength
chanical strength ofof ceramic.
ceramic. The
The results
results show
show that
that the
the mechanical
mechanical strength
strength ofof the
the ceramic
ceramic
body
body gradually
gradually increases
increases asas the
the content
content ofof porcelain
porcelain aid aid increases.
increases. However,
However, itit isis not
not that
that
the
the higher
higher content
content of of the
the porcelain
porcelain aidaid is
is more
more conducive
conducive to the formation of porcelain.
Under
Under aa certain
certain amount
amount of of filling,
filling, the
the addition
addition of of the
the porcelain
porcelain aidaid helps
helps to
to improve
improve the the
percentage
percentageof ofthe
the melting
melting components
components at at high
high temperatures,
temperatures, thus thus promoting
promoting thethe porcelain
porcelain
formation
formation reaction
reaction between
between the the porcelain
porcelain filler
filler and
and thethe matrix
matrix residue.
residue. However,
However, ifif the the
content
content of the porcelain aid is too high, there are too many melting components at
of the porcelain aid is too high, there are too many melting components at high
high
temperatures,
temperatures, which
which makes
makes the the composite
composite material
material loselose its
its supportive
supportive performance
performance and and
lead
lead to
tosevere
severevolume
volumecontraction,
contraction,whichwhichis is
notnotconducive
conducive to to
thethe
formation
formationof complete
of completece-
ramics. Therefore, the improvement of ceramic porcelain technology by polymer materials
is realized by the use of contemporary ceramic creation. Using this type of porcelain aid to
enhance the ultimate strength of the ceramic manifests in the ceramic works of He Qin, Li
Qingqing, and Peng Mengniu (Figure 5). For instance, “Language of Life” is very vivid. In
the process of presenting the evolution of life, this work shows an abstract, free form of
life transformed to the germination stage of the image. As the ceramic material underwent
the firing process, water separation was used to cause objects to gradually shrink into
several thin support columns, the weight of the main part being obviously supported by
them; incorporating porcelain additives into the composite material makes the support
pillars strong enough to bear the weight of the main body, effectively solving the challenge
 aid to enhance the ultimate strength of the ceramic manifests in the ceramic works of He
Qin, Li Qingqing, and Peng Mengniu (Figure 5). For instance, “Language of Life” is very
vivid. In the process of presenting the evolution of life, this work shows an abstract, free
form of life transformed to the germination stage of the image. As the ceramic material
underwent the firing process, water separation was used to cause objects to gradually
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 shrink into several thin support columns, the weight of the main part being obviously 9 of 12

supported by them; incorporating porcelain additives into the composite material makes
the support pillars strong enough to bear the weight of the main body, effectively solving
thecompletion
of challenge of
ofcompletion
the work for of the
the work
ceramistfor the ceramist
while while
realizing realizing
the the visual impres-
visual impression of the
sion of the remarkable
remarkable evolution ofevolution
life. of life.

Figure5.5. “Language
Figure “Languageof
ofLife”
Life”Qin
QinHe,
He,Qingqing
QingqingLi,
Li,and
andMengniu
MengniuPeng.
Peng.

5.
5. Gel
Gel injection
injection Molding
MoldingProcess
ProcessHelps
Helps3D 3DCeramic
CeramicPrinting
Printingto toRealize
RealizethetheDiversified
Vision of Ceramic Works
Diversified Vision of Ceramic Works
At present, with the frequent communication between Chinese and Western cultures,
At present, with the frequent communication between Chinese and Western cultures,
contemporary ceramic art creation is not satisfied with a single visual form. Ceramist
contemporary ceramic art creation is not satisfied with a single visual form. Ceramist art-
artists gradually pay attention to the application of mechanical and tonic image structure
ists gradually pay attention to the application of mechanical and tonic image structure in
in ceramic art creation, presenting the virtual and real visual effect of ceramic artworks, to
ceramic art creation, presenting the virtual and real visual effect of ceramic artworks, to
increase the narrative of ceramic artworks. As a better technology, 3D printing technology
increase the narrative of ceramic artworks. As a better technology, 3D printing technology
is widely used in various industries. The ceramic industry also pays attention to the fast,
is widely used in various industries. The ceramic industry also pays attention to the fast,
precise, and various forms of 3D printing technology, which can realize mass production in
precise, and various forms of 3D printing technology, which can realize mass production
the ceramic industry, with breakthrough artificial mold making and precision accuracy of
in the ceramic industry, with breakthrough artificial mold making and precision accuracy
parameter coefficients. The traditional 3D printing technology is used for ceramic molding,
of parameter coefficients. The traditional 3D printing technology is used for ceramic mold-
which is mostly used in the manufacturing of solid porcelain tires. This method is difficult to
ing, which is mostly used in the manufacturing of solid porcelain tires. This method is
form complex structural porous ceramics. In addition, the long mold production cycle and
difficult
high coststoare
form
alsocomplex structural porous
its disadvantages. ceramics.
Therefore, In addition,
the injection mode of thepolymer
long moldgel produc-
and the
tion cycle and high costs are also its disadvantages. Therefore, the injection
fusion with a 3D printing mold can solve the molding process of porous ceramic materials. mode of pol-
ymer gel and the fusion with a 3D printing mold can solve the molding
A combination of traditional ceramic molding techniques and 3D molding techniques is process of porous
ceramic
used materials.
in various stepsAof combination of traditional
the printing process ceramicmolds
such as making molding techniques
in stereo and 3D
light-curing 3D
molding techniques is used in various steps of the printing process such
printing technology, gel injection molding to form complex structural porous ceramics, and as making molds
in stereo
finally, light-curing
removing 3D printing
the resin technology,
mold [21,22] to makegelhigh-precision
injection molding to form
regular complex
resin struc-
mold using
tural porous ceramics, and finally, removing the resin mold [21,22] to make
light-curing molding technology; the low viscosity and high solid content alumina ceramic high-precision
regular
slurry resin mold
required for theusing light-curing
gel injection moldingmolding
processtechnology; the and
are optimized, lowtheviscosity
aluminumandoxide
high
solid content
ceramic billet isalumina
formed ceramic slurrycompression
by a vacuum required forprocess,
the gelto
injection
achieve molding process are
the net formation of
porous ceramic parts of complex structures.
For ceramic materials, the processing of its 3D printing technology is more difficult,
as there are many unsolved problems—namely, the surface roughness is too large, the
mechanical performance is not ideal, the porosity is too large, and the low accuracy of the
parts, which have been existing problems. A 3D ceramic printing technology is also difficult
to adapt to a variety of materials that often need to develop a corresponding 3D printing
technology for a certain characteristic, resulting in high costs. However, with the continuous
improvement in both technology and theory, ceramic 3D printing technology has made
great progress, which is also a research hot spot and focus of current studies. If the appealing
feature of high-temperature sintering used in the traditional ceramic process cannot be
achieved by 3D ceramic printing, the modeling technology of 3D ceramic printing can
 mechanical performance is not ideal, the porosity is too large, and the low accuracy of the
parts, which have been existing problems. A 3D ceramic printing technology is also diffi-
cult to adapt to a variety of materials that often need to develop a corresponding 3D print-
ing technology for a certain characteristic, resulting in high costs. However, with the con-
tinuous improvement in both technology and theory, ceramic 3D printing technology has
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 made great progress, which is also a research hot spot and focus of current studies.10Ifofthe 12
appealing feature of high-temperature sintering used in the traditional ceramic process
cannot be achieved by 3D ceramic printing, the modeling technology of 3D ceramic print-
ing can complete
complete complexcomplex three-dimensional
three-dimensional structures
structures that be
that cannot cannot be realized
realized by the tra-
by the traditional
ditional process.
ceramic ceramic process. The integration
The integration of 3D printing
of 3D printing and polymer
and polymer gel brings
gel brings opportu-
opportunities
nities
for for ceramic
ceramic creation. creation.
PeoplePeople
in designin design and fashion
and fashion use 3Duse 3D printing
printing to realize
to realize their
their ideas,
ideas,
also alsoin
used used in ceramic
ceramic creation,
creation, and and
this this trend
trend willwill continue
continue to to growininthe
grow thefuture.
future. The The
integrationof
integration of3D
3D printing
printing andand polymer
polymer gel facilitates the realization of difficult
difficult techniques
techniques
suchas
such aspicking,
picking, carving,
carving, painting,
painting, modeling,
modeling, decorative techniques of traditional ceramic ceramic
creation, etc. Through the 3D software (3D max 2021(macOS), AUTODESK, Beijing,Beijing,
creation, etc. Through the 3D software (3D max 2021(macOS), AUTODESK, China)
China) the
preset, preset, the ceramic
ceramic form
form will bewill bepresented
well well presented
to thetoviewer.
the viewer.
ThisThis
formformof of creation
creation is
is more
more intuitive
intuitive in in
thethe works
works ofofceramic
ceramicexpert
expertXiaobing
XiaobingHu, Hu,The
The traditional
traditional ceramic lamp lamp
themepresented
theme presented in in his
his work
work is is unfeasible
unfeasible using
using traditional
traditional porcelain-making techniques
techniques
(Figure6).
(Figure 6).According
AccordingtotoAnadolu
AnadoluUniversity’s
University’sProfessor
Professor Emre
Emre Can,
Can, “The
“The nature
nature around
around us
us has
has bothboth material,
material, intuitive
intuitive feelings
feelings andand internalstructures
internal structuresthat
thataffect
affectus.
us. The
The effect thatthat
these
thesestructures
structures affect
affect us
us is
is the
the most
most important
important factor affecting me. Although nature nature is is so
so
natural,
natural, the
the numbers
numbers are very unnatural.unnatural. My Mygoal
goalisistototransform
transformartificial
artificialmolds
molds from
from a
amachine
machinetotoorganic
organicstructures
structures with
with a different
a different touch,
touch, capture
capture thethe opposition
opposition between
between ar-
artificial andorganic,
tificial and organic,and anddeform
deformthe theceramic
ceramicstructures
structuresproduced
producedby bythe
themachine
machine to to show
show
new
newforms”.
forms”.

Figure 6. Xiang He by Xiaobing Hu.

6. Conclusions
To summarize, the involvement of polymer materials in the preparation of ceramic
raw materials plays an important role in the creation of daily ceramics and special ceramics
but also brings a new experience for modern ceramic art creation. Using polymer materials
and ceramic raw materials allows the ceramists to incisively and vividly convey their
creative concepts with unconstrained style and, therefore, provides more possibilities for
contemporary ceramic art creation. This article mainly discussed the function of ceramic
art creation, and the visual image and artistic expression of textures with the use of aspects
such as an artistic narrative; the paper also addressed the use of polymer materials in the
preparation of mud, for the implementation of the gel injection molding process, effectively
solving the problem of realizing fine and multidimensional elements for creating ceramic
Polymers 2022, 14, 552 11 of 12

artworks, as well as the integration of gel injection molding process with 3D printing
technology, unfolding new experiences for contemporary ceramic art creation, both in
using ceramic artworks in the heart of space in the environment to perfectly render its
visual form and to guarantee the airflow and thermal expansion of ceramic artworks
in space, effectively showing the superior properties of ceramics. With the progress of
technology, the application trend of polymer materials in the field of ceramic art creation
will be better demonstrated.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, X.H. and Y.L. (Yuanqian Lai); methodology, X.H.; soft-
ware, Y.H.; validation, Y.L. (Yuanqian Lai) and X.H.; formal analysis, D.Z.; investigation, Y.L.
(Yingzhuo Li); resources, F.T.; data curation, X.H.; writing—original draft preparation, X.H.; writing—
review and editing, X.H.; visualization, Y.H.; supervision, Y.L. (Yuanqian Lai); project administra-
tion, F.T.; funding acquisition, X.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of
the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by Academic Fund for Top-notch Talents in Anhui Province in
2021 (gxbjZD 2021005).
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the
corresponding author.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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