Things You Must Know About Loong Kiln

1. What is a Loong kiln

Loong kilns are built for Jianzhan’s wood-firing process. It is built along the mountain and is a semi-cave style building. The kiln body comprises sections, like steps, covered with a roof. From a distance, it looks like a Dragon lying on the mountain. Hence, it is called “Loong Kiln.”

The design can better adapt to the firewood firing process. At the current Jianyang Shuiji Site, there are dozens of Loong kilns. The longest Loong kiln is 135.6 meters long and can fire tens of thousands of cups simultaneously.

2. Structure of Loong Kiln

There are two types of structures for Loong kilns: integrated and compartmentalized. The integrated kiln is like a tunnel. The advantages are fast heating, ample space, and accommodating multiple cups at once. If you use good pine wood fuel for firing, combined with the effect of random flame changes, it will bring you incredible surprises.

The compartment-type Loong kiln is an improvement on the integrated Loong kiln. Build a firewall for every three fuel ports, with small holes at the bottom of the wall to facilitate heat exchange between different warehouse ends. It is to divide a large kiln into several small kilns. The advantage is that the heat distribution will be more uniform, improving the yield of finished products. The disadvantage is that construction and labor costs will be high.

3. Fuel used in the Loong kiln

The fuel used in the Loong Kiln is local pine wood from Shuiji Town, Jianyang. The temperature at which pine wood is burned is high, which meets the high-temperature firing conditions. Moreover, pine wood is rich in oil, making the glazed surface more natural and glossy.

4. Two critical points in the process of Loong kiln firing

Wood: The moisture level of wood has a significant impact on the yield of finished products. Jianzhan is usually fired during the dry season, and the firewood does not need to be very dry. Otherwise, it will burn quickly, and the temperature will be very high.

Heat treatment: Heat treatment is divided into four steps: low heat, medium heat, high heat, and insulation. The control of each stage is crucial, and there is no absolute threshold. Adjustments should be made based on on-site observations of the kiln conditions.

Adjust the method and amount of firewood feeding appropriately. If the temperature is too high, it can cause significant defects such as bulging and cracking. If the temperature is burned too low, it will cause incomplete fusion between the body and glaze (glaze not vitrified), resulting in a peeling phenomenon.

5. Problems with Loong Kiln

The development of Loong kilns is constrained by issues such as difficulty in constant temperature control, consumption of a large amount of wood, long firing time, low yield, and air pollution.