Coffee waste

Coffire lamp

'Coffire' pendant lamp uses recycled coffee grounds as the sustainable pigment, to form random porcelain surface patterns and textures through the innovation of the ancient pit firing technique from pottery making.

During the low temperature (below 1000℃) firing process, the interaction between the biodiesel and the sugar in the coffee grounds, which oxidised to red matter, leave on the surface of the ceramics to form a random pink pattern, because the surface pattern is influenced by many variables, such as temperature, humidity and coffee grounds density.

Making process

The innovative colouring technology was derived from ancient pit-burning technology. During the low-temperature firing process at 600-800°C, coffee grounds on the surface of the lamp will release biodiesel and sugar. Under the influence of temperature, humidity, coffee grounds’ concentration and other variables, the interaction between the two substances will show a pink random texture on the surface of the object.

In addition, the traditional sandpits used in the pit burning process are replaced by gas kilns. It is easier to control gas kiln as a modern firing technology in terms of operation, achieving mass production and greatly improving the yield of lamp firing. The gas kiln can be controlled at a constant temperature, so that the colour of the fired lamp is more stable. Since there are no trace elements in a gas kiln, the colour saturation of the fired lamp is higher.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.