What Is Vitreous Enamel Coating?

Enamel or vitreous enamel coating is really a thin layer of glass fused by heat on to the surface of a metal.

Vitreous enamel coating is part of everyday life and found all around us. It covers many kitchen surfaces including cookers, saucepans and washing machine drums. You will find vitreous enamel coating covering cast iron or steel baths and clock and watch faces. Vitreous enamel coating is also used by artists and in jewellery, famously in Russia’s Fabergé eggs.

Out of doors, we use vitreous enamel coating for street signs, Underground station signs, architectural panels, storage tanks and in lots of other places. It is selected because it is weatherproof, vandal resistant, fire proof and because it lasts and lasts and lasts. The Titanic’s Captain Smith’s bathtub vitreous enamel coating has survived very well under the sea.

We make vitreous enamel coating by melting tiny coloured glass particles on to red-hot metal in 800 degrees C furnaces. As it cools it fuses to give glass-coated metal. It all started 3500 years ago in Cyprus. Since 1500 BC enamelling has provided a wonderful, durable, attractive and reliable material.

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The Lovely Cobalt Blue Color

20190929Imagine a life of black and white. You can get a glimpse through films back in the early 1930’s or 40’s. Although there were stories to tell, the colors that were supposed to give life to those movies (just like what we have right now) was not there. Can you really imagine if we had to live a life in the uniformity of black and white? Thankfully we don’t have to! Life in color is the opposite of boring, it’s a blessing if you think about it.

Colors can make you appreciate the beauty of things in front you. They breathe life within each hue. Every color and their different pigments have their own special spotlight and cobalt blue color has been an easy favorite for centuries. This shade screams prominence and pride.

Cobalt blue color ’s compound form has silvery, bluish-gray metal ore. As for color, cobalt blue color is deeper than sky blue and lighter than navy blue. The discovery of this pigment can be traced back to as far as the Middle Ages and has greatly been used since the nineteenth century. It was actually not until late 1803 when the color was commercially manufactured. Back then, it was a very expensive pigment that only rich and prominent artists or painters could get a hold of it.

Cobalt blue color is derived from its primary color, blue, which in psychology is a representation of trust and responsibility; hence, many shades of blue are used by big companies on their branding. In modern days now, cobalt blue color has also been stably used in many industry such as paints and ceramics.

Cobalt blue color is sometimes tagged as Parrish, Thénards, or Dresden blue – yet, it’s all the same pigment in the palette. You can actually create your very own cobalt blue food color by boiling red cabbage in a water solution that has baking soda in it.

The color cobalt blue color seems to make anything look amazing. From glassware, to decorative bottles, dishes, clothes, potteries, shoes, and even headbands! Cobalt blue color can also look great on clothing. This shade is vibrant and can flatter almost every skin tone – and not to mention that it looks good day or night. You can wear it from head to toe!

Did you know that cobalt blue color ladybugs, butterflies, and even tarantulas exist?! Yes, and a whole lot of other species from the ecosystem flaunt their cobalt blue colors too. Surprisingly, the cobalt blue color tarantula is a shy creature, but, just like most spiders, they are ferocious lil’ creatures when it comes to being a predator.

Colors themselves are worth being thankful for. The variation of greens in rolling pastures, the tone of blues in oceans and the sky, the opaque crystal clear waters in the river, the shimmering yellow, orange, red, and pink of every sunset and sunrise we admire – they all that add vivacity to our lives.

This article comes from everydayminerals edit released

About Porcelain Enamel

What is porcelain enamel?

Porcelain enamel on steel is a glass-like, non-porous material made up of silica, borax, soda, and various metal oxides that are fused to steel sheets.

How is it affected by the elements?

Porcelain enamel on steel used for exterior surfaces is unaffected by sun, rain, snow, dust, or industrial atmospheres. The hard impervious surface defied the worst of weather conditions and will last the life of the building.

What is the durability of color?

The color is permanent and will not oxidize, fade, peel, or blister. Shades of red, orange, and yellow, usually the most fugitive in the color spectrum, are unaffected by the sun.

What are the size limitations?

Our porcelain enamel on steel products are generally produced in lengths of up to ten feet and widths of up to four and one-half feet (twenty square feet recommended) with edge flanges for stiffness and concealed fasteners.

What are the maintainance requirements?

Porcelain enamel on steel is maintenance-free and does not need refinishing or repainting.

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The Purpose of the Black Frit and Spots on Windshield

At some point while driving or examining your vehicle, you may have noticed a somewhat curious pattern along the edge of the windshield consisting of black dots, and commented to yourself, “I wonder what those are for.” The answer to this mystery is rather simple.

The modern windshield is a marvel of engineering, and dare we say one of the most underappreciated components of a vehicle. Part of that engineering involved how the windshield is bonded to the frame. You may have also noticed the black band along the periphery of the windshield, this is called the black frit.

The black frit is a black enamel band that is literally baked into the edges of the windshield glass, accompanied by the border of black dots you are wondering about. The purpose of the black frit is to provide an etched surface that allows adhesive to bond to the glass. When a manufacturer installs a new windshield, or an auto glass specialist like DeDona Auto Glass replaces your windshield, the glass is bonded to the vehicle with the black frit as the contact point between the glass and the frame.

There is a dual purpose here, though. While the inward facing side of the black frit allows adhesive to bond to the glass, the outward facing side of the black frit acts as a shield against UV radiation in order to protect the adhesive bond, which would otherwise be weakened by continual exposure to direct sunlight.

Cosmetically, the black frit also nicely conceals the adhesive used to install the windshield and provides a more “polished” appearance. The dissolving/shrinking effect of the black dots provides a more visually appealing transition from the black border of the black frit to the transparent glass, and also provides a small amount of heat dissipation. The dots do provide some level of sun shade as well.

Some manufacturers use this to the occupants’ advantage by expanding the dot pattern downward between sun visors to create a kind of “third visor”, which helps to reduce glare from sunlight that the driver and passenger visors can’t block. Some car makers even take it a step further and use small logos or other unique designs in place of the traditional circular dots.

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Applications of Porcelain Enamel Frit

Available in a variety of colors to harmonize or contrast with the vision area, the porcelain enamel frit is applied to the surface of the glass. Porcelain enamel frits contain finely ground glass mixed with inorganic pigments to produce a desired color.

The coated glass is then heated to about 1,150°F, fusing the frit to the glass surface, which produces a ceramic coating almost as hard and tough as the glass itself. A fired porcelain enamel frit is durable and resists scratching, chipping, peeling, fading and chemical attacks.

Spandrel glass can be installed monolithically, using insulated metal backpans, but is more often found as a component of an insulating glass unit. Reflective spandrel glass units are widely used when a uniform all-glass look is desired for the building exterior. Typical applications include commercial fixed windows, curtain walls, storefronts and wall cladding. Spandrel glass is traditionally an opaque material not intended for use in vision areas.

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Professional Water Colour Cadmium Scarlet

With 109 colours, our Professional Water Colour range offers bright, vibrant colours and unrivalled performance.

Water colour, more than any other medium, reflects the unique characteristics of the inorganic pigments used and our Professional Water Colours use only the finest inorganic pigments, and are known for their brilliance, permanence and strength of colour.

Pigments

With 80 single pigment colours in the range, we offer the widest range of modern and traditional inorganic pigments for clean colour mixing.

Unrivalled Transparency

The transparency of our Professional Water Colour is achieved by our unique process of pigment dispersion during manufacture. The natural characteristics of each pigment highlights the paint’s transparency level. In water colour painting, thin washes are applied allowing the white of the paper to reflect through the wash.

Permanence

106 out of 109 colours in our Professional Water Colour range are classed as “permanent for artists’ use”, rated AA or A for archival permanence to ensure that these colours used today will appear the same for generations to come.

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The History of the Cadmium Red

Cadmium red came into favor in the 20th century, becoming commercially available in 1910. The color of natural vermilion, cadmium red is known for its color-fastness.

Henri Matisse a particular fan of the brilliantly colored pigment, and was the first prominent painter to use it in his artwork. Though the levels of cadmium sulfide in the pigment are not very toxic, in 2014 the European Union threatened a potential cadmium ban over concerns that it could pollute the water supply when artists cleaned their brushes. Luckily, further research proved that these fears were unfounded and cadmium red continues to remain a beloved member of many artists’ palettes.

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Fun fact: Matisse tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Renoir to use cadmium red. Though they were close friends, Renoir quickly switched back to his previous pigment after giving it one try.

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What Is Porcelain Enamel Cookware?

Porcelain enamel cookware refers to pots and pans made of metal that’s coated with a form of glass called porcelain enamel, which is bonded to the iron, steel, stainless steel or aluminum metal to form the body of the cookware. Porcelain enamel cookware from a host of manufacturers offers a huge variety of solid colors and designs on an easy-to-clean surface.

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Quality Differences

Porcelain enamel provides a hard, lustrous finish that won’t scratch, corrode, fade or peel with normal use. However, it may chip or crack if the utensil is dropped on a hard surface. Most porcelain enamel cookware has an outside enamel coating, with teflon or plain metal on the inside. It comes in a wide range of prices. Price differences are based on metal thickness, number of porcelain enamel coats, color and design, and accessories such as covers and high-temperature plastics for handles. Better grades of porcelain enamel cookware have seamless coatings.

Enamelware

Enamelware is a variety of porcelain enamel cookware that’s distinguished by having a porcelain enamel coating on the inside as well as the outside. Enamelware has a base of steel, stainless steel or cast iron. The porcelain coating is applied after the utensil is formed to create a smooth, non-porous surface inside and out. Enamelware isn’t affected by heat, humidity or food acids and can be used to cook, bake or roast foods, or as a serving or storage utensil. Cheap enamelware can scratch or chip easily; high-quality ware has a thicker enamel coating that resists scratches and chips.

Cookware Cautions

Porcelain enamel cookware is very strong and durable, with excellent heat-transfer characteristics. It doesn’t react with acidic foods like tomatoes, and you can use any type of metal or plastic cooking utensils. But there are some things you shouldn’t do with this cookware. For instance, you shouldn’t use it over high heat for extended time periods. Extreme high temperatures can melt the porcelain enamel coating. And you shouldn’t allow porcelain enamel cookware to boil dry, especially on a glass or ceramic cooktop. This can crack the finish.

Cleaning Porcelain Enamel

Porcelain enamel is quick and easy to clean. This cookware is stick-resistant, and resists staining and scratching. Clean your cookware while it’s still warm; don’t let it sit around until food residue dries and hardens. Use a dish sponge or a plastic or nylon dish scrubber. Don’t use steel wool soap pads or abrasive household cleaners as these can scratch the finish over time. Alternatively, you can put porcelain enamel cookware in a dishwasher after wiping out any food residue.

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Black Oxide Coating: What Is Black Oxide?

Black Oxide, sometimes called blackening, is the act of converting the top layer of a ferrous material with a chemical treatment. Treating fasteners with a black oxide coating not only adds a nice clean black look but can also add a mild layer of corrosion and abrasion resistance. To achieve the maximum in corrosion resistance, black oxide can either be waxed or oiled to add an extra layer of protection. The wax coating may dull the color of the treatment but provides the best resistance. The black oxide treatment is also referred to as gun bluing.

When fasteners are dipped into the black oxide bath materials (warm and hot processes) the harsh chemical components convert the top layer into magnetite. Black Oxide Stainless Steel Nuts Bolts and Washers are the most common form of black oxide fastener available. Prized both for the corrosion resistance of stainless steel with the added benefits of the black oxide treatment.

The Black Oxide Processes

Blackening can be achieved in a number of different ways. There are three main ways to do this. If you are interested in the specifics of each type check out this article from Wikipedia.

Hot Bath

The process of treating the fasteners in different chemicals in order to convert the surface material into magnetite. The process is completed by dipping the fasteners into different tanks and occasionally placed in water. Once the process of dipping is completed the top layer of the fastener is porous and a layer of oil is applied. The oil seeps into the material adding that extra corrosion resistance to rust.

Cold Coating

The cold process applies a compound (copper selenium) onto the fasteners at room temperature. This process is more convenient for working in house as it does not require many chemicals at heated temperatures to apply. Once applied it is considered weaker than the other forms of oxidization until a layer of oil or wax is applied to the surface.

Mid-Temperature Bath

Like the hot bath treatment method but does not produce the same toxic fumes of the hot bath and the surface is converted to magnetite at a much lower temperature. This method can also meet the same military standards that the hot bath version produces.

Benefits Of Black Oxide Fasteners

  • Does not significantly change the dimensions of the fasteners as hot dip galvanizing does.
  • A cheaper alternative to other methods of corrosion resistance such as electroplating.

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Glass Painting – Vitreous Enamel Powder

Enamel supplements – For Medium Temperature Enamels for Copper, Gold, Silver, Low Carbon Steel, Window Glass, Stained Glass, Bulls-eye and Spectrum Glass, Effetre (Moretti), 400 Series Stainless Steel and Pottery (A.K.A. Ceramics)

Glass Painting – Vitreous Enamel Powder

A series of vitreous enamel powders which fuse slightly below 1200ºF. Mix with your favorite painting medium.

The Glass Painting Powders will attach to glass at 1250 degrees F. They will gloss between 1300 and 1400 degrees F. They may be taken up to 1450 degrees F. without loss of color. Firing times and temperatures are only guides. Your actual experience may indicate the firing may need to be more or less time and temperature.

This article comes from thompsonenamel edit released