Tag: Porcelain Enamel

With the advent of the First Industrial Revolution, porcelain enamel started to be applied to substrates as iron and cast iron. The development of industrial porcelain enamel was so closely linked to the advances in metallurgy and chemistry of the late 18th century that the porcelain enamel industry was attracting the best chemists of the time. Although it is known that in the second half of the 1700s some industries were patenting the first porcelain enamel processes on steel sheets, it was only in 1851 that the first manual on technical porcelain enamel was published. At that time, iron sheets were obtained by the hammering of cast iron to produce the first porcelain enameled plates. Around 1870, the almost total porcelain enamel production was limited to cast iron hollow ware, but in the following years, it was possible to produce high-quality cast iron pans, which were white porcelain enamel both inside and outside.

In the second half of the 19th century, porcelain enamel faced different technical problems, such as the lack of pure raw materials and the development of new production methods for steel, but on the other side, many advancements were achieved, such as the discovery of new production methods for pigments. Probably, one of the most important discoveries in this field was represented, using clay to keep the powdered porcelain enamel in suspension in water: this way allows applying the porcelain enamel simply by painting, spraying, or the immersion method. This way, it was possible to produce more durable porcelain enamel at lower costs.

Around the year 1900, Mr. John C. Reed introduced the machine molding of bath tubes, which boosted the sanitary porcelain enamel industry. In the same years, the introduction of antimony compounds as opacifiers in dry coat porcelain enamel is considered an important achievement. The porcelain enamel industry boomed some years after World War I, in the USA, and the manufacturing of refrigerators, stoves, sanitary ware, and household objects grew very rapidly, but it suddenly stopped with the advent of World War II, when porcelain enameling plants were converted to the treatment of war materials. In 1942, the development of titanium-based white porcelain enamel gave a great boost to the rebirth of the porcelain enamel industry, and new products, such as chimney pipes, dishwashers, cooking hobs, and water heaters started to be porcelain enamel. In the following decades, the porcelain enamel industry continued to evolve, also thanks to the development of new deposition techniques, which made it possible to obtain better quality products in an increasingly efficient way. Nowadays, porcelain enamel is commonly applied to many everyday use objects, but it is also used for the covering of panels for architectural applications.

Before buying any cookware for your kitchen you should know everything about the advantages and disadvantages of the cookware. There’re some advantages of enamel cookware for you so that you can take your decision easily.

Safe to Use

The first and most important advantage of porcelain cookware is its safety compared to Teflon, aluminium or cast iron cookware. Unlike cast iron or aluminium, this cookware doesn’t interact with acidic foods such as tomatoes, vinegar, and egg yolks. So, it is safe to cook any item of your favourite foods with this enamel pots and pans.

Non-stick Cooking Surface

Another useful side of porcelain enamel-coated cookware is its non-stick cooking surface. The enamel coated non-stick cooking surface will make your cooking easy without food sticking to the bottom. It requires just a small amount of oil to prevent foods from sticking to the pan.

Versatile

Professional chefs prefer to use porcelain enamel cookware to cook a wide variety of different foods. Unlike most of the non-stick cookware, porcelain enamel cookware can go both in the oven and in the microwave. You can use your enamel cookware on any kind of stovetop. It is also suitable for refrigerated food storage and can be used as a serving dish on the table.

Easy Cleaning Process

One of the great useful sides of using enamel cookware is its easy cleaning process. All you need a quick wipe with a dish sponge and detergent to clean it fast and properly. Furthermore, the enamel glazed surface of the cookware doesn’t need any kind of seasoning, so it requires very little maintenance.

Extremely Durable

The porcelain enamel coated cookware products are extremely durable and last longer. It will last for many years and can be passed from parent to child.

This article comes from csr edit released

What is porcelain enamel?

In general terms, vitreous enamel, porcelain enamel, copper enamel and jewelry enamel all refer to the same thing. Porcelain enamel is a glassy compound applied to and bonded by heat (fusion) to a metal surface; to a copper surface at 1450 degrees F., and to a glass surface at 1100 degrees F. to 1500 degrees F.

The most common glass is a fusion of silica, soda, lime, and a small amount of borax. Though normally transparent, various amounts of opacity can be produced by adding or growing crystals within the glass structure. A wide range of colors are produced by incorporating certain elements, mostly transition metals.

The physical properties of glass can be controlled to permit bonding to most metals, for example, gold, platinum, silver, copper, steel, cast iron and titanium.

The word ‘porcelain enamel’ refers to the glass material as well as to the finished product.

How is it done?

Porcelain enamel (glass) is crushed to a powder somewhat finer than granulated sugar and somewhat coarser than flour. This powder is applied, by one of several methods, to the metal or glass surface. Next the article is heated to 1100 to 1500 degrees F., either in a pre-heated furnace, a hand held torch, or for porcelain enamels fused to glass, in a kiln. For metal, in a preheated furnace the article may be fired from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on size or technique. The article is removed and allowed to cool to room temperature. Subsequent coats, normally different colors are applied. Sometimes many firings are required to bring about the desired results. For fusing porcelain enamels to glass, the article is placed into a room temperature kiln and the heat is brought up according to the appropriate firing schedule to the maturation temperature, then brought down to an annealing temperature and held there for a period of time to relieve stresses in the glass, then brought back down to room temperature before removing the article.

Porcelain enamel (also called vitreous enamel or glass-lining) is an engineered boro-silicate glass layer, which may be applied in a liquid or powder form and fused on a metal substrates, like mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum or copper.

Unique properties

This inorganic porcelain enamel coating was already used by the Egyptians for art and jewels around 1000 B.C. and may be characterized by a number of unique chemical and mechanical properties, like :

• Color stability (during many years)
• Corrosion resistance (even against boiling water !)
• Easy-to-clean
• High temperature resistance
• Scratch resistance
• Typical applications
• Enamel on mild steel (Also called ceramic steel or glass on steel) has been adopted by many different industries all over the world.It is nowadays used for providing a functional and/or decorative porcelain enamel coating to a wide range of products.This article comes from dtc-bv edit released

Porcelain enamel (also called vitreous enamel or glass-lining) is an engineered boro-silicate glass layer, which may be applied in a liquid or powder form and fused on a metal substrates, like mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum or copper.

This inorganic coating was already used by the Egyptians for art and jewels around 1000 B.C. and may be characterized by a number of unique chemical and mechanical properties, like :

• Color stability (during many years)
• Corrosion resistance (even against boiling water !)
• Easy-to-clean
• High temperature resistance
• Scratch resistance

Porcelain enamel on mild steel (Also called ceramic steel or glass on steel) has been adopted by many different industries all over the world and is nowadays used for providing a functional and/or decorative coating to a wide range of products, such as architectural panels, bath-tubs, barbeques, boilers, chemical vessels, cookers, heat-exchange panels & tubes, hollowware, microwave ovens, street signs, water heaters, washing machines, etc.

This article comes from ditmer edit released

Porcelain enamel (also called vitreous enamel or glass-lining) is an engineered boro-silicate glass layer, which may be applied in a liquid or powder form and fused on a metal substrates, like mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum or copper.

This inorganic coating was already used by the Egyptians for art and jewels around 1000 B.C. and may be characterized by a number of unique chemical and mechanical properties, like :

• Color stability (during many years)
• Corrosion resistance (even against boiling water !)
• Easy-to-clean
• High temperature resistance
• Scratch resistance

Porcelain enamel on mild steel (Also called ceramic steel or glass on steel) has been adopted by many different industries all over the world and is nowadays used for providing a functional and/or decorative coating to a wide range of products, such as architectural panels, bath-tubs, barbeques, boilers, chemical vessels, cookers, heat-exchange panels & tubes, hollowware, microwave ovens, street signs, water heaters, washing machines, etc.

This article comes from ditmer edit released

Porcelain enamel is an inorganic-type coating, which is applied to metals or glass for both decorative and functional purposes.

This coating is a silica-based solidified glass mass obtained by high-temperature firing (temperature can range between 450 and 1200 °C depending on the substrate).

Porcelain enamel coatings differ from ceramic coatings mainly by their glass structure and dilatation coefficient, and from organic paints mainly by the inorganic nature of the matrix and the chemical bond that exists between the coating and the substrate.

This article comes from mdpi edit released

Porcelain enamel is an ancient decorative, coloring technique which fuses finely powdered glass to metal. Using intense heat, the glass melts, flows, and then cools to harden into a smooth, durable, and decorative, colored surface.

What Metals Can I Use?

Almost any metal can be enameled, but the most common are copper, fine silver, and high karat gold. Metal clay is a perfect material to use for enameling. It’s easy to texture, shape and form and can be sintered with the same torch or kiln used for enameling.

Copper

Copper is a great sub surface when using opaque porcelain enamel. If the metal itself is not a feature of the final work, using an inexpensive material like copper reduces the cost of the project.

Many porcelain enamel suppliers carry milled copper, untextured shapes (also known as ‘blanks’) which are useful for practicing on.

However, when copper or copper bearing metals are heated an oxidized surface develops. This oxidation creates a barrier that prevents the porcelain enamel from fusing to the metal surface unless it’s been properly prepared. See below for cleaning options.

Fine Silver

Fine silver is brilliant and reflective under transparent colors. Because it doesn’t oxidize, it is easy to fire with a torch or kiln.

Gold

Lump gold metal clay is an expensive option but would provide a beautifully rich under layer to transparent enamels, especially those in the warmer color range. You can achieve the same luscious glow by first applying a foundation of clear porcelain enamel to a fired silver clay base, then add Keum Boo foil, and finally apply the porcelain enamel colors.

Gold is infinitely soluble into silver. With each successive firing, more gold will absorb into the silver until it disappears, negating any effect. If you are only firing on one or two layers of porcelain enamel you might be able to keum boo directly to silver, but if you are doing a deep porcelain enamel with multiple firings the keum boo gold would eventually completely absorb and disappear, which is why it’s advised to apply a coat of clear porcelain enamel first.

This article comes from amcaw edit released

Walk in to any kitchen supply store, and the shine from all the glistening pots and pans may make you reach for your sunglasses. Your senses are immediately assaulted: all the cookware claims to be the newest and best thing to hit the market.

No-stick, non-stick, stick-resistant, a little stick — who can you believe, and how can you determine what shiny or brightly colored saucepan is the right one for you? Two terms jousting for the title of “best cookware” are hard anodized and hard enamel cookware made of porcelain. Distinguishing between the two isn’t difficult if you know how to wend your way through the language of surfaces on pots and pans.

Building a Better Model

Realizing the weaknesses in aluminum cookware, but aiming to maintain the high conductivity of the element, scientists at Calphalon created hard-anodized aluminum cookware in the 1960s. Through an electro-chemical process, they fused the aluminum in an acid bath jolted with an electrical current, resulting in an oxide blend that had greater resistance than the original aluminum. The process also created a lovely gray coloring, and the scientists noticed that food was less apt to stick than with the original aluminum.

Porcelain Hard Enamel Cookware

Porcelain, a combination of kaolin clay and glass fired at extremely high temperatures, was first fired onto iron in the 1800s, creating a pot lining that eliminated the leaching of iron into food. Through the years, aluminum and stainless steel have also been fused with porcelain, making a hard porcelain enamel product that adds to the myriad of cookware choices.

Benefits of Hard-Anodized Cookware

Touch a hard-anodized pot to realize its strength. The smooth cooking surface is stick-resistant, and its solid surface won’t corrode, leach or suffer abrasions. If satellites in the sky can depend on the strength of hard-anodized parts to protect them from the rigors of space, then a mere saucepan is sure to have a long life. Hard-anodized cookware also has excellent heat conduction and cleans safely.

Hard-anodized saucepans are safe at high temperatures, making them ideal for stovetop-to-oven cooking. Just be sure to use potholders when removing the cookware from the oven.

Porcelain Enamel Pros

The high-temperature firing of porcelain onto iron has driven the cookware market for over a century. The process was then expanded to include stainless steel and aluminum. The porcelain isn’t a coating over a base metal, but a fusion of the two. The rock-hard surface is resistant to scratching and peeling. While aluminum and stainless steel porcelain enamels are lighter second cousins to cast iron in the realm of cookware, it’s the heft of the iron that gives porcelain enamel its edge with serious cooks. Aluminum porcelain enamel doesn’t leach, making it a safer choice than unfused aluminum.

Disadvantages of Porcelain Enamel Cookware

Disadvantages of porcelain enamel cookware include the enamel color turning darker with heavy use. This, however, does not affect the cooking qualities of the pot; instead, it simply indicates years of use.

A Sticky Subject

Hard anodization of aluminum not only creates a smooth surface; the result of the fusion process is that the base aluminum becomes non-porous. Food adheres when first put into the pan, but as it nears doneness, it’s released from its bond. Hard-anodized cookware is stick-resistant.

Porcelain enamel over iron, aluminum or stainless steel is non-stick. Bits may be left behind, especially during high-heat cooking, but they scrape off with little effort. A good soak in warm water rinses away any residue without effort.

Safe Cooking Considerations

Both hard-anodized aluminum cookware and porcelain-fused enamel are considered safe. The biggest concern is leaching from the base metal to the food, and if chips in the porcelain are avoided, they are not dangerous. The FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has deemed enamel-coated cookware safe, including products that are imported.

A Beauty Contest

Hard-anodized aluminum cookware is one color: gray. That’s the result of the oxidation that takes place during the chemical fusion process. Porcelain enamel over a base metal are manufactured in a riot of colors, which makes them ideal additions to well-decorated kitchens. Many cooks tend to collect porcelain enamel cookware in one color and display them as accessories instead of hiding them in cupboards.

This article comes from hunker edit released