CHEMICAL DURABILITY OF PORCELAIN ENAMELS *

Abstract

AbstractThe resistance of representative porcelain enamel surfaces to the chemical attack of different concentrations of various solutions was investigated in considerable detail. Cylindrical cup‐shaped samples were coated with (1) a ground coat, (2) a white fluoride cover enamel, (3) a white antimony cover enamel, (4) a white zirconium cover enamel, (5) an acid‐resistant white cover enamel, (6) a sign blue cover enamel, (7) a blue zirconium enamel, and (8) a chemical acidproof blue cover enamel. The loss in weight of these enamel surfaces, after exposure to chemical attack, was determined at definite time intervals. The solutions studied consisted of different concentrations of the inorganic acids, alkalis, several organic acids, as well as selected salt solutions at both room and boiling temperatures.Numerous curves are presented showing the comparative chemical durability of the various porcelain enamel surfaces in which the cumulative loss in weight is plotted against time. Several photomicrographs show the nature and type of chemical attack on the different surfaces.The porcelain enamel surfaces showed considerable variation in their resistance to the chemical attack of the various solutions. All of the porcelain enamels were, in general, resistant to attack at room temperature by the alkali and salt solutions. The acid‐resistant and acidproof enamels were resistant to the action of both inorganic and organic acids at room and at boiling temperatures; a wide variance, however, was shown in the comparative acid resistance of the non‐acid‐resisting enamel to the attack of either organic acids or inorganic acids at room temperature. AU porcelain enamels showed equally low resistance to boiling alkali solutions, but some of the enamel surfaces were attacked markedly by the boiling salt solutions.