17-18th century Europeans and colonial Americans glazed pottery by doing this to salt. They just shoveled it into the kiln, which was so hot it vaporized the salt and it coated the outside of the pottery. Makes it shiny .
Still lots of people salt and soda glazing ceramics around. The salt actually breaks into sodium and chlorine ions. The sodium reacts with the clay surface forming a sodium aluminosilicate glaze and the chlorine reacts with water vapor in the kiln forming hydrochloric acid vapor.
Yep, that would be the aerosolized hydrochloric acid, and it's why this kind of pottery can't be scaled up to factory production. The exhaust would kill all the things.
This is why we have laws. Currently.
The salt-glazed pottery can only be made by hand, on a studio scale, with precautions.
It's important to remember that while they may have found a way to produce an effect like this, it is unlikely they knew the chemical process or outcome in the detail we do today.
The method that they came up with in this article is likely not how the original was made. This is just the closest anyone has gotten to reproducing the effect.
I used to make them for my advanced chemistry students when I taught. We would use TEM to look at the size distribution. It takes like 30 mins.
https://pubs.acs.org/ancac3/article/9/7/7052/1549363/Turkevich-in-New-Robes-Key-Questions-Answered-for
garnet420 | 23 hours ago
How did the Romans get gold nanoparticles?
gone_days_gone | 22 hours ago
It’s called fuming. Put the gold in an intense flame and it will vaporize and adhere to the glass.
phenomenomnom | 20 hours ago
17-18th century Europeans and colonial Americans glazed pottery by doing this to salt. They just shoveled it into the kiln, which was so hot it vaporized the salt and it coated the outside of the pottery. Makes it shiny .
irrfin | 19 hours ago
I still do this with my ceramic art.
There’s all sorts of fun ways to get metal salts into a semi-gas state and do thin layer deposition.
I haven’t been able to play with gold yet, but hopefully someday I’ll have enough money
big_trike | 13 hours ago
Doesn’t salt, by definition, involve a metal?
lbfreund | 19 hours ago
Still lots of people salt and soda glazing ceramics around. The salt actually breaks into sodium and chlorine ions. The sodium reacts with the clay surface forming a sodium aluminosilicate glaze and the chlorine reacts with water vapor in the kiln forming hydrochloric acid vapor.
sneekeesnek_17 | 19 hours ago
Vaporized hydrochloric acid sounds.......not ideal
lbfreund | 19 hours ago
The process was was originally developed in Germany. At the time people would bathe in the vapors because they thought it was rejuvenating.
phenomenomnom | 17 hours ago
You get all-new skin!
dragonpjb | 12 hours ago
The fumes from salt glazing kill all the plant life in a considerable area around the kiln vent.
phenomenomnom | 12 hours ago
Yep, that would be the aerosolized hydrochloric acid, and it's why this kind of pottery can't be scaled up to factory production. The exhaust would kill all the things.
This is why we have laws. Currently.
The salt-glazed pottery can only be made by hand, on a studio scale, with precautions.
EquipLordBritish | 19 hours ago
It's important to remember that while they may have found a way to produce an effect like this, it is unlikely they knew the chemical process or outcome in the detail we do today.
mvsrs | 23 hours ago
You can just go outside and hold something.
Edit: sorry I misread your comment. I am very tired
naughtycal11 | 18 hours ago
The method that they came up with in this article is likely not how the original was made. This is just the closest anyone has gotten to reproducing the effect.
useless83 | 23 hours ago
It's actually really easy to make.
StarshipGoldfish | 22 hours ago
super super easy
useless83 | 22 hours ago
I used to make them for my advanced chemistry students when I taught. We would use TEM to look at the size distribution. It takes like 30 mins. https://pubs.acs.org/ancac3/article/9/7/7052/1549363/Turkevich-in-New-Robes-Key-Questions-Answered-for
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7062369/
https://pubs.acs.org/jpcbfk/article-abstract/110/32/15700/3541757/Turkevich-Method-for-Gold-Nanoparticle-Synthesis?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.nanopartz.com/Technology-Guide/turkevich-method-gold-nanoparticles.asp?srsltid=AYCX9vIL6I1bzdAja5dA0zw_arreknsHyxGoI_2_Mu6xK1pRcF_U-PKr
The Roman method uses heat to control particle and agglomerate size, which is different, but you get a red color in both situations.
RemusShepherd | 22 hours ago
Barely an inconvenience.
kovian | 20 hours ago
wow wow wow
Many-Tomorrow-4730 | 19 hours ago
I’m gunna need you to get waaaaay off my back
SatisfactionOk1025 | 20 hours ago
I feel like enjoyers of fine cannabis glassware have known this for decades, but I'm glad The Scientists are catching up
DocumentExternal6240 | a day ago
Interesting read - and a fascinating piece of glass art!
party_shaman | 21 hours ago
i guess these scientists have never set food in a head shop
FnordRanger_5 | 17 hours ago
I left a burrito in a head shop once… I’m not a scientist though
newtonrox | 8 hours ago
I think I might have found your burrito. Describe it and it’s yours.
Afraid-Sale9902 | 20 hours ago
Bless Bob for your Snoddy.
DonChapulinChavito | 18 hours ago
For those interested in the "Seven Glass wonders" here is an article (pdf) about them.
tpahornet | a day ago
Tiffany did it so it could not have been that great of mystery.
AlwaysUpvotesScience | a day ago
I always upvote science!
Paul_Savage_1 | a day ago
Amazing 👏
slushy4ev | a day ago
Tldr?
SteelCrow | a day ago
gold and silver nanoparticles in the glass
Dantien | 17 hours ago
Boogie woogie woogie
FlashPxint | 15 hours ago
Oh wow science discovered magic