Method of forming vitreous enamel from spherulized particles
AssigneeGlaverbel
InventorsFrancois Toussaint, Pierre Laroche
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a vitreous enamel body includes forming particles of vitreous material and melting to fuse the particles together to form the body. The particles of vitreous material are spherulized and are selected as to their granulometric properties according to the degree of compaction required in the finished enamel body. From 20% to 40% of the bulk volume of the mixture is a fine particle size fraction. Such a finished enamel body may be a coating, for example a high-compacity enamel coating on a bathtub, or it may be a self-sustaining body, for example a porous vitreous filter element. Porous coatings and compact self-sustaining bodies may also be made.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing an article comprised of vitreous enamel which is present at least as a coating and which has a defined degree of compaction, the method comprising:
- a. forming spherulized particles comprised of vitreous material;
- b. forming the article by one of coating the spherulized particles onto a substrate and molding the spherulized particles into a defined shape;
- and
- c. melting the spherulized particles to fuse the spherulized particles together to form the vitreous enamel,
- wherein the spherulized particles of vitreous enamel have a particle size distribution selected according to the degree of compaction required in the finished vitreous enamel,
- wherein the spherulized particles comprise a mixture of at least two fractions including a coarse fraction and a fine fraction, each of the at least two fractions having a mean diameter which is different from that of the other fractions, and the coarse fraction having a mean diameter which is at least twice the mean diameter of the fine fraction,
- wherein the mixture has a bulk volume, and
- wherein from 20% to 40% of the bulk volume of the mixture is the fine fraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.