Glass etching
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Glass etching, or "French embossing", is a popular technique developed during the mid-1800s that is still widely used in both residential and commercial spaces today. Glass etching comprises the techniques of creating art on the surface of glass by applying acidic, caustic, or abrasive substances. Traditionally this is done after the glass is blown or cast, although mold-etching has replaced some forms of surface etching. The removal of minute amounts of glass causes the characteristic rough surface and translucent quality of frosted glass.


Techniques

Various techniques are used to achieve an etched surface in glass, whether for artistic effect, or simply to create a translucent surface. Acid etching is done using hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) which, when
anhydrous A substance is anhydrous if it contains no water. Many processes in chemistry can be impeded by the presence of water; therefore, it is important that water-free reagents and techniques are used. In practice, however, it is very difficult to achie ...
, is colourless. The acid can be prepared by mixing quartz powder (silicon dioxide), calcium fluoride, and concentrated
sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...
; the acid forms after the resulting mixture is heated and the fumes (silicon tetrafluoride) have been absorbed by concentrated sulfuric acid. Glass etching cream is used by hobbyists as it is generally easier to use than acid. Available from art supply stores, it consists of
fluoride Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an Inorganic chemistry, inorganic, Monatomic ion, monatomic Ion#Anions and cations, anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose ...
compounds, such as
hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen fluoride (fluorane) is an Inorganic chemistry, inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a very poisonous, colorless gas or liquid that dissolves in water to yield hydrofluoric acid. It is the principal industrial source of fluori ...
and
sodium fluoride Sodium fluoride (NaF) is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a colorless or white solid that is readily soluble in water. It is used in trace amounts in the fluoridation of drinking water to prevent tooth decay, and in toothpastes ...
. As the types of acids used in this process are extremely hazardous (see
hydrofluoric acid Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water. Solutions of HF are colorless, acidic and highly corrosive. A common concentration is 49% (48–52%) but there are also stronger solutions (e.g. 70%) and pure HF has a boiling p ...
for safety), abrasive methods have gained popularity.
Abrasive blasting Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove sur ...
("sandblasting") is another common technique for creating patterns in glassware, creating a "frosted" look to the glass. It is often used commercially. High-pressure air mixed with an abrasive material cuts away at the glass surface to create the desired effect. The longer the stream of air and abrasive material are focused in one spot, the deeper the cut. Leptat glass is a glass that has been etched using a patented acid process. Leptat takes its name from the Czech word meaning "to etch", because the technique was inspired by a Bohemian, Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakian) glass exhibit viewed at a past World's Fair in Osaka, Japan, and patented in the United States by Bernard E. Gruenke, Jr.Leptat Glass
, GoHistoric.com of the Conrad Schmitt Studios. Abstract, figural, contemporary, and traditional designs have been executed in Leptat glass. A secondary design or pattern is sometimes etched more lightly into the negative areas, for further interest. Gold leaf or colored enamels also can be inlaid to highlight the designs. The Leptat technique allows the glass to reflect light from many surfaces, like a jewel-cut gem. Mold etching In the 1920s a mold-etch process was invented, in which art was etched directly into the
mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures that certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal ...
, so that each cast piece emerged from the mold with the texture already on the surface of the glass. This reduced manufacturing costs and, combined with a wider use of colored glass, led to cheap glassware in the 1930s, which later became known as Depression glass. Frost etching is the process in which vinyl window material is cut to produce a pattern and then applied to a window to give a frosted patterned effect.


Applications

There are many interior and exterior applications for acid-etched glass. Acid-etched glass is widely used for: * Enhancing every area where glass can be used and where a little privacy and natural light is desired * Creating feature walls or partitions. * Enriching doors and windows * Heightening the look of balustrades * Augmenting shower and bath enclosures


Examples

File:Chinese - Bowl with Design of Flowering Peony - Walters 47679.jpg, Eighteenth century Chinese bowl, wheel cut (engraved) and etched File:30. INTERIOR, MODEL HALL, DOOR.jpg, Etched door window (American, nineteenth century) File:Emile Gallé - Vase with Cherry Tree Branches - Walters 47570.jpg, Acid-etched vase by Emile Gallé (twentieth century) File:GlassFishPlateMAPDF.JPG, Twenty first century etched plate from Mexico File:Etched glass in the window, zwickau, saxony.jpg, A window with etched glass in the historical regional hospital of
Zwickau Zwickau (; ) is the fourth-largest city of Saxony, Germany, after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, with around 88,000 inhabitants,. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ''Zwickauer Mulde''; progression: ), ...


See also

* Glass engraving * Laser engraving * Satin glass *
Sea glass Sea glass are naturally weathered pieces of the glass, anthropogenic glass fragments of typically List of glassware#Drinkware, drinkwares, which often have the appearance of Tumble finishing, tumbled stones. Sea glass is physical weathering, phys ...


References


External links


Sandcarver Intro to Sandblasting
{{Decorative arts Glass art Etching