Elegant decorations on glass and ceramics: a formula for success from Heraeus
Vibrant colors and artistic decorative patterns are common on tableware, glass and tile. And regardless of the form – plate or tea cup, tile or drinking glass, bottle or pitcher – the demands placed on high-quality decorations continue to rise steadily. Heraeus was already a leading developer of ceramic colors back in 1896, and today creates innovative products that make modern decoration on glass and ceramic wares possible.
Things are very different today from the way they were in our grandparents’ time. Bright colors and precious metals must now meet tougher requirements. They have to hold up under constant use in everyday life and be able to withstand the dishwasher and microwave, as well as resisting scratches and abrasions.
In addition, decorative materials for glass and porcelain need to meet increasingly stringent legal requirements regarding heavy metal content and release. There are legal limits on lead and cadmium content, thus lead-free colors cannot exceed a lead content of 600 ppm (= 0.06%). In the USA, only lead-free ceramic systems may be used to decorate tableware. This poses a huge challenge for the developers at Heraeus, because lead is the key component responsible for luster and brilliance in fired colors.
