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I put a penny in the kiln- but what in the world happened?


MariaPolky

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I'm not sure if this is the right place to address this topic, but I'll go for it.

 

 

I had a class assignment to make any kind of experiment to learn more about material science, so I decided to test if pennies, nickels, and dimes could be used as a colorant when submerged in a glaze, and taken to cone 10. This definitely didn't work, as the nickels and dimes melted, and actually burned through the clay test trays :/ but the pennies did something so strange that I really cannot begin to understand...

 

The first is a penny alone in a clay tray, taken to cone 10

post-18950-135476413103_thumb.jpg

 

The second is a penny submerged in a clear glaze and taken to cone 10

post-18950-13547641384_thumb.jpg

 

All my penny tests grew these hard, textured, cord-things. It was definitely a shock.

I'm wondering if the reason for this is that the Zinc being the majority of the penny (I used post 1983 pennies) turned to calx because it melts at such a lower temperature, and since the copper is surrounding the zinc, maybe the zinc was pushing it's way out of the core and squeezed out, hardening along the way??

 

Does anyone have any ideas? I'm open to any thoughts, I'm completely confused by these little aliens!!

post-18950-135476413103_thumb.jpg

post-18950-13547641384_thumb.jpg

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What were you hoping to see?

 

Per the US Mint, since 1982 pennies have been made of copper-coated zinc. I had no idea, though, with the value of copper, I should have known.

 

Composition: Copper-Plated Zinc: 2.5% Cu, Balance Zn

Weight: 2.500 g

Diameter: 0.750 in., 19.05 mm

Thickness: 1.55 mm

Edge: Plain

 

http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/circulatingCoins/?action=CircPenny

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Guest JBaymore

looks like a prank to me. that first pic looks like two different metals and strangely like an electrical connection.

 

braided wire maybe?

 

 

Ditto. Looks like something was put in there.

 

 

Mistaken identity on the particular test bowls??????

 

Someone screwing around with the original person's tests as a joke?

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looks like a prank to me. that first pic looks like two different metals and strangely like an electrical connection.

 

braided wire maybe?

 

 

Ditto. Looks like something was put in there.

 

 

Mistaken identity on the particular test bowls??????

 

Someone screwing around with the original person's tests as a joke?

 

Could also be accidental. Don't want to be a pessimist, but I have a hard time believing that structure grew out of a coin. Something's fishy here.

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Weirdly, and I promise, this is not a prank.

The cone 04 was a pile of white fluff and the cone 6 was a softer long thing.

The only way to get the hard long thing is if you take it to cone 10. Also this was oxidation, the reduction was not nearly as cool.

If you have a kiln and a test tray you should try this and let me know if you had a similar experience

 

I had my critique today, but I'm still pretty confused. A grad student said that when he was in undergrad somebody put a lot of pennies on her sculpture and they all made these wire things, like a fountain. I'm definitely going to keep trying this

 

So this was my testing

post-18950-135484482553_thumb.jpg

 

 

Another penny in a clear glaze. The cord broke so it's pictured just resting

post-18950-135484485431_thumb.jpg

 

 

Close up of what happened with just a penny (this cord broke too, so it just reasting next to it's ... I guess root?)

post-18950-135484489799_thumb.jpg

 

 

and finally this was the penny in reduction

post-18950-135484492679_thumb.jpg

post-18950-135484482553_thumb.jpg

post-18950-135484485431_thumb.jpg

post-18950-135484489799_thumb.jpg

post-18950-135484492679_thumb.jpg

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Weirdly, and I promise, this is not a prank.

The cone 04 was a pile of white fluff and the cone 6 was a softer long thing.

The only way to get the hard long thing is if you take it to cone 10. Also this was oxidation, the reduction was not nearly as cool.

If you have a kiln and a test tray you should try this and let me know if you had a similar experience

 

I had my critique today, but I'm still pretty confused. A grad student said that when he was in undergrad somebody put a lot of pennies on her sculpture and they all made these wire things, like a fountain. I'm definitely going to keep trying this

 

So this was my testing

post-18950-135484482553_thumb.jpg

 

 

Another penny in a clear glaze. The cord broke so it's pictured just resting

post-18950-135484485431_thumb.jpg

 

 

Close up of what happened with just a penny (this cord broke too, so it just reasting next to it's ... I guess root?)

post-18950-135484489799_thumb.jpg

 

 

and finally this was the penny in reduction

post-18950-135484492679_thumb.jpg

 

 

I believe it has to do with the zinc in the pennies, which can also melt through corderite kiln shelves--I saw this and more happen to a beginning ceramics student in undergrad--I also got to watch the faculty reaction upon seeing a penny melted well into 1" thick kiln shelves.

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To anybody who thinks this is REAL.

 

IT IS!

 

i heard that a newish penny would do this and sent one through an 04 glaze fire with almost the exact same result!

 

I did not however put a glaze in it.

 

And Maria,

 

Try splittling the now fired penny into layers!

 

I dropped mine and it split yielding a really shinny and glittery spiral pattern thing. Super cool!!!

 

- Burt

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Damn! Isn't it weird that so many of us who have been potting for centuries didn't know about this! I think of all the weird things I have put in firings from moth balls (not their actual balls, but the chemical pesticide) to deer livers and I never tried a penny! Can't wait to put one in my next firing. Wish I could afford to put a nickel and a dime in, too.

 

Jim

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Guest JBaymore

Damn! Isn't it weird that so many of us who have been potting for centuries didn't know about this! I think of all the weird things I have put in firings from moth balls (not their actual balls, but the chemical pesticide) to deer livers and I never tried a penny! Can't wait to put one in my next firing. Wish I could afford to put a nickel and a dime in, too.

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

:Dsrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif"> :Dsrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif"> :Dsrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif">

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Damn! Isn't it weird that so many of us who have been potting for centuries didn't know about this! I think of all the weird things I have put in firings from moth balls (not their actual balls, but the chemical pesticide) to deer livers and I never tried a penny! Can't wait to put one in my next firing. Wish I could afford to put a nickel and a dime in, too.

 

Jim

 

 

Since nickels and dimes are mostly copper, they become molten and burn through their clay test trays, so keep the laundry money! :)

Pennies are really the only coins I've found that have amazing results, without burning through anything.

(also WHAT happened with deer livers??)

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Damn! Isn't it weird that so many of us who have been potting for centuries didn't know about this! I think of all the weird things I have put in firings from moth balls (not their actual balls, but the chemical pesticide) to deer livers and I never tried a penny! Can't wait to put one in my next firing. Wish I could afford to put a nickel and a dime in, too.

 

Jim

 

 

Since nickels and dimes are mostly copper, they become molten and burn through their clay test trays, so keep the laundry money! smile.gif

Pennies are really the only coins I've found that have amazing results, without burning through anything.

(also WHAT happened with deer livers??)

 

 

That was 40 years ago so I don't remember but it must not have been anything impressive or I would still remember it.

 

Jim

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