Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C (1380 and 1560 °F). The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, and also glass or ceramics, although the use of the term “enamel” is often restricted to work on metal, which is all that this article covers; enameled glass is also called “painted”. The fired enameled ware is a fully laminated composite of glass and metal. The word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail.
