Transcript The Stovetop Kettle - Earth Sciences Canada

The Stovetop Kettle
2011 WHERE Project
History of the
stovetop kettle
Stovetop kettles are probably the
oldest cooking utensil still used today.
The earliest known example was
made in Mesopotamia between 3500
and 2000 BC. Early kettles were made
of iron and by the 19th century copper
was a commonly used material. The
whistling kettle was invented by
Sholom Borgelman after WW1 and
remains a popular kettle today.
Modern kettles (left) are mostly of the
whistling variety and many are coated
in enamel for a timeless scratch and
heat resistant finish.
Hold on one second!
STOP
Non renewable resources
crossing
Before we continue it’s important
to know what we’re dealing with!
Most of the following resources
are classified as non renewable.
Non renewable means that a
substance occurs naturally in the
earth and must be mined,
pumped or quarried from
underground. They are limited in
quantity so we have to use them
wisely and sparingly!
What makes up modern kettles?
Modern kettles aren’t just
your average kitchen utensil.
They are timeless, iconic
examples of functionality
and simplicity. Modern
kettles are generally steel
based, with rubber coated
handles. The inside and
outside are coated in enamel
or polished to a high shine.
What in the world is in enamel?
There are two types of enamel, vitreous enamel and tooth enamel. Kettles
use vitreous enamel. The base coat is composed of a mixture of quartz,
borax, and feldspar.
Quartz
Composed of three particles (two
silicon and one oxygen) is the
second most abundant mineral on
the earths crust. Colour varies
from transparent (below) to light
pink and near black.
Canada has one quartz mine in
Bonsecours, Quebec. Top
producers are: The US, Brazil
and China.
Borax
Composed of Sodium, oxygen,
hydrogen, and boron; borax is a
usually found as a soft white powder. It
has many varied uses including
insecticide, fire retardant and anti
fungal soak.
Top producers: United States,
Argentina, Turkey, China,
Russia, Kazakhstan and Chile
Feldspar
Feldspar is the most abundant
mineral on earth. It accounts
for ~ 60% of the earths crust.
Feldspar used in the production
of enamel is composed of
potassium, silicon, aluminum
and oxygen.
Top producers: Turkey,
China, Italy, Thailand, and
Japan.
What in the world is in enamel? 2)
Enamel’s second and often colorful coat is composed of
titanium dioxide, quartz, borax and its coloring agent.
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide is one of the whitest
minerals on earth. Composed of titanium
and oxygen it’s responsible for blocking the
suns rays in sunblock, as well as providing
sunblocks white color.
Top producers: Australia, India,
South Africa and the US.
Coloring Agent
Enamel is known for its vibrant and unique
colors. Unlike paint enamel colors cannot be
mixed to form new shades. Minerals must tint
the enamel to the exact hue you want it to
become for it to function properly. The most
popular mineral choices are cobalt,
praseodymium, iron, and neodymium
Top producers: Vary depending
on the mineral used
What composes steel??
Kettles nowadays are most commonly made of steel due to its
strength and durability.
Steel
Steel is composed or iron but reinforced with carbon. By combining these two
materials the metal can become up to 1000x stronger than just plain iron.
Steel is one of the few materials on earth that can be recycled repeatedly
without losing its strength. Due to this almost all steel available at hardware
stores is recycled. Even though iron and carbon are both non renewable the
steel industry is doing its best to help preserve our environment.
Top producers: China, European Union, Japan, Russia, United States.
Rubber. What's in it and where
does it come from?
In today's world we have two different types of rubber. The first is natural
rubber and the second is synthetic. Modern kettles have been known to use
both on the handles to avoid overheating and to provide grip for the hand.
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber is made from the
latex of the guayule shrub and the
Para rubber tree. The latex is
collected from the tree in a similar
way to how maple syrup is extracted
from maple trees. Natural rubber is
often vulcanized (combined with
sulfur) to improve its strength and
durability. The first known use of
natural rubber was by the Mayans in
1600BC to make balls for sport. This
is a renewable resource.
Top producers: Thailand,
Malasia, India and China
Synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber is a non
renewable form of rubber.
Originally use started to fuel the
need for rubber in the world wars,
but eventually it grew in popularity
due to its relative low cost
compared to natural rubber. In
2005 68% of rubber produced
was synthetic. Synthetic rubber is
derived from petroleum, coal, oil,
and acetate and is mostly used
for car tires.
Top producers: United States,
Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia
Voila! A kettle!
There we have it. After a trip to
many different countries, after
learning
about
the
history,
composition and uses of the kettle
we’ve come to the finished product!
A beautiful continuation of the long,
lasting legacy of the kettle. But, due
to the fact that most of the
materials used in the kettle are non
renewable, their legacy might not
continue forever. That’s why we
need to be aware of our impact and
sustainability regarding the earth,
and help promote a greener future.
Kettles. The iconic, timeless,
kitchen utensil.
Bibliography
A huge thank you to the following websites for making this project possible.
Also, a special thanks to Le Creuset for making the kettle that this project
was based on! Thanks again!
http://www.lecreuset.co.uk/About-Us/Cast-Iron-Manufacturing/
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5208191.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vitreous-enamel.htm
http://geology.about.com/od/minerals/a/aboutfeldspar.htm
http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele059.html
http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photoiron.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron
http://www.keytometals.com/page.aspx?ID=SteelComposition&LN=EN
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_chemical_elements_found_in_a_rubber
Rub http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ru-Sp/Rubber.htmlber composition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettle
http://www.gizmohighway.com/history/kettle.htm
http://www.ask.com/questions-about/Tea-Kettle
http://nevada-outback-gems.com/mineral_information/borax.jpg
http://www.borax.com/pioneer27.html
http://boronturkey.com/
http://www.showcaves.com/english/ca/mines/CristalQuebec.html
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/mining-quartz.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-titanium-dioxide.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_steel_production
http://soundwaveskpfk.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/rubber-bands.jpg
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/rubber
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_rubber
http://www.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/rubber/market.htm