Metallic looks that last

Getting sticker shock from stainless steel and copper? Porcelain-enamel coatings can be attractive alternatives. Metallic surfaces, special effect colors, and reflective finishes have increasingly found their way into product design. The metallic trend shows no sign of abating. And the growing demand for stainless steel and copper has caused dramatic increases in base metal prices. For example, 304 stainless steel typically used for appliances contains 8 to 10.5% nickel. According to about two-thirds of all nickel production was earmarked for stainless steel in 2005. And nickel prices were the highest since 1989. Cost data from the London Metals Exchange shows an even steeper price jump with nickel prices nearly quadrupling from $5.40/lb in December 2005 to $22.78/lb in May of this year. Copper prices have risen sharply as well. Designers of appliances have taken these sharp cost increases on the chin. But that's about to change. Economical materials such as porcelain-enamel coatings have emerged. These engineered coatings give trendy metallic looks with a substantially lower sticker price. Cost savings per square foot for a typical kitchen range serves as an example. With porcelain-enamel coatings called Evolution, designers can fabricate the range from 24-gauge plain steel instead of 300 Series stainless. The coating would go on as a 0.002-in. (2-mil) ground coat and a 0.004-in. (4-mil) cover coat. Using general market prices from May '07, the metallic-look porcelain enamel would have cut costs by nearly 60%. The porcelain coating also withstands scratches that would relegate a significant percentage of stainless-steel parts to the scrap heap. Unlike their strictly metal counterparts, porcelain-enamel coatings don't discolor from heat and resist stains, scratches, and chemical cleaners. Fingerprints also easily come off. In addition, metallic-look coatings for refrigerators, ranges, cooktops, sinks, and plumbing can also give cabinetry matching or contrasting hues. And the coating resists heat well enough to be used on exterior surfaces of cookware, barbecue grills, and fire bowls that must take not only heat from flames, but weather and corrosion. The coatings can help differentiate products because they have a wide