The Mad Scientist Comes Out to Play

My inner mad scientist has been getting quite the workout over the past couple of days. I have become obsessed with strontium aluminate and the potential of adding it to fused glass--specifically tile for the bathroom, and glass pebbles for the garden paths. In case you're unfamiliar with strontium aluminate, (and really, unless you're a chemist, why would you be familiar with it?) strontium aluminate is an inert, non-toxic chemical use as glow-in-the-dark pigment powder. I have a suspicion that it's what was in the glow-in-the-dark glass frit I bought many years ago. I made Jessie a cast starfish out of the frit and it still glows almost all night.

Oh sure, you're thinking why don't I just buy glow-in-the-dark tile and pebbles for the garden? Because I am itching to play with the powder myself! I want to see what I can do with it as an added element in mosaics and castings, in fused pieces and combined with dichro! And with the global market what it is today, I can order it from a vast array of sources at very good prices. Heck, I can even buy it on Amazon. I also see the possibilities for glow in the dark and thermoreactive (or thermochromic) glass and resin pieces for inlay in wood or setting in metal--or in ceramic glaze. Oh the possibilities! Now I'm sort of wishing I kept one of the crucible kilns...