What Is a Chalkboard Made Of?

Standard chalkboards are made using a combination of porcelain and steel.

Originally made from slabs of slate, chalkboards have been an inseparable part of classroom life for many years, ever since they first began to appear in military schools in the early 1800s. Now, chalkboards are being slowly replaced by the whiteboard, but modern chalkboards still exist.

Base

A base, usually composed of steel, forms the interior of the chalkboard. This steel is checked thoroughly for defects and flaws that might impact the writing surface, and then is washed clean in a chemical bath.

Surface

A writing surface made of porcelain clay and glass glaze is applied to the steel. Workers coat one side of the steel with a porcelain slip, which is just a loose clay mixture. The porcelain-coated steel is then fired in a high-temperature chamber. The slip and the steel fuse together from the high heat. The final writing surface is made using glass-based glazes as a coating, which is again treated to a firing in high heat.

Backing

Once the coated steel is cooled and inspected, workers glue it to a particle-board background using a specialized glue. A wooden frame is usually added as well as any accessories, such as trays or hooks.

References

• Whiteboard Guide: A History of the Chalkboard and Whiteboard in Two Paragraphs
• How Products Are Made: Volume 2: Chalkboard

Resources

• APP.com: Chalkboards Relegated to History