What metal is used as a reflective surface of mirrors?

Question

It's not aluminum.

Answer 1

Hi. Silver is used sometimes. I have one filter that is Inconel coated for solar use, so I guess the material must match the frequency and intensity you wish to observe.

Answer 2

These base materials must be coated to make a mirror. Metallic coatings are the most common. A variety of metals, such as silver, gold, and chrome, are appropriate for this application. Silver was the most popular mirror backing one hundred years ago, leading to the coinage of the term "silvering." Old silver-backed mirrors often have dark lines behind the glass, however, because the material was coated very thinly and unevenly, causing it to flake off, scratch or tarnish. More recently, before 1940, mirror manufacturers used mercury because it spread evenly over the surface of the glass and did not tarnish. This practice was also eventually abandoned, for it posed the problem of sealing in the toxic liquid. Today, aluminum is the most commonly used metallic coating for mirrors.

Answer 3

Composition
Early mirrors were often little more than a sheet of polished metal, often silver or copper, for example the Aranmula kannadi. Most modern mirrors consist of a thin layer of aluminium deposited on a sheet of glass. This layer is called the Tain. They are back silvered, where the reflecting surface is viewed through the glass sheet; this makes the mirror durable, but lowers the image quality of the mirror due to extraneous reflections from the front surface of the glass (ordinary glass typically reflects around 4% of the light). This type of mirror reflects about 80% of the incident light. The "back side" of the mirror is often painted or coated in some way to completely seal the metal from corrosion.

Mirrors for precision optical applications are more likely to have the reflective coating on the front surface of the mirror, to eliminate reflection from the glass. Metal films on the front surface are generally covered with a thin, transparent coating to protect them from corrosion. This is often made of silica. In some cases this coating may also enhance reflectivity.

Mirrors designed for special applications, such as in lasers and other advanced optical devices, use a reflective optical coating composed of many layers of different dielectric materials. Such coatings can be designed to have extremely high reflectivity and are reasonably durable. Since they absorb very little of the incident light they can be used with high power lasers without absorbing the energy and being damaged.

Answer 4

The solutions of foil and the interior a bag have been fairly solid, yet once you like some thing slightly distinctive overwhelmed metallic, like copper or bronze sheets, surprisingly polished make solid reflective surfaces. They have been the previous school mirrors earlier the silver subsidized mirrors besides. this relies upon on how huge the mirrors ought to be and how a lot you desire to spend. you'll be waiting to %. some up at a craft keep(copper) or a house progression place. there is likewise the alternative of obsidian stone, lower back reckoning on length and fee. you additionally can purchase granite tiles from the living house progression place, or stone cutter, and function them decrease the tile. it is surprisingly reflective. I used it for a table precise.

Answer 5

Its really not metal. To make a miror you take a sheet of glass and spray paint it with a special reflective silver paint. You probably think its metal because it have metal flakes in it plus after painting a dull cover coating is placed on top of the special silver paint. To make one way glass the dull cover coat is left off and magic you can see thru the back but not the front side,
DD

Answer 6

Usually a silver alloy

Answer 7

i believe that most modern mirrors have a thin coat of aluminum over a sheet of glass.

Answer 8

Mostly Ag(Silver) or Cu(Copper) or their alloys and lately aluminum alloys.