The Investigation of Reaction Mechanism and Teaching Value of Traditional Gilding Technology from the Perspective of Chemistry Education
1. School of Chemical Engineering, Xi’an University, Xi’an 710065, China
2. School of Historical Culture and Tourism, Xi’an University, Xi’an 710065, China
| Abstract: | Traditional gilding craft embodies the ancient technical wisdom and contains abundant systematic chemical knowledge, which can be utilized as a high-quality teaching resource for integrating traditional culture into chemistry education. At present, most studies concerning gilding technology focus on cultural relic research and procedural sorting, while the exploration of its essential chemical principles is relatively scattered. Nevertheless, systematic thermodynamic and kinetic analyses of gilding reactions remain insufficient, and research regarding the educational adaptability of this traditional craft is still lacking. To address these shortcomings, this work investigates the conventional mercury amalgam gilding technique, systematically examining its underlying chemical mechanisms and educational applicability. Combined with literature investigation, chemical principle analysis and theoretical inference, this study explores the key operational steps of traditional gilding based on basic inorganic metal reaction rules, including gold-mercury amalgam formation, high-temperature mercury volatilization and final gold coating consolidation. The thermodynamic characteristics of spontaneous gold-mercury reaction are analyzed, and the effects of temperature and processing duration on reaction process and coating quality are discussed from the perspective of chemical kinetics. This work further validates the scientific basis of traditional operational controls and elucidates the inherent chemical factors responsible for the dense structure, favorable stability and superior corrosion resistance of gilded layers. The research results demonstrate that the core scientific connotations of gilding craft, including metal properties, alloy formation laws and reaction condition regulation, are highly compatible with mainstream chemistry teaching content. The integration of traditional craftsmanship and classroom teaching can visualize abstract chemical theories and effectively lower students’ learning barriers. This study optimizes the chemical theoretical interpretation system of traditional gilding technology and establishes a feasible implementation path for integrating cultural relic crafts into chemistry classrooms, providing solid theoretical support and practical references for the innovative development of interdisciplinary chemistry education and the inheritance of traditional technological culture. |
| Keywords: | Gilding Craftsmanship; Chemical Education; Interdisciplinary Teaching; Traditional Culture Integration |
| DOI: | 10.57237/j.cse.2026.02.001 |
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Received: 21 April 2026
Accepted: 13 June 2026
Published Online: 7 July 2026
Funding
| 1. | 陕西省哲学社会科学研究专项一般项目 (2026YB0289) |
| 2. | 西安市教师教育改革与教师发展研究项目 (25JS06) |
| 3. | 陕西省“十四五”教育科学规划课题 (SGH22Y1392, SGH25Y1628) |
| 4. | 陕西省教育厅科研计划项目 (23JP146, 23JP147) |
| 5. | 西安市社科规划项目 (25JY135, 25JY144) |
| 6. | 西安文理学院三年行动计划项目 (21XJZZ0001-11) |
| 7. | 2022年“西安文理学院西安市社科院”战略合作项目 (22ZL10, 22ZL11) |
| 8. | 西安文理学院博士启动基金 (06005017) |
| 9. | 西安文理学院教育改革项目 (JY2025021) |
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