General Question: What Makes New Cast Iron Black?

Cody_S

New member
When restoring my own cast iron, the seasoning always comes out as light gold, and gradually browns with use. When buying new-age pieces like Butterpat, Smithey, Finnex, Stargazer, Field, etc, they’re preseasoning is brown in hue.

When buying something like a Lodge, or others from the supermarket, they’re jet black in colour.

What is actually causing this black preseasoning?
 
Bare cast iron is gray. Manual seasoning is often bronze colored because, even though the oil is polymerized, there is not enough carbonization of either the oil itself or of substances contained in it that could also carbonize. Lodge's soybean oil-based pre-seasoning could be black for two possibilities: they have formulated something in it that is dark or darkens significantly during their process, or have added a coloring agent to achieve the dark color. Since they consider it proprietary, we would likely have a hard time finding out exactly how.
 
I can't imagine their process is as intensive as what hobbyists do to artificially achieve black color, e.g. 500°F temps and multiple coats. My guess is that it's a one-pass spray and bake process.
 
If I remember right, it is a spray and bake process. Lodge I mean...old pans are black from use, seasoning.
 
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