[TheForge] Finishes for food contact items

[Bruce Freeman]

Sorry, I should have clarified:  "Pyrolysis" literally means breaking a
substance down by heat.  It is not truly burning, which is the reaction
of the substance with oxygen.  However, pyrolysis generally takes about
the same temperatures as does burning.  The two reactions often occur
together.  Excess oxygen leads to burning.  Limited oxygen leads to
pyrolysis.  Because pyrolysis results is smaller compounds that may be
highly reactive, it is definately possible that a drying effect could
happen.  (Whether it DOES happen, I can't say.)

Bruce
NJ

>>> TristerK at aol.com 10/12/2006 3:21 PM >>>
>>The smoke may be the key here.  Is this smoke as in the sense  of
vegetable oil "smoking" in a frying pan, or smoke in the sense  of
incomplete combustion of a fuel?<<
 
Um, it was smoke - grey, drifted upwards, smells like burning beeswax -
you  
know, Smoke. 
 
 >>If the former, the "smoke" is beeswax
fumes.  I'd be  surprised if that would result in a drying effect of
beeswax, but I've been  wrong before.  (At least once, I'm sure. :^)
More
likely this would  simply spread the beeswax out over all cracks and
crevases in the scale on  the surface.
However, if the smoke represents incomplete combustion, then  you're
pyrolyzing the beeswax.  All bets are off when pyrolysis  occurs.  <<
 
OK, you're over my head here - scuffs toe in dirt - I just know it
worked  
out for this project. I mostly make knives so don't do much black iron
finish.  
YMMV.
 
wait a minuite pyro = fire so does pyrolysis = burning? If so then 
yeah, 
pyrolysis.
 
Gotta go now, my toast is undergoing pyrolysis.
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