[TheForge] plastic forge? OT:

peter fels artgawk at thegrid.net
Wed Jun 15 01:22:15 EDT 2011


I'd forgotten about that stuff Jerry...wonder how high it will go?
I recall some of the chrome oxides are pretty high temp too.

So,,Graphene, zirconium oxide and cornstarch?

Graphene
On Jun 14, 2011, at 6:09 PM, Jerry Frost wrote:

> Zirconium oxide Pete. Though it's a ceramic not a salt but it has a REALLY 
> high melting temp and a high IR albedo. I coat my forges with it by the 
> brand name ITC-100. It's darned flux resistant and I've had molten steel 
> laying on it to no ill effect.
> 
> Zirconium is the first thing I thought of upon reading the article.
> 
> Jer
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "peter fels" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 2:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] plastic forge? OT:
> 
> 
>> 
>> On Jun 13, 2011, at 12:41 PM, Bruce Freeman wrote:
>> 
>>> Of course!
>>> 
>>> Oxygen is a gas at room temperature and pressure.  Silicone is a solid
>>> melting at about 2500*F.  Silicon dioxide (aka quartz or silica) is a
>>> solid melting at about 3000*F - a covalent compound of the three
>>> atoms.  And there are much more dramatic examples than this.
>>> 
>>> Sodium is a low-melting metal (~208*F).  Chlorine is a gas at room
>>> temperature.  Sodium chloride is a solid salt melting around 1500*F.
>>> 
>>> The difference is that metals like tin and lead, typically don't
>>> combine chemically -- forming new molecules or salts -- whereas oxides
>>> like quartz are distinctly new entities, molecules.  In some respects,
>>> a molecule is like an extended atom -- the electrons are shared
>>> between the nuclei.  Salts are rather the opposite -- the electrons
>>> are not shared, but rather passed completely from one to the other,
>>> resulting in an electric charge that keeps the ions together (unless
>>> stabilized by a polar solvent, like water).  Hence, property changes
>>> can be pretty dramatic.
>> 
>> Then is there a handy, refractory  salt of high melting temperature metals 
>> or elements?
>>> 
>>> A couple more thoughts:
>>> 
>>> A material can "resist" energy (i.e., photons) by reflecting it or
>>> transmitting it (i.e., being transparent to it).  In addition to
>>> reflecting energy, a material can fluoresce -- absorb photons of one
>>> energy level and emit those of a lower energy level.  All these
>>> mechanisms could account for a substance surviving in the presence of
>>> intense energy.  Not all of them are useful for all purposes.
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 1:43 PM, peter fels <artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
>>>> In the interesting model you propose, the functional limit is the 
>>>> temperature at which the "glass" breaks down...even if the carbon core 
>>>> were to remain stable up to then.
>>>> The magical plastic alleges to exceed the limits of it's constituent 
>>>> elements incredibly ( literally).
>>>> In metal alloys, a combination of elements tends to lower the melting 
>>>> temperature.
>>>> Are there high temperature compounds where the opposite is dramatically 
>>>> true?
>>>> 
>>>> On Jun 13, 2011, at 4:40 AM, Bruce Freeman wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Rather than wonder about this magical substance that notably has never
>>>>> been commercialized, why not brainstorm to find something or some
>>>>> things that fill some of those functions.
>>>>> 
>>>>> There are, for example, a number of ways to resist heat.  Most
>>>>> refractories (graphite being a notable exception) that resist heat by
>>>>> virtue of high melting point and being oxides (impossible to further
>>>>> oxidize).  Others are ablative -- sacrificial.  Graphite almost falls
>>>>> into the last category, or maybe does.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Suppose you try to use bituminous coal as a refractory.  Get it hot
>>>>> enough and it expands into breeze (coke).  It fails at that point
>>>>> because it starts to burn, but what if it were somehow protected from
>>>>> burning by a refractory "glass" layer.  Hence, composite something
>>>>> like bituminous coal with some sort of high-temperature
>>>>> oxidation-resistant substance.  What's neat about this is that the
>>>>> breeze would then act as an insulator, protecting what's beneath.
>>>>> 
>>>>> What you want to do is to form your "clinker" right on the surface of
>>>>> the breeze.   So, this all gives rise to the question of why
>>>>> bituminous coal does not already act as a refractory.  I suspect that
>>>>> probably relates to properties of the breeze vs. the "glass".  Maybe
>>>>> the glass won't "wet" the carbon?  Maybe the continual degassing of
>>>>> the coal breaks the glass layer, making it ineffective as a "flux"?
>>>>> Maybe the glass sits on the outside of the breeze only, leaving the
>>>>> open "gas bubbles" exposed to the air blast?  Solve this problem and
>>>>> you might develop.  Even light microscopy could help determine the
>>>>> facts, and scanning electron microscopy would probably solve it in no
>>>>> time.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Of course, graphite is mainly of interest because of it's high melting
>>>>> point.  Perhaps the equivalent behavior could be obtained using more
>>>>> standard ceramics.  But the "plastic" nature of our hypothetical
>>>>> material is now conceivably a problem.  How does one form a ceramic in
>>>>> a plastic manner?  Well, cement comes to mind -- castable or rammable
>>>>> refractories.
>>>>> 
>>>>> All just brainstorming.
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 3:11 AM, peter fels <artgawk at thegrid.net> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> It's hard to refrain from thinking of different applications for 
>>>>>> it....
>>>>>> sorta like relations with  a harbor Fright catalogue when i was 
>>>>>> poorer.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Jun 12, 2011, at 3:27 PM, Mike Spencer wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I posted a note to uk.rec.sheds (chiefly because someone had used the
>>>>>>> word "gubbins" and the Starlite guy recounted calling his product
>>>>>>> "gubbins" when first encountered) and had this reply:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>   From: bobharvey <robertharvey at my-deja.com>
>>>>>>>   Subject: Re: Sheddi Taxidermy
>>>>>>>   Newsgroups: uk.rec.sheds
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>   Ah yes.  Starlite.  I recall reading almost exactly that article
>>>>>>>   some 20 years ago in some engineering journal.  It included a
>>>>>>>   photo sequence of someone stirring molten steel with a stick, then
>>>>>>>   putting the stick in a bucket of water without the normal
>>>>>>>   dangerous consequences.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>   I always assumed it was all true, unlike the "combustion engine
>>>>>>>   that runs on water" man, who used to pop up occasionally.  'cos It
>>>>>>>   was clear that that was bollocks.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If it's bogus, at least it has staying power.  If it's not, why can't
>>>>>>> I have some?
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>>>>>>>                                                          /V\
>>>>>>> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
>>>>>>> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
>>>>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>>>>> TheForge mailing list
>>>>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>>>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>>>>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>>>>>>> http://www.photoworks.com
>>>>>>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>>>>>>> Password: anvil
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>>>> TheForge mailing list
>>>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>>>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>>>>>> http://www.photoworks.com
>>>>>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>>>>>> Password: anvil
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Bruce
>>>>> NJ
>>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>>> TheForge mailing list
>>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>>>> 
>>>>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>>>>> http://www.photoworks.com
>>>>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>>>>> Password: anvil
>>>>> 
>>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>> 
>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>> TheForge mailing list
>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>>> 
>>>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>>>> http://www.photoworks.com
>>>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>>>> Password: anvil
>>>> 
>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Bruce
>>> NJ
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> TheForge mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>> 
>>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>>> http://www.photoworks.com
>>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>>> Password: anvil
>>> 
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> 
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> TheForge mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>> 
>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>> http://www.photoworks.com
>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>> Password: anvil
>> 
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> 
>> 
>> -----
>> No virus found in this message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 1513/3703 - Release Date: 06/14/11
>> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> TheForge mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
> 
> TheForge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoworks.com
> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> Password: anvil
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html



More information about the TheForge mailing list