Carl Cravens on sat 26 jun 10
My local supplier carries Spectralux 5500 a "zircon opacifier". I see very=
little mention of it on the web (confused by many unrelated products calle=
d "Spectralux") and none in the Clayart archive. Don't even see it in Digit=
al Fire's materials catalog. One clay catalog listed it as a "Zircopax sub=
stitute".
It's significantly cheaper than Zircopax and I'm wondering if it's a reliab=
le 1-to-1 substitute or if there are other considerations. Thanks!
http://www.continentalmineral.com/spectralux.html
ZrO2 Zirconium Oxide 65% Min.
SiO2 Silicon Dioxide 32.5% Typ.
AI2O3 Aluminum Oxide 2.0% Max.
TiO2 Titanium Dioxide 0.35% Max.
Fe2O3 Iron Oxide 0.15% Max.
U & Th Uranium & Thorium 475 Max.
P2O5 Phosphrus Pentoxide 0.09% Typ.
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
You are in a maze of twisty messages, all alike.
ivor and olive lewis on mon 28 jun 10
Dear Carl Cravens,
Uranium and Thorium are Radioactive elements. Not sure about the dimensions
of the value you give, but even if it is parts per million it could be a
serious hazard over a period of time. I'm sure it would rattle a Geiger
counter
http://www.continentalmineral.com/spectralux.html
ZrO2 Zirconium Oxide 65% Min.
SiO2 Silicon Dioxide 32.5% Typ.
AI2O3 Aluminum Oxide 2.0% Max.
TiO2 Titanium Dioxide 0.35% Max.
Fe2O3 Iron Oxide 0.15% Max.
U & Th Uranium & Thorium 475 Max.
P2O5 Phosphrus Pentoxide 0.09% Typ.
I suggest you seek professional guidance before choosing to employ this
material.
Best regards.
Ivor Lewis,
REDHILL,
South Australia
Carl Cravens on tue 29 jun 10
On 06/28/2010 12:22 AM, ivor and olive lewis wrote:
> Uranium and Thorium are Radioactive elements. Not sure about the dimensio=
ns
> of the value you give, but even if it is parts per million it could be a
> serious hazard over a period of time. I'm sure it would rattle a Geiger
> counter
The Tam Ceramics MSDS for Superpax lists Uranium and Thorium as naturally o=
ccurring trace elements in zirconium silicate, an average of 100-120 pCi/g =
(picoCuries per gram, a measure of radioactivity). http://www.continentalcl=
ay.com/images/MSDS-CHSUPAX%20Superpax.pdf
The Spetralux MSDS has a whole page about the radioactives, including the i=
ndustrial radiation hazards in bulk operations.
http://www.armadilloclay.com/images/Spectralux.pdf
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Uranium and Thorium: Zircon contains naturally occurring radioactive materi=
als (=93NORM=94) in the
uranium and thorium series, in equilibrium, at typical specific activities =
of 0.3 to 0.7 Bq/g thorium (85 -
165 ppm) and 0.3 to 3.7 Bq/g uranium (28 - 300 ppm).
Zircon is exempt from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (=93NRC=94) regulations=
for source material per 10
CFR 40, since it falls under the definition of =93unimportant quantity sour=
ce material=94 containing less than
0.05% uranium or thorium."
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Bq/g is Becquerels/gram, 1 Bq/g =3D 27.027 pCi/g.
Spectralux is no more radioactive than Zircopax/Superpax. (Trivia: Austral=
ia mines 37% of the world total of zircon.)
We already know we're not supposed to breathe or ingest the stuff. Why be =
alarmist just because the word "Uranium" popped up?
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
Don't bother pressing that key, there is no Esc.
David Beumee on wed 30 jun 10
Carl Cravens wrote,
"Spectralux is no more radioactive than Zircopax/Superpax."
Great, Carl. Got any more good news for us?
David Beumee
Lafayette, CO
On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Carl Cravens wrote:
> On 06/28/2010 12:22 AM, ivor and olive lewis wrote:
>
>> Uranium and Thorium are Radioactive elements. Not sure about the
>> dimensions
>> of the value you give, but even if it is parts per million it could be a
>> serious hazard over a period of time. I'm sure it would rattle a Geiger
>> counter
>>
>
> The Tam Ceramics MSDS for Superpax lists Uranium and Thorium as naturally
> occurring trace elements in zirconium silicate, an average of 100-120 pCi=
=3D
/g
> (picoCuries per gram, a measure of radioactivity).
> http://www.continentalclay.com/images/MSDS-CHSUPAX%20Superpax.pdf
>
> The Spetralux MSDS has a whole page about the radioactives, including the
> industrial radiation hazards in bulk operations.
>
> http://www.armadilloclay.com/images/Spectralux.pdf
>
> =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D
> Uranium and Thorium: Zircon contains naturally occurring radioactive
> materials (=3D93NORM=3D94) in the
> uranium and thorium series, in equilibrium, at typical specific activitie=
=3D
s
> of 0.3 to 0.7 Bq/g thorium (85 -
> 165 ppm) and 0.3 to 3.7 Bq/g uranium (28 - 300 ppm).
>
> Zircon is exempt from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (=3D93NRC=3D94) regul=
atio=3D
ns for
> source material per 10
> CFR 40, since it falls under the definition of =3D93unimportant quantity =
so=3D
urce
> material=3D94 containing less than
> 0.05% uranium or thorium."
> =3D3D=3D3D=3D3D=3D3D
>
> Bq/g is Becquerels/gram, 1 Bq/g =3D3D 27.027 pCi/g.
>
> Spectralux is no more radioactive than Zircopax/Superpax. (Trivia:
> Australia mines 37% of the world total of zircon.)
>
> We already know we're not supposed to breathe or ingest the stuff. Why b=
=3D
e
> alarmist just because the word "Uranium" popped up?
>
> --
> Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
> Don't bother pressing that key, there is no Esc.
>
Carl Cravens on sat 3 jul 10
On 06/30/2010 07:06 PM, David Beumee wrote:
> Great, Carl. Got any more good news for us?
Not yet. I'm going to give the Spectralux 5500 a try. I'm working in c/04=
terra cotta right now and I think I'm going to try Edouard's "Sorrel Blue"=
... blue on terra cotta red, that opacifier is working over-time, so I fig=
ure it's a good test.
I suppose, especially since I've never used Zircopax either, I should buy s=
ome of both and do a side-by-side comparison.
Bleu de Sorel (Sorrel blue)
Cone 04
E.P.kaolin 20%
Frit #3134 78%
Bentonite 2%
Zircopax 18%
Cobalt carbonate 4%
(From http://www.ceramicstoday.com/earthenware.htm. I really like "Ginette=
's blue", but an ash glaze is going to be less predictable.)
(Ironic that I'd be considering Spectralux because it's cheaper than Zircop=
ax, then choose a glaze that's more than three-quarters frit and 4% cobalt.=
The cost of the opacifier is the least of my worries. :)
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
Error locating MAFIA.EXE - program not executed.
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