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bowen question itc helps?

updated tue 17 oct 00

 

Kurt Wild on mon 16 oct 00


These questions were posed:

"Cost. Will we save money? Use less propane? Compared to your usage I =
think we did well. But given=20
the rising costs of petroleum based fuels savings will become more =
important as this market finds it's
true level.
Function. Will it adversely affect function? Here my concern is that if =
we save fuel because of the=20
ability of the material to reflect heat, does this mean we lose the slow =
cooling caused by the absorption=20
of heat by the IFB's and the positive effects of the thermal mass? We =
are not interested in having our
kiln perform like a fiber kiln, and have to do a controlled cooldown =
with fire."

Unfortunately I must reply that my kiln is small enough that I'm not sure
I can accurately, or statistically, answer the above. I do feel (catch
that word) that my kiln is better off having coated it with ITC - some
lessening in fuel consumption (my records are inconclusive on how much due
to differences in stackings ), particles from IFB don't come off as surface
is sealed by ITC, not like a fiber kiln in the sense of faster cool
down --- but remember this is in MY kiln and I'm not sure how it would
apply to yours.
Kurt

email: KURT.L.WILD@uwrf.edu
website: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77