Ivor and Olive Lewis on thu 15 jul 04
Dear Fredrick,
I have taken the time to have a look round for these elements
They look as though the could be the cats whiskers. Seems as they can
cope with oxidising and reducing conditions up to astronomical
temperatures.
Just one small snag. Prices ! Also astronomical. Range up from about
$US 250 per element to $US 850.
An interesting concept. I like the idea of them flexing due to
magnetic interaction.
Look in
http://www.zircarceramics.com/pages/elements/specs/molydis.htm
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fredrick Paget"
To:
Sent: Thursday, 15 July 2004 4:29
Subject: Re: Electric Kiln Elements
> Anybody know any details about the molybdenum disilicide elements I
> see advertized in Ceramics Industry? They are sort of short medium
> length looped rod design. I wonder if they are as finicky as the
> Globar? And will they stand reduction?
>
> Might be what we need for repeated cone 10 firings in oxidation for
> crystal glazes. Most kilns with kanthal heat up too slowly at the
top
> end so the glaze all runs off into the catcher. What we need is a
> kiln that can zoom right on up to cone 10 at 300 degrees per hour
and
> then after a short soak zoom down to crystal growing temperature. A
> cone 16 kiln should do it.
> Fred Paget
> --
> From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
> fredrick@well.com
>
>
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Stephen J Lewicki on fri 16 jul 04
Our industrial division makes kilns with moly discilide elements and the
transformers, power supplies and aluminia insulation to make it all work.
The prices start at about $25,000! This is not a technology for potters. It
is just way too expensive.
One suggestion worth exploring is to try APM alloy elements for crytaline
firings. These cost anywhere from 2 to 3 times what a standard element
costs.
APM element wire is a very special sintered alloy that Kanthal makes. It
resists grain growth at high temperatures and has a very high hot strength
(which keeps the coils from flattening as easily as with Kanthal A1 or
equivelant wire). You can get more technical information from the Kanthal
web site at www.kanthal.se. Go to their Documentation Download Library and
look for the Material Data Sheets, specifically APM Wire
Note: Firing crystalline glazes is one application that L&L would
potentially recommend for APM elements. This is because the same process
of crystallization that takes place in the glaze also takes place in the
element. This is in fact what causes elements to age. APM is the same alloy
as Kanthal A1 - it just is sintered powder and for some reason resists this
crystallization.
Just a thought. Personally I think it is just better to plan on element
replacements when you are doing this kind of work and factor that into the
prices that you charge.
Stephen Lewicki
President, L&L Kiln Mfg., Inc.
william schran on fri 16 jul 04
Stephen wrote:>One suggestion worth exploring is to try APM alloy
elements for crystalline
firings. These cost anywhere from 2 to 3 times what a standard element
costs.<
Stephen - Are APM alloy elements an option in your top loading pottery kilns?
Will these elements last 2 to 3 times longer than standard elements
in crystalline firings?
Got my school to purchase a J18X-3 208V kiln with controller and
heavy duty elements this past spring specifically for cone 6
crystalline firings that we'll be doing as a class this fall
semester. Can APM elements be used in this kiln when it comes time to
change out the elements?
Bill
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