need advise: high alkali crucible melt

I am planning to make sodium/potassium silicate through the furnace route in a crucible furnace. I am unfamilar with precautions necessary for very high flux mixtures as opposed to regular soda glass.

Will alkali "fumes" hurt my kiln. Will molten alkali destroy a regular glass crucible? I have easy access to a small electric ceramics kiln (in my backyard), and also to a large gas crucible furnace built for metal casting (acquaintance's back yard).

For my first attempt I plan to use sodium hydroxide and glass powder and fuse them at only 600-700C for 3-6 hours. The mix will be about equal weights sodium hydroxide and glass powder. I would then pour that molten mixture into Ice water and crush the powder in order to dissolve it.

Does anyone have any experience or learning regarding this?

Reply to
Permafacture
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You've probably already solved the problem: if so, I would like to know what happened - you can reach me at zorondoug at yahoo if you feel like sharing.

I would also like to know the purpose of this experiment, as I may be able to discern another method for accomplishing the task: a standard ceramic crucible will certainly be damaged by high concentrations of molten alkali, but it might hold up long enough to do whatever you need to do - assuming you can accept the amount of crucible that will become dissolved in the finished product. I would think that a graphite crucible would be the least suceptable to erosion, but quartz would be my second guess: those researchers in my experience who have put nasty things into their crucibles have opted for quartz as a disposable substrate (it might take awhile to eat through the quartz, probably longer than to eat through ceramic, but they amortize the cost of the crucible against the value of whatever it is they are trying to do). The quartz would not contaminate the finished product with calcium, but you would probably require some trial-and-error to determine how much of the quartz silica is being added to the silica of the glass in your batch. With either type of crucible, it will be expensive.

Another avenue in this line of research would be to contact crucible manufacturers, directly - they have undoubtedly run across this problem repeatedly and they are sometimes willing to share their wisdom (some of those experts are really nice people who identify with the home or small-business researcher, and others are just pills - goat pills). Just be willing to spend more than three phone calls on it.

As for your concerns about alkali - they are all justified. Don't let it get on your skin, or you will feel a soapy sensation when you wash it off: that sensation is your skin, dissolving in lye (at least, that is, according to my chemistry teacher in college). Do NOT breath any of the vapors - rigging a powered external air supply would be best (I don't know whether the exaust of a vacuum cleaner fed into a vacuum-cleaner extension hose leading to somewhere near the face would work well or not - it would be clumsy, no doubt). Keep some vinegar around for rinsing things such as your hands, and make certain to either wear booties or wash the soles of your work shoes before wearing them into living areas, especially if you have pets or children. Check with your local safety-supply outlet (they are common everywhere - or should I use my word-a-day, "ubiquitous": sounds nasty) - they will have specialized breathing equipment for almost anything you might come up with as well as protective gloves, etc.

I sure am curious about what you are doing: I've got a background in chemistry, medicine, electronics, photography and music, among other things, and I can't think of any use for what you are making, unless it is just a precursor for something else. Please do let me know what you're doing - I'm willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement. (Curiosity costs me more than any other pastime, I believe).

Keep it turning ?

Reply to
Douglas Wiggins

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