Making Insulative Clay Combustion Chambers

[pinhead]

Making Insulative Clay Combustion Chambers
Dean Still, Aprovecho Research Center March 2003

NOTES APRIL 2003

Dear Friends,

Inspired by the work done by Ken Goyer and Damon Ogle, we've been experimenting with other recipes at the Aprovecho lab.

400 to 700 grams of moist clay
300 grams of vermiculite
900cc of water

makes a 2100cc trapazoidal brick as shown in the slide show of the 6 brick Rocket stove. Vermiculite bricks seem to be strong and they weigh less than
two pounds depending on the amount of clay used. Lighter, more insulative bricks made with 400 grams of moist clay would not stand up to abrasion but
might serve as tunnels of a Lorena stove, for example.

[pasto76]

you know I re-re-re-re-visited this site the other day. and it hit me, I obviously need to make my own refractory bricks for the schemes in my head. Im wondering how to fire said bricks adequately without a kiln?

[Donkey]

I think pearlite does better than vermiculite..

Depending on the kind of refractory material you need.. The parts that don't experience physical abuse, that is, anything down-stream from the feed, doesn't really need firing at all.
The stove itself will do a limited amount of firing (of itself) as you use it.

There are a number of home-made mixes that folks around here have been talking about.

[pasto76]

spend some time today reading the forum again on this topic. how would this work to make bricks? maybe mold them, air dry them and bake them at 500 for a few hours to pre-fire them? think thats what Im going to try. Thanks!