Zircar Ceramics
Phil Hamling
100 North Main Street

Florida, NY 10921-0519
Phone: (845)651-6600
Fax: 1-845-651-0441

Hi - Phil,

 

I think with 2 elements this is the best we are going to get. I am betting on that the thicker diameter - which improves both the elements resistance to attack and probably more importantly increases the strength of the element because of the ratio of ID to wire diameter - will be a huge factor in element life.

 

I am finalizing a design with Jesse Hull for a J18X with 2mm elements, three rows of holders and lots of extra power (as much as a e23T in a smaller kiln). The watt density is about 13 watts/sq in with a stretch of 1.86. The actual use information from the two of you will be helpful in seeing more into this.

 

I am looking seriously at designing a new holder which would look like two of the standard holders stuck together. We have something like that which we have used for 40 or more years in our industrial furnaces with no problems at all. On the other hand - those furnaces don't abuse the elements in quite the same way as these super-high temperature kilns with little insulation! Anyway - if I do eventually design this I'll give you a good deal on replacement rings. I would guess, if I do move ahead with this, that it would take a year to impliment. It would definitely be THE solution for this whole element issue. This would give us some nice options in custom kilns as well as take care of the extreme users like you, Jesse and other cone 10 people. I doubt it is important for 90% of the people using kilns but it would be a nice option to have at any rate.

 

On another note - I am having a very strange thing take place in some of Bill Campbell's kilns where the DaVinci holders crack and blacken. I've seen this very rarely in a few other cases over the years. Jesse thinks it might be the zinc outgassing at high temperatures from the glaze and not being well ventilated (in a fully packed kiln). He thinks maybe the zinc is reacting to a local reduction atmosphere created by the silicon carbide in those holders (I do think there is a very localized surface atmosphere created by the SiC decomposing). ANy thoughts on this puzzler?

 

Best Regards,

 

Stephen Lewicki
President
L&L Kiln Mfg Inc.
505 Sharptown Road