12:36 am
January 20, 2016
ITC-100HT Ceramic Coating for Refractories. Is there something like the itc-100 that is cheaper to use?
I want to make a forge with the portland cement, sand, Perlite, and clay. But I was thinking the the itc would protect the cement from the heat. Problem is 100 bucks or so cost. Is there a cheaper option for reflecting heat from the concrete?
11:32 am
NWBA Member
July 28, 2010
5:36 pm
NWBA Member
Board Member
April 26, 2010
Portland cement is, as Rashelle says, not good for forges. It has a tendency to spall at higher temperatures. Perlite/vermiculite & clay by themselves will suffice. If you want something stronger you can use refractory cement. A couple thousand years ago, Theophilus used straw, sand, and clay. The straw burns out to make insulating air spaces.
The $100 for ITC-100 is for a whole gallon. You might find folk willing to go in with you. (I'll take a quart. Now find two other folk!)
There are indeed substitutes for ITC-100. One is called "Plistex." One is called "Metrikote." I have no information on their performance. Both cost much less than the ITC product. Note well there are five different "Plistex" products made by Plibrico. I don't know which is which.
ITC-100's claim-to-fame is reflecting infrared (heat) back into the chamber. I don't know the formula for it; it's a "proprietary" formula. I very strongly suspect it contains titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is the "titanium white" pigment used to make paint. Others claim it is 70% zirconia & 30% kaolin by weight. I can neither confirm nor deny this.
I plan on experimenting with ITC-100 substitutes myself. One of the mixes I was going to try is sodium silicate & magnesium silicate. Sodium silicate is available from fireplace supply places & floor finishing places. Magnesium silicate is talcum powder. (That's "talcum powder," but not "baby powder." We don't need or want cornstarch or perfumes in the mix.)
Here's another formula from my notes - no clue where it originated, my apologies to the source:
15 parts by weight calcined kaolin
15 parts by weight kaolin
2 parts by weight titanium dioxide
70 parts by weight zircon flour
No matter where you go... there you are.
6:24 pm
NWBA Member
July 28, 2010
8:53 pm
NWBA Member
February 25, 2012
My forge is lined with refractory with no coating. I can't remember exactly which refractory, possibly Kast-O-Lite 3000 ($15/5lbs on Wayne Coe's site). It has granules of alumina and quartz that reflect light back into the forge, and at heat is almost white. The forge gets up to welding heat. While I'm guessing a coating over the refractory could improve performance, it isn't totally necessary. If I were on a budget I'd start by finding the best refractory for the buck.
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