Cracks in Tank Liner

[Jim Engebretson]

Does anyone know of a material to patch deep cracks/crevices in a fuse cast tank liner. We have a 9 year old Spiral Arts furnace that has been a real workhorse but has deteriorated to the point that the glass is incorporating both the backup and insulating materials into the melt. I’m really looking for a short term “fix” as we will replace this with a Steve Stadelman furnace in a few months. This is a furnace used by students at the University of Wi. at River Falls.

[Kenny Pieper]

Jim
Zirmul 160 patch is the thing most people use for that. It should have undercuts to hang on to.

[Jim Engebretson]

Kenny, thanks for your response. After further examination, this day tank is toast, too many cracks/crevices to patch. Now thinking about putting in a pot to be able to get through the semester with good glass or lighting up and exploring this strange new material that comes out of the door.

[Jim Engebretson]

P.S. Does anyone sell oval or rectangular pots? The space available is 12" deep X 18" wide X 29"long. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Jordan Kube]

Like this?

[Allan Gott]

Just off the top of my head since I have never maintained a day tank.

Any possibility you could find, or have cut, some high alumina brick that you could fit through the door and mortar up to do a ghetto relining job to get you through??

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally posted by Jim Engebretson
P.S. Does anyone sell oval or rectangular pots? The space available is 12" deep X 18" wide X 29"long. Keeping my fingers crossed.
****************
Steve Sinott at Electroglass has an exclusive manufacturing contract with LaClede and EC to make the pot Jordan has photographed. It is obscenely expensive, costing him $325.00 which he marks up to about $1400 dollars. It is the only exclusive that EC does, arguing that since it's not round, it's not really a crucible and because of that, it does not violate their non exclusivity policy. I think that the idea of putting splits into the furnace might be a short term solution but would not last long.

[John Gilmor]

Try LC for the bottom of a monkey pot. I used one years ago and the dimensions look about the same.

[Steve Stadelman]

No Pete, that's an Italian pot :)

[Jim Engebretson]

Thanks again for all your suggestions.
John, what's a monkey pot?
Thanks for the photo Jordan, that's a nasty looking pot.
Keeping in mind that I need to do this quick and not wanting to drop a whole lot of money for a 4 month fix, I'm starting to like the idea of relining with splits through the door which would save taking off the crown. What mortar would be a good choice. I've never used anything but Sairset or some other 3000 degree mortar which I wouldn't think would last a week with glass contact. What about that Zirmul 160 patch that Kenny suggested? This is a 500lb furnace that will take quite a few splits.
The best thing would be for Steve Stadelman to call and tell me he can deliver our new furnace by mid February, 2008.

[Steve Stadelman]

I got the P.O. on friday Jim, mid May.

[Jordan Kube]

You don 't use mortar with glass contact brick.

[Allan Gott]

Jim - see your PM list

[Jim Engebretson]

Jordan,

My point exactly. I've built plenty of day tanks without mortar when you can put them under compression. This is a different deal, a repair without pulling the arch brick crown. Does anybody know if the zirmul 160 would work as a mortar?

[Jordan Kube]

I know what you're talking about. Your brick, crucible, or whatever else you can think of tank fix is limited by the size of the gathering port. You're basicly screwed and you've got to make the best of the situation. The tank wasn't supposed to run for 9 years.

I wouldn't use the patch as a mortar.

Stack a bunch of bricks or throw a pot in there.

The first place I worked was pretty low tech. We worked out of the old school stacked brick day tank. It was really old. Picking stones out of every gather. One day he came in and instructed us on what to do if the glass started leaking out the side. His motto was "Put as little money as possible into your equipment".

[Pete VanderLaan]

Another option would be to make the liner material yourself Jim. Procur some 325 mesh and some 200 mesh Kyanite and some tennessee ball clay. About 100 lbs of each will do it. mix them equally and add water to consistency taste. Then literally ram it into place just using your hands. It will work very very well but it is a one time deal in terms of shut downs( at least with pots).

The patch will not work in the way that you describe. It works poorly enough anyway. Zircon products will yield huge stones when used that way. You won't like it.

Google Kyanite. Mullite would work as well. They are both clay products mined in West VA and Pennsylvania. I used to use the stuff making crucibles.

[John Gilmor]

Jim, A monkey pot is a covered pot with the gathering port included. Just ask for the bottom half.

[Pete VanderLaan]

but you still have to shoehorn it into the furnace.

[Jim Engebretson]

If I can find the materials, I'm going with Pete's suggestion. Any idea about thickness? would 1" be thick enough or would 2 or more be better? Can I force dry by running the pilot or just air dry with the combustion blower? It really sounds intriguing. I will try to send before and after shots.

[Pete VanderLaan]

I bought my stuff from CE Minerals in Dilwyn W VA but that was years ago and companies get swallowed up. They supplied the materials for Fluxblock which was a mainstay brick at Fenton. The clay deposits are still in W.VA so I think a bit of research would find it . Mullite would work too.

One inch thick is fine. It's very impervious to glass. I think it would be best but perhaps not critical to chase the tank block back to a clean surface. It will not do well being turned on and off.