Mikey98118

Tubalcain2, gives the typical answer of Diamondback forge owners. Also, after a few years they need to be relined, as nearly all forges do; at that time, the ambitious owner can update the forge with more exotic insulation materials for very little money (see Forges 101 thread for the latest on this subject). You can always make better forges than you can buy, if you want to spend the research time, before starting construction; this has long been true, and is more true with every passing year. However, if your time is worth more than dishwasher wages, you want save any money; not at Diamondback prices.

The most important facts about ceramic fiber insulation, isn't how much it costs, or where to find it; it's what to rigidize, and coat it with. This is especially true for guys who can't readily access the American market, because the newer, higher temperature rated products become, practically speaking, closed off to most of you. 2300 F rated blanket have a full time use rated temperature closer to 1900 F. So, without rigidizing to toughen the blanket, and a heat reflective seal coating, your insulation is trapped between recommended use temperatures and welding heat. You can find out how to procure both materials at the lowest prices, by reading through the Forges 101 thread. Good luck.

WOW; it's hard to beat free, but you did it

Photos?

I spent several months investigating Bunsen, Fisher, and Meeker burners four years ago; the idea at the time was to use their controls as a way to reduce the costs of building equipment burners; it was a bust, because their needle valves are only meant to withstand ounces of gas pressure. I gathered about half a box worth of used burners off of eBay before the economy recovered enough for their prices to rise too much. It was only natural to run the original burners: The result seemed to be unsatisfactory, at the time. However, after seeing a "T" burner running with just the right flame nozzle (the 2009 thread), I have been forced to take a closer look at the obvious Lab burners and old wasp-waste kiln burners--as they are configured-- are far less powerful than even a Reil burner. BUT, I believe that small changes in those designes could produce uniquely appropriate equipment burners; they present a wide open opportunity for someone to perfect a powerful new burner. Why? Because just a little narrowing of the taper, which is designed to slow the gas/air mixture down in a lab burner, could be speeded up enough to turn the burner upside down, and produce enough positive pressure in the flame to overcome buoyancy, and create a very hot, very slow, and very SHORT flame for top dead center burner positioning in square forges. Just like recent radical change in accepted tapers for flame nozzles, we again see that everything boils down to a question of balance. That should read "wasp-waist" burners.

The gas assembly and saddle The gas pipe is one-half of a 6" long schedule #80 1/8" pipe nipple (McMaster Carr online catalog), so it's wall is thick enough to tap 1/4-27 or 1/4-28 machine screw thread inside the cut end, for a Tweco style MIG contact tip; this now becomes the burner's inline gas tube, with an inline gas jet, which is the only way to make a powerful homemade burner. The burner’s other end, which still has a 1/8" tapered pipe thread, ends up connecting to the fuel gas source. Note: This design needs no drill press. A 3/8" hand drill is fine; or a 1/4"drill, with a step bit will work. 1/8" IPS (Iron Pipe Straight) thread (AKA lamp thread), dies for which can be had from eBay and other online sources, are then run as far down the outside of the gas pipe, from the cut end containing the MIG tip, as you need. Note: if you live somewhere that doesn't provide these parts and materials, compromise by substituting whatever heavy wall tube has an inner diameter that can be handily threaded for whatever MIG contact tip you can find. Then run whatever external thread you can substitute for IPS, and simply stop short of the area at the end of the tube that contains the internal thread for the MIG tip. A flat bar (width determined by size of reducer fitting, but make it wider than you think it needs), is bent into a "U" shaped bracket, which I call a saddle for reasons that will become clear; it should fit over the large opening of the reducer, without slop. Drill two small holes for machine screws, in each open end of the flat bar, and one hole in the center of this saddle; thread the center hole with a 1/8" IPS tap, and assemble the MIG tip, gas tube and saddle ("U" bracket), with its open ends facing the MIG tip. Place the gas assembly, saddle down, on the reducer, and screw the gas tube into the reducer until its end is protruding out of fitting's small hole. Choose whatever method you like to make a centering spacer, wood, tape, or drill a plug fitting; it really doesn't matter. What you now have is all the parts that need to line up, perfectly in line for drilling the four small screw holes; with any care used at all, this is now a slam dunk. Because the gas tube has outside threading, you can also cut out aluminum plate with a hole saw, to make a choke plate, and thread it, to screw back and forth on the gas tube. If your gas tube ends up with a loose fit in the saddle buy a lamp nut in the lamp area of you hardware store, to act as a locking nut. So, why bother building this burner? (1) There is no easier burner to construct, with dead center aiming. (2) It is a powerful, and trouble free design. (3) Its choke can be exactly positioned, or closed tight against chimney effects, with a flick of the finger. (4) I think, that the burner's extra wide saddle forces incoming air to begin swirling sooner than would otherwise happen in the reducer fitting; I base this personal belief on observations of several other burner designs, which run hotter than I can otherwise account for. Well, there you go. Let me no if you have questions or run into problems; we are all waiting to see photos of flames bursting for from your hot new burner; is it done yet? Is it done yet?

The gas assembly and saddle The gas pipe is one-half of a 6" long schedule #80 1/8" pipe nipple (McMaster Carr online catalog), so it's wall is thick enough to tap 1/4-27 or 1/4-28 machine screw thread inside the cut end, for a Tweco style MIG contact tip; this now becomes the burner's inline gas tube, with an inline gas jet, which is the only way to make a powerful homemade burner. The burner’s other end, which still has a 1/8" tapered pipe thread, ends up connecting to the fuel gas source. Note: This design needs no drill press. A 3/8" hand drill is fine; or a 1/4"drill, with a step bit will work. 1/8" IPS (Iron Pipe Straight) thread (AKA lamp thread), dies for which can be had from eBay and other online sources, are then run as far down the outside of the gas pipe, from the cut end containing the MIG tip, as you need. Note: if you live somewhere that doesn't provide these parts and materials, compromise by substituting whatever heavy wall tube has an inner diameter that can be handily threaded for whatever MIG contact tip you can find. Then run whatever external thread you can substitute for IPS, and simply stop short of the area at the end of the tube that contains the internal thread for the MIG tip. A flat bar (width determined by size of reducer fitting, but make it wider than you think it needs), is bent into a "U" shaped bracket, which I call a saddle for reasons that will become clear; it should fit over the large opening of the reducer, without slop. Drill two small holes for machine screws, in each open end of the flat bar, and one hole in the center of this saddle; thread the center hole with a 1/8" IPS tap, and assemble the MIG tip, gas tube and saddle ("U" bracket), with its open ends facing the MIG tip. Place the gas assembly, saddle down, on the reducer, and screw the gas tube into the reducer until its end is protruding out of fitting's small hole. Choose whatever method you like to make a centering spacer, wood, tape, or drill a plug fitting; it really doesn't matter. What you now have is all the parts that need to line up, perfectly in line for drilling the four small screw holes; with any care used at all, this is now a slam dunk. Because the gas tube has outside threading, you can also cut out aluminum plate with a hole saw, to make a choke plate, and thread it, to screw back and forth on the gas tube. If your gas tube ends up with a loose fit in the saddle buy a lamp nut in the lamp area of you hardware store, to act as a locking nut. So, why bother building this burner? (1) There is no easier burner to construct, with dead center aiming. (2) It is a powerful, and trouble free design. (3) Its choke can be exactly positioned, or closed tight against chimney effects, with a flick of the finger. (4) I think, that the burner's extra wide saddle forces incoming air to begin swirling sooner than would otherwise happen in the reducer fitting; I base this personal belief on observations of several other burner designs, which run hotter than I can otherwise account for.

The mixing tube on linear burners While threaded pipe reducers have been used extensively to build linear burners over the last thirty years, they were the choice of convenience. The first linear burners used butt-weld pipe reducers to achieve the best possible air flow. But, threaded reducers didn't require any welding or brazing skill, and where also cheaper. Unfortunately, because steel water pipe is being marginalized by copper and plastic tube, threaded steel reducers are also being used less often, and so they are overwhelmingly being supplied as crude imports. Butt-weld reducers are a lot more expensive then threaded ones, and so mild steel reducers are likely to cost as much as stainless steel reducers. Usually, the mixing tube will end up sliding into the small opening of a butt-weld pipe reducer fitting, or screwing into a threaded reducer. But welders and brazers attach them unto the end butt-weld pipe reducers, or any other cone shaped part. Most reducers have part of their inside that will run parallel to the outside of the mixing tube, at some point. The inside of the tube end is beveled to maintain good gas/air mixture flow, and the tube is pushed as deeply into the small end of the reducer as it will go before a gap forms between tube wall and reducer opening; this is the point where the tubes eight diameters are measured from. If the tube is welded or brazed onto the reducer the eight diameters are measured from the point within the reducer, where its inside diameter matches that of the tube. When welding or brazing the mixing tube onto the reducer, you need to use a square to make sure the tube's end is completely square to the reducer's end. The two parts are held tightly together with a length of allthread, two nuts, and two flat washers. Be carefull to keep the inside surfaces inline, two end up with a smooth transition point in the joint. Note: The size of the gas orifice is a function of of the mixing tube's inside diameter, and nothing else. Flame nozzles We various experts had agreed that a 12:1 expansion taper was best on a flared flame nozzle; this supposition is being sorely tested and battered today. Apparently, how much taper is right for a burner depends on the flow dynamics of that burner. I found these tapered nozzles to give weak performance on my burners, and replaced them with stepped nozzles eighteen years ago. Stainless steel was found to last much longer than mild steel nozzles; and #316 stainless lasts longer than #304 stainless. The nozzle diameter should be approximately the equivalent of two schedule #40 pipe sizes. One pipe part is used as a spacer tube of about 1" long. The stainless steel nozzle can be made of the next larger #40 pipe size, or a nearly equivalent stainless steel tube with the right inside diameter chosen from a pipe chart. For a 3/4" burner that would mean a 1" or equivalent pipe or tube for the spacer ring, and a 1-1/4" stainless steel pipe. A 1/2" burner would use a 3/4" schedule #40 pipe a or equivalent tube for the spacer ring, and a 1" stainless steel pipe for the nozzle. Note that stainless steel pipe actually costs less than equivalent tubing from Onlinemetals.com. They are pleased to receive small orders, and will cut parts to size for a small fee. How to determine length of the flame nozzle: These nozzle are designed to run back and forth over the mixing tube to help tune the burner. As a rule of thumb the amount of nozzle overhang past the end of the mixing tube will slightly exceed the inside diameter of the nozzle. To that distance add the width of the spacer ring and 1/4" for slop; the sum of these figures are the length of the flame nozzle. In the past I have used a ring of equally spaced stainless steel socket setscrews to hold the nozzle in position, and even two rings of them if my parts were a sloppy fit. It is necessary to force the flame nozzle into perfect alignment with the mixing tube; otherwise the flame will be forced off center of the burner; this is a destabilizing factor; avoid it. If your parts are good enough that twisting the slightly out of round flame nozzle on the slightly out of round mixing tube provides axial alignment, then as little as a single screw may all that is needed.

Flame nozzles We various experts had agreed that a 12:1 expansion taper was best on a flared flame nozzle; this supposition is being sorely tested and battered today. Apparently, how much taper is right for a burner depends on the flow dynamics of that burner. I found these tapered nozzles to give weak performance on my burners, and replaced them with stepped nozzles eighteen years ago. Stainless steel was found to last much longer than mild steel nozzles; and #316 stainless lasts longer than #304 stainless. The nozzle diameter should be approximately the equivalent of two schedule #40 pipe sizes. One pipe part is used as a spacer tube of about 1" long. The stainless steel nozzle can be made of the next larger #40 pipe size, or a nearly equivalent stainless steel tube with the right inside diameter chosen from a pipe chart. For a 3/4" burner that would mean a 1" or equivalent pipe or tube for the spacer ring, and a 1-1/4" stainless steel pipe. A 1/2" burner would use a 3/4" schedule #40 pipe a or equivalent tube for the spacer ring, and a 1" stainless steel pipe for the nozzle. Note that stainless steel pipe actually costs less than equivalent tubing from Onlinemetals.com. They are pleased to receive small orders, and will cut parts to size for a small fee. How to determine length of the flame nozzle: These nozzle are designed to run back and forth over the mixing tube to help tune the burner. As a rule of thumb the amount of nozzle overhang past the end of the mixing tube will slightly exceed the inside diameter of the nozzle. To that distance add the width of the spacer ring and 1/4" for slop; the sum of these figures are the length of the flame nozzle. In the past I have used a ring of equally spaced stainless steel socket setscrews to hold the nozzle in position, and even two rings of them if my parts were a sloppy fit. It is necessary to force the flame nozzle into perfect alignment with the mixing tube; otherwise the flame will be forced off center of the burner; this is a destabilizing factor; avoid it. If your parts are good enough that twisting the slightly out of round flame nozzle on the slightly out of round mixing tube provides axial alignment, then as little as a single screw may all that is needed.

The mixing tube on linear burners While threaded pipe reducers have been used extensively to build linear burners over the last thirty years, they were the choice of convenience. The first linear burners used butt-weld pipe reducers to achieve the best possible air flow. But, threaded reducers didn't require any welding or brazing skill, and where also cheaper. Unfortunately, because steel water pipe is being marginalized by copper and plastic tube, threaded steel reducers are also being used less often, and so they are overwhelmingly being supplied as crude imports. Butt-weld reducers are a lot more expensive then threaded ones, and so mild steel reducers are likely to cost as much as stainless steel reducers. Usually, the mixing tube will end up sliding into the small opening of a butt-weld pipe reducer fitting, or screwing into a threaded reducer. But welders and brazers attach them unto the end butt-weld pipe reducers, or any other cone shaped part. Most reducers have part of their inside that will run parallel to the outside of the mixing tube, at some point. The inside of the tube end is beveled to maintain good gas/air mixture flow, and the tube is pushed as deeply into the small end of the reducer as it will go before a gap forms between tube wall and reducer opening; this is the point where the tubes eight diameters are measured from. If the tube is welded or brazed onto the reducer the eight diameters are measured from the point within the reducer, where its inside diameter matches that of the tube. When welding or brazing the mixing tube onto the reducer, you need to use a square to make sure the tube's end is completely square to the reducer's end. The two parts are held tightly together with a length of allthread, two nuts, and two flat washers. Be carefull to keep the inside surfaces inline, two end up with a smooth transition point in the joint. Note: The size of the gas orifice is a function of of the mixing tube's inside diameter, and nothing else.

A 1/2" size burner would need a 0.8mm (0.031" orifice size), long MIG contact tip. A 3/4" burner size would need a 1.0mm (0.039" orifice size) long tip. However, use of schedule #80 1/8" gas pipe will improve gas flow between pipe and tip enough to make short contact tips acceptable. Understand the the actual orifice size of a MIG contact tip is always several thousandths of an inch larger that the tips designated size, which only concerns the welding wire it is meant for use with.

A 1/2" size burner would need a 0.8mm (0.031" orifice size), long MIG contact tip. A 3/4" burner size would need a 1.0mm (0.039" orifice size) long tip. However, use of schedule #80 1/8" gas pipe will improve gas flow between pipe and tip enough to make short contact tips acceptable. Understand the the actual orifice size of a MIG contact tip is always several thousandths of an inch larger that the tips designated size, which only concerns the welding wire it is meant for use with.

AxL said "So if I understand you correctly, since the large end of the reducer is 2", the inner diameter of the tube i use should be 1/2" (for a 4:1 ratio)? And the length of the tube, by rule of thumb, should be 4.5"? I will likely turn the tube on a lathe to get the dimensions just right. I have different sizes of MIG tip available, in metric. 0.8mm (0.031") and 1.0mm (0.039") Not sure what it corresponds to in actual size. What would be you recommendation? I'm running approx. 2.2 psi/150mbar off my regulator. I'll try to get started on the construction tomorrow and come back with pictures." Thanks! I have already perfected 3/4" linear burners using 2" x 3/4" reducers (see the MIG tip upgrade on Ron Reil's burner pages). You don't always need to reach for theoretical limits in the parts, to achieve your goals. You just need to get close enough to provide the mixture flow needed to build a very hot burner. However, if you don't want to weld or braze the mixing tube in place, you will be forced to change reducer fittings, or settle for a 1/2" burner. Welding the two parts together will require #309 welding rod. Brazing the reducer and mixing tube together will require stainless steel brazing flux and 50% or greater silver content filler alloy. Also, you will have to use a special flat washer to insure that the gas jet is trapped dead center in the the mixing tube, during mounting of the assembly and saddle fitting, or else use a wooden handle with a 1/4" hole in one end (to hold the MIG tip centered), to do so. Use the actual inside diameter of the pipe or tube you use; not the nominal call out size. Also, you would use the full length of the mixing tube, if it slides inside of the small end of a reducer fitting, but only the remaining distance beyond the small end of the fitting, if it is attached to it, instead of trapped within it.

I have already perfected 3/4" linear burners using 2" x 3/4" reducers (see the MIG tip upgrade on Ron Reil's burner pages). You don't always need to reach for theoretical limits in the parts, to achieve your goals. You just need to get close enough to provide the mixture flow needed to build a very hot burner. However, if you don't want to weld or braze the mixing tube in place, you will be forced to change reducer fittings, or settle for a 1/2" burner. Welding the two parts together will require #309 welding rod. Brazing the reducer and mixing tube together will require stainless steel brazing flux and 50% or greater silver content filler alloy. Also, you will have to use a special flat washer to insure that the gas jet is trapped dead center in the the mixing tube, during mounting of the assembly and saddle fitting, or else use a wooden handle with a 1/4" hole in one end (to hold the MIG tip centered), to do so. Use the actual inside diameter of the pipe or tube you use; not the nominal call out size. Also, you would use the full length of the mixing tube, if it slides inside of the small end of a reducer fitting, but only the remaining distance beyond the small end of the fitting, if it is attached to it, instead of trapped within it.

And I agree; it is total overkill. One 3/4" burner, with that flame, should bring a forge, properly constructed from a five gallon (20 lb.) propane cylinder to yellow heat. If you wanted more even heat throughout, you would need two 1/2" size burners (of that potency).

Reducers for linear burners Concentric reducer fittings are pipe parts. Concentric reducers come in two kinds; threaded, and but-weld. Threaded pipe fittings are becoming scarce and cheaply made; this contributes to squat shapes (poor flow dynamics), and misaligned threading jobs, which are notorious for being out of axial alignment. If you want to end up paying a lot in time and money for a second rate burner, threaded fittings are the shortest rout there. Stainless steel pipe fittings just scream "expensive"! But the greatest factor in the cost of pipe fittings is how fast they move off the seller's shelf. Stainless steel but-weld parts outsell mild steel parts so much that they cost about the same; sometimes a lot less. You may need to lay out three reasonably equidistant threaded holes near to the small end of of the fitting. I like to use stainless steel socket set screws to firmly hold the burner's mixing tube within the small end of the reducer, (but these screws can be changed out later, so use whatever is convenient to begin with). Mechanically joining the parts together has several advantages: First, it reduces the size of the inside diameter of the mixing tube in relation to the large end of the reducer fitting. In a fan blown burner the ratio of the fan blade to the inside diameter of the burner should be no more than 3:1, to avoid dangerous back pressure at the reducer/fan assembly joint. But in a naturally aspirated linear burner 3:1 is the smallest acceptable ratio, and 4:1 is much better. It is desirable to be able to separate the reducer from the mixing tube when aiming, and later in adjusting, the gas jet. Finally, being able to change out mixing tubes can allow a single burner to be reconfigured as different burner sizes later on, as you find desirable. Note: You can help adjust ratios with the thickness of the mixing tube's wall, and by grinding the inside of the large opening in the reducer fitting to form a long inner taper, which works much better for air flow than a short inner bevel. by inserting a beveled spacer ring between the reducer's small end, and the mixing tube, can be made to fit up properly with even smaller mixing tubes. The mixing tube should be "seamless"; otherwise you may need to grind down the inner weld bead which is often found in cheap pipe. Steel tubing has better tolerances than are found in pipe. The three screws (which are recommended in the reducer fitting) can be reduced to a singe screw, IF the mixing tube and reducer can be made to fit snugly together buy twisting (rotating) the two parts against each other. On the other hand, a really sloppy fit could require six screws. The mixing tube's end must be beveled at least sixty degrees on its inner wall, to facilitate air flow; this doesn't need to be done at the beginning of construction, but can be left as final improvements to bring a weaker burner up to full power. As a general rule the length of your mixing tube should be nine times its inside diameter; ten diameters can be used to insure a smooth flame in hand held burners, and eight diameters can be used to shorten a flame, in case of limited available room for the flame path. Do this much, and then I will provide further instructions.

Very well; let's start with the stainless steel reducer fitting in your photos: You may need to lay out three reasonably equidistant threaded holes near to the small end of of the fitting. I like to use stainless steel socket set screws to firmly hold the burner's mixing tube within the small end of the reducer, (but these screws can be changed out later, so use whatever is convenient to begin with). Mechanically joining the parts together has several advantages: First, it reduces the size of the inside diameter of the mixing tube in relation to the large end of the reducer fitting. In a fan blown burner the ratio of the fan blade to the inside diameter of the burner should be no more than 3:1, so to avoid dangerous back pressure at the reducer/fan assembly joint. But in a naturally aspirated linear burner 3:1 is the smallest acceptable ratio, and 4:1 is better. It is desirable to be able to separate the reducer from the mixing tube when assembling, and later in adjusting, the gas jet. Finally, being able to change out mixing tubes can allow a single burner to be reconfigured as different burner sizes later on, as you find desirable. Note: You can help adjust ratios with the thickness of the mixing tube's wall, and by grinding the inside of the large opening in the reducer fitting to form a long inner taper, which works much better for air flow than a short inner bevel. by inserting a beveled spacer ring between the reducers small end and the mixing tube oversize reducers can be made to fit up properly with even smaller mixing tubes. The mixing tube should be "seamless"; otherwise you may need to grind down the inner weld bead which is often found in cheapest pipe. Steel tubing has better tolerances than are found in pipe. The three screws (which are recommended in the reducer fitting) can be reduced to a singe screw, IF the mixing tube and reducer can be made to fit snugly together buy twisting (rotating) the two parts against each other. On the other hand, a really sloppy fit could require six screws. The mixing tube's end must be beveled at least sixty degrees on its inner wall, to facilitate air flow; this doesn't need to be done at the beginning of construction, but can be lect as final improvements to bring a weaker burner up to full power. As a general rule the length of your mixing tube should be nine times its inside diameter; ten diameters can be used to insure a smooth flame in hand held burners, and eight diameters can be used to shorten a flame, in case of limited available room for the flame path.

I often move my comments in other threads, to Forges 101, and change the text enough to keep the subject clear for readers there. I would like to see what you had to say here, in that more permanent thread; the subject is as important as any other in that tjread.

Frosty is right. Much of what you see and read of Youtube is what I call "happy talk", but urban legends is a dead on description. You can find good ideas on YouTube, but in trying to winnow them from all the outright horrifying advice, you would need to already know all the right answers. Its kind of a question of the blind leading the blind

To begin with, what you have built so far, is called a side-arm burner; it is a failed design. You would be much better off to rebuild it into a "T" burner. Rejoice! Your minor burner problem has slowed you down enough to fix a major problem with your forge, before its too late. You need to re-position your burner opening, so the the burner's flame will impinge on the forge floor's nearest to the burner side, and about one-third of the way in from the floor's near edge; this will give you the best use from your forge. Where the burner opening is positioned now, would give you the least heat in exchange for the shortest use of your insulting refractory wall; a very bad bargain indeed. You lucky devil; aren't you glad you had burner problems now?

Yes, and some even started out listing it, at a possible health product; for use as an antioxidant; apparently it is very reactive in human tissues; then they started finding it can enter cells, and now it is starting to be warned against. We don't want any brave souls achieving their Darwin awards, while officialdom is making up their minds, do we? The problem is that health issues have become just another political football.

Frosty, You will have to dig hard to find any specific information on percentage of I.R. re-emission from cerium oxide; if I run across any such numbers, I will post them. What I found was mostly strewn through half a dozen inclusions of cerium oxide as a preferred emission agent, in lists of them in various patents for heat reflection coverings. I had already run across it is one of the substances used for stabilizing zirconia. And this, along with cerium oxide's vary small particles, (which is a natural outcome of its processing, rather than any need for grinding), decided me to include it with any future zirconia oxide of zirconium silicate based refractories and heat reflective coatings from now on. One of the other ingredients I noted in heat reflection coatings was silica; a preferred binding agent, because it passes radiant energy well. This makes me feel much better about using zirconium silicate in place of expensive stabilized zirconia flour in heat reflection formulas.

This stuff used to slip under my radar most of the time, too. I've slowed down so much mentally, that the obvious is no longer beneath me

Which leads to the question of what would make a good axe forge; probably a "D" forge, or an oval forge, to get a wider floor area.

Cerium oxide Cerium oxide (CeO2) is an even more famous emissions agent than zirconia, is used as a stabilizing agent for zirconia oxide, and its flour (nanopowder) costs about one fifth that of zirconia oxide flour. Moreover cerium oxide nanoparticles disperse well into other mixtures. I think it might bump up performance levels of heat reflection in zirconium silicate refractories, and could partner with Veegum T as the ultimate homemade heat reflective coating. Warning: Use a respirator; you DO NOT WANT this stuff entering your lungs!