ITC 100HT Consistency?

[cds333]

I recently got a pint of ITC 100HT and it is already hard in the container. IIRC it is supposed to be pliable right?

Is it possible to crush the rock-like substance into smaller pieces and then blend into a paste after adding water? Or does it undergo some chemical change when it hardens?

Please advise

Thanks!

[Frosty]

Did you buy the dry or premix? If it's dry it is just compacted by vibration, you can lay the can on its side and vibrate it to loosen it. But putting it in a mortar and taking a pestle to it works well. 

Maybe just adding water will work. I've only ever used it once and that was before they reformulated the matrix to something that will fire hard. I got the best coverage with a consistency like thick latex paint but if liquid you MUST stir constantly or the zirconia flour will settle out.

Frosty The Lucky.

[cds333]

It is the premixed. I didnt see a listing for the dry version.

It is still moist, but mostly just a big rock.

Concrete undergoes a chemical change when it cures (exothermic reaction) - does ITC also do that? I would assume not since they add water prior to shipping.

[Frosty]

Hydrating calcites like Portland cement in concrete are endothermic and best kept reasonably warm to allow proper set / cure conditions. Monolithic pours may need cooling, The big dams built during the depression, Hoover, Grand Coolee, etc. are still very warm and curing.

No, ITC-100 old or new formulas are heat setting like a ceramic, they do not hydrate like limestone, calcites. Apply, allow to dry then fire. The site is lousy for useful directions or explanations, It may have changed I haven't looked in a few years and they do listen to their customers as seen by the much improved later ITC-100 formulation.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

To fire ITC 100 that is used to coat the front or rear of the forge, set baffles/doors about an inch from the entrance and the dragons breath will fire it. The baffles/doors can be steel or bricks.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[cds333]

So I can bust it up into small rocks, put it in a ball mill, pulverize to powder, then rehydrate and apply as if it had never dried out and it will work just as good as fresh?

[Frosty]

Just try putting a 1/4 cup or so of water in the can and let it sit a while, it should soften up enough to make the consistency you like. At least try this first, no need making more work if you don't need to eh?

Frosty The Lucky

[cds333]

No luck. I let a small rock sit in a vial of water for a week and it is still just a rock. Didn't absorb any water. 

So you say it didn't go through a chemical change like concrete- so I should be able to re-powder it and reconstitute; I assume I need to dry it first before I put it in the ball mill like I do with other hygroscopic chemicals?

What kind of heat are we talking here for curing? Like if I want to dry it out first so I can properly powder it, would putting it in the oven on low cause it to cure? 

 

Thanks!

[Frosty]

I don't know, I may well have been mistaken about how ITC has changed ITC-100 They said the handling and application was the same but it's been a while since I talked to them. The best bet is probably to talk to them yourself and see. It took some persistence to get a person last time but he was pretty  helpful. 

What got their attention was when I told them I was discussing ITC 100 on a public forum with some 50,000 members reading along.

If your lump won't dissolve in water maybe the ball mill is a good choice but I don't know how it'll work in a forge. Will it fire to the liner? I have no idea. I wish I did and will appreciate knowing what you find out.

Frosty The Lucky.