[Stoves] Vitreous enamel protection

[John Davies]

Dear Friends,

The ever present problem of oxidadion and scalling of the steel walled 
stove, leading to a relatively short life of the combustion vessel needs 
solutions.

I have mentioned that the problem is even more serious where gassification 
takes place, with the CO produced destroying the steel at about 650 deg C. 
( even stainless steel. )

My thoughts lead to the use of vitreous enamel on these hot surfaces.  The 
information I found gave the following details.

Glass power is coated onto the surface, by electrostatic methods. The item 
is then baked at 800 deg C, causing the glass to melt and fuse to the steel 
surface leaving an impervious layer on the surface. The coating is 
considered to be effective at temperatures up to 600 deg C.

Now this leads me to ask a few questions.

1. what is the relative cost of the coating.

2. what is the life expectancy of the coating with temperatures hovering 
around 600 deg C, and sometimes exceeding this.

3  Summing up, could such a coating extend the lifetime of stove components, 
without excessive increase in components cost, and to what degree.

Your experiences, knowledge, and thoughts would be of value to all involved 
in stove manufacture and development.

Thanking you,
John Davies
Secunda
South Africa.