# Another way to ash



## NoIdea (Feb 21, 2012)

I have always had trouble with ashing due to the fact I do not have a fine particle filter system, especially one i can hang over a furnace.

I came up with this idea, works well and I have now incorperated it into my process. Powder to be ashed is placed inside the iron pipe, just put a fluff ball in one end up to the point inside the furnace, powder to be ashed is poured into the other end till filled to the point inside the furnace. Portable filter at one end and aquarium pump blowing air in the other end, once red hot, rotate pipe 180 deg. I have a long iron rod, 8mm diameter, that is used to make sure there is a hole for air to flow. Takes about an hour to one and a half hours till almost no smoke is leaving the pipe

When finished i pull the pipe from the furnace and left to cool, warm, ram rod the ashed product, and with a little help from a hammer, the pipe is hit to release any stubbern bit.













Well that's that :lol: 

Deano


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## Geo (Feb 21, 2012)

you are a very imaginative fellow. 8) so the filter is on the end the smoke comes out. does it do a good job of this?


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## oldgeek (Feb 21, 2012)

Greetings!

I cannot quite understand your setup. Could you provide a little more detail when you get a chance? 

Do you actually blow air through the pipe, or does the air just blast the fire?

Thanks


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## Smack (Feb 21, 2012)

Quite ingenious Deano, I really like the things you come up with for what you have to work with, your obviously a thinking man. Are you getting any slag flaking off the steel pipe and getting in your powder?


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## NoIdea (Feb 21, 2012)

Hi all - Thanks for the reply.

Ill try to answer all Q's, I have put some lables on the attached pic.

The blower is a 1amp 12VDC server fan, the pipe has multiple small holes, supplying air for the burner. Air is blown via an aquarium air pump into the ashing pipe, supplying a small constant air supply for the ashing process.

Yes, the filter works a treat, having a small gap between it and the ashing pipe and fiilter, this helps by keeping the ash gasses cool so as not to over heat the filter.




Dampeniing the material to be ashed puts moisture into the filter, which helps with filtration.

Yes, slag does come out with the ash, for me this is not a problem. The nature of my material to be ashed, produces small metal beads, silver in appearance, which i remove upon grinding. The ashed material has the consistancy of flux slag.

After grinding and removal of the metal beads, the ashed material is smelted with extra flux, producing a cupel-able metal nugget, and thats that.

Hope i have answered all your question.


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## NoIdea (Feb 21, 2012)

Hi Yah - just adding a pic of the beads and nuggets, beads are formed during the ashing process, the nuggets after smelting. The smelting slag is kept for PM tests, if PM's are present they go back into the "to be ashed" bucket, if no PM's are present it goes into the thermite bucket. :shock: :?: 




Regards

Deano


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