Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Enameling lab vessels

chucknorris - 16-11-2012 at 12:15

I have access to acid proof special stainless steel with rather good prices, but still the price is very high: 100-litre container will cost nearly €2k for me.

I saw articles with pics of ceramic enameled reactors which were used for chemical applications, and my interest rise immediately when I though that this enameling could be done at home - and I could use standard grade welded steel apparatuses if I coat them with enamel from inside.

Has anybody attempted this, and are there special notes for chemical resistance. I hit it hard time: the material should need to withstand white fuming nitric acid, oleum, HCl and just about any nasties except the fluorine compounds, including all mentioned in boiling and high pressure conditions up to 400C. :D

The point is, apart from using glassware that I can weld and construct my own reactors and vessels per exact purpose - and if I happen to drop them on the floor, which I usually do, or use a hammer to get rid of the solid remainings of distillation, glassware would be rather fragile, if you would use that word in this context. :P

Magpie - 16-11-2012 at 12:38

I had an interest in doing this some years back. IIRC the problem I ran into was that special steel is needed - very low carbon I believe. So I dropped the idea.

The sheet metal used for household appliances (washers, dryers, etc) is enameled, and this special steel is used in that application.

franklyn - 16-11-2012 at 18:11

Forget it , you would need a potters kiln large enough
to accommodate your vessels. Firing know how is not
something you pick up from reading about it in a book.
Enamel is brittle and the finished piece cannot be bent
or even flexed. Try it and see , on a discarded kitchen
appliance. Consider salvaged equipment and monitor
ebay instead.

.

Cost

cal - 17-11-2012 at 04:44

You are saying that it cost you $2545.4000 US dollars for this. You can purchase used reaction vessels on the net for way less than this. The acid proof way can be achieved via a Teflon coating as well as a ceramic one. Here are some on ebay from $75.00 up.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=reaction%20vessel&cl...

Cost

cal - 17-11-2012 at 04:48

You are saying that it cost you $2545.4000 US dollars for this. You can purchase used reaction vessels on the net for way less than this. The acid proof way can be achieved via a Teflon coating as well as a ceramic one. Here are some on ebay from $75.00 up.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=reaction%20vessel&cl...