Brick Content Issue - alumina safety etc

[rzsamuels1]

I'm considering building a brick oven and have some questions from some of the people that may be using the oven for baking/pizza.

As if there isn't enough food additive & safety concerns w/ ingredients & metal pans, some people have questions the safe of alumina in the fire bricks.

Is there an issue w/ alumina in the same way that people are concern about baking in uncoated aluminum? Are they related elements/chemicals?

Is alumina is baking stones/tiles? Naturally occurring clay?

~R

[Howie]

Just my opinion.. I just looked at a MSDS (material safety data sheet) for Alumina and to me it looks like some pretty docile stuff. Especially in it's non-friable form locked in the firebrick. Do a websearch for "MSDS Alumina" and you will be able to download the sheet.

[ColonelCorn76]

Alumina in firebricks is different stuff then the aluminum in pots & pans. It's a stable compound and is there to enhance the conductivity of the firebricks -- too much though and it gets brittle. So we go for low or medium duty firebrick with an alumina content somewhere south of 30%.

There's been some discussion of the health issues of alumina in firebrick in the Yahoo brick-oven group. But with everything else that's more provably harmful, no one I know in the brick oven arena is worried about the aluminum in the brick.

Jim