Fire bricks questions... so confused.

[Stone Mason1]

Hi all, really keen for some input on this subject.

Please read this guys "pizza stones" listing... he claims that fire bricks "give off carcinogenic fumes and there were a lot of court cases going on in America over that problem"
Pizza Oven stones | Trade Me

And this guys listing, he has "Alumina-free bricks", claiming that "(Alumina (aluminum) is a neurotoxic substance, long understood to cause dementia & Alzheimer’s disease)"
PIZZA OVEN KITSETS Full Size(ex.factory)Only $798! | Trade Me

What are your opinions on these peoples statements?

Would these "Alumina-free bricks" be any good? its my understanding that Alumina is a main component of a fire brick... there for a reason.

Thanks.

[brickie in oz]

I think they are talking shit and are trying to corner a market that hasnt been invented yet, until now.

(*Alumina (aluminum) is a neurotoxic substance, long understood to cause dementia & Alzheimer’s disease)

What a load of bollocks, the symbol Al for aluminium has long been disproved to cause al zheimers.

Get your normal fire bricks and build your oven, we want lots of pics of course....

The unique properties of the bricks rapidly elevates oven temps(0-485C in 30mins),meaning you're ready to cook faster with less fuel vs ovens of traditional,clay brick construction.

Wow, thats pretty quick, maybe they have uranium in them?

[TropicalCoasting]

Originally Posted by Stone Mason1

Hi all, really keen for some input on this subject.

Please read this guys "pizza stones" listing... he claims that fire bricks "give off carcinogenic fumes and there were a lot of court cases going on in America over that problem"

Fire gives of carcinogenic smoke

Originally Posted by Stone Mason1

And this guys listing, he has "Alumina-free bricks", claiming that "(Alumina (aluminum) is a neurotoxic substance, long understood to cause dementia & Alzheimer’s disease)"
What are your opinions on these peoples statements?

Would these "Alumina-free bricks" be any good? its my understanding that Alumina is a main component of a fire brick... there for a reason.

Thanks.

Aluminium is (after oxygen and silicon) the third most common element (at 8%) in the Earth's crust. As a result, you cannot avoid being exposed to aluminium. You'll find aluminium in drinking water, foods, pharmaceuticals, anti-perspirants, and printing inks. It's used to dye fabrics, preserve wood, crack petroleum, and to make rubber, paint, explosives and glass.
Aluminium & Alzheimer's › News in Science (ABC Science)

Originally Posted by brickie in oz

Wow, thats pretty quick, maybe they have uranium in them?

The bricks are usually composed of a combination of clay and minerals, with silica, alumina or kaolin in the mix. The ore that is mined for use as refractory brick (i.e., bauxite) is commonly found in the presence of naturally occurring radioactive elements, such as uranium and thorium. These elements often end up in the finished brick, to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon their concentration in the ore.
Actually, the brick is composed, primarily, of silica and alumina. The uranium and thorium in them are in only trace quantities, relatively speaking, and they are securely contained within the brick itself. Unless someone gets it into their head to crush a brick into fine powder, then scatter that powder in the immediate vicinity of people, and find some way of keeping it airborne for a reasonably long period of time, there is very little potential for radiation exposures above those typical of the natural background.
http://www.iem-inc.com/prmad7r.html

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by TropicalCoasting

there is very little potential for radiation exposures above those typical of the natural background.

I was being sarcastic.......

[david s]

0 to 485 C in 30 mins is quite a claim. when I fire my oven, in 30 mins the fire hasn't really had enough time to really get going and I have probably only used a couple of kilos of wood. How would it be possible for that small amount of fuel to heat such a heavy mass to that temp and retain it ? I don't believe them. Do they have a website ?
Dave

[Stone Mason1]

Thanks for your comments so far, very informative... what would your opinions be on a "fire brick" that has no alumina content?

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by Stone Mason1

Thanks for your comments so far, very informative... what would your opinions be on a "fire brick" that has no alumina content?

It wouldnt be a fire brick, it would be a house brick.

[david s]

Maybe it is a clay free refractory.

[GianniFocaccia]

The 'Seller' of these pizza stones does a very good job at misleading the general public into believing that firebricks are hazardous to one's health. He also claims his firebrick vendor would not sell him firebricks for a WFO "as they give off carcinogenic fumes and there were a lot of court cases going on in America over that problem."

It appears this seller is attempting to benefit from the ignorance of potential buyers regarding asbestos, which at one time was a material included in the manufacture of firebricks in America. In the U.S. personal injury lawyers (really? Ya think?) pay for regularly-aired television commercials touting their expertise in representing victims of asbestosis and mesothelioma since there is a precedent strongly linking these diseases with exposure to asbestos, mostly unprotected insulation-installers. Court cases in the U.S. continue, but none that I have heard of that are a result of ingesting food from a WFO using asbestos-tainted firebricks.