Chemicals in Firebrick

[giannone]

I have been searching for firebrick and I have had two dealers tell me that I shouldn't use their low or medium duty firebrick because the chemicals in it wil contaminate the food and possibly cause illness. They said that I should use transite bricks, which neither of the dealers sold, so I'm not concerned about a possible ulterior motice. Does anyone have any info for me on this possible problem?

Thanks,

Paulie Gee

[nissanneill]

Hi Paulie,
I had trouble buying 'reasonably priced' firebricks and settled on second hand ones.
How dangerous will these be? I ask myself, BUT they were used for probably 50 years in a gas fired furnace to produce steam in an old abattoir.
I would ask your suppliers for specification sheets of their products and show them on your posting for members comments. I think that we would also need to know if there are dangers lurking around in the materials we use.
Every other manufacturer makes bricks that are safe and have been used without problems for years. Maybe they are playing safe, trying to avoid potential impending litigation!

Neill

[redbricknick]

Sweet.. Now I'm freaked out. Good job Giannone.. I also heard Tomatoes make you depressed, Flour, cheese,and water mixed together cause obesity, Cancer is a sign of the zodiac, Soylent Green is people.. Cats steal your breath while you are sleeping, lighting cigtrettes from candles kill sailors and redheads are satan spawn.. I never leave the house.

[maver]

Paulie, this thread has taken a silly tone but your question is fair. Neill is correct, you can ask for specifications, but if you are buying new brick from a dealer you should be able to use them worry free, and low duty are fine. The time people have raised legitimate concern about firebrick and chemicals are when the bricks were used in a smelter and are possibly (probably?) contaminated with lead, arsenic, stuff you don't want in your food (heavy metal poisoning would make us all a bit too silly).

Marc

[jengineer]

Silly tone indeed. Thanks Maver

Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide Petition

[Dave M]

Here's a short article I found online about fire brick food safety:

http://ceramic-materials.com/cermat/education/308.html

[dmun]

Originally Posted by Dave M

Here's a short article I found online about fire brick food safety:

http://ceramic-materials.com/cermat/education/308.html

In theory a typical brick should be on no more concern than the
average rock, the kiln is basically a device to create metamorphic square rocks

Thanks for this informative link, I have deleted my snarky earlier posting.

[Les]

That is a good link, but I quit worrying about the chemicals in firebrick after I read Patrick’s petition – We’re doomed!!!!!

[El Puaco]

What if they start putting it in Bourbon, pizza crust...

[Archena]

Originally Posted by redbricknick

Sweet.. Now I'm freaked out. Good job Giannone.. I also heard Tomatoes make you depressed, Flour, cheese,and water mixed together cause obesity, Cancer is a sign of the zodiac, Soylent Green is people.. Cats steal your breath while you are sleeping, lighting cigtrettes from candles kill sailors and redheads are satan spawn.. I never leave the house.

You forgot radon and global warming... Oh, and the killer spiders that come up through drains...