Okay... what are these?

[babzog]

I find these all the time in the ash bed. Little, stone-like objects that crumble very easily. One time raking the coals before a reload and they're not there, the next time, a few hours later, I might have one or more. Repeat over time. Is this water coming out of the wood and solidifying the ash or is it something else?

 

[TZieli22]

I get this when I burn coal. Have found it to be clay mixed in with coal, but have never seen it with wood.

 

[Nater]

My guess would be water coming out of the wood. How's your wood supply this year?

 

[Jags]

Its called a clinker. Some woods (I find elm to be one of them) have a tendency to create these more than others. It typically happens when you have a very hot bed of coals sitting on top of a thick layer of ash. It basically fuses the ash into what you are seeing. Less than ideal seasoned wood can increase the occurrence of this as well.

 

[begreen]

Soft maple creates a lot of clinkers too. They are formed from the silicas in the wood.

 

[babzog]

So far, I've just been burning poplar but I've seen this when burning maple and ash.

 

[maverick06]

Some types of trees create them (above). I am also inclined to think that when i burn a log with dirt on it, it is more likely to happen, fused the dirt/ash.... but i might be wrong. They are annoying to real with in the stove.

 

[Dix]

Its called a clinker. Some woods (I find elm to be one of them) have a tendency to create these more than others. It typically happens when you have a very hot bed of coals sitting on top of a thick layer of ash. It basically fuses the ash into what you are seeing. Less than ideal seasoned wood can increase the occurrence of this as well.

Whhoaaa .... that's impressive, Professor Jags ;-)

I never knew that !

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

Very interesting. I would have never thought. Grew up burning wood. Never saw one in my years. Kind of neat but can see where they'd be a pain in the rump.

 

[oldspark]

Been burning wood for ever and have never had any no matter what kind of wood I burn.

 

[kettensäge]

I see them all the time as well but I burn the much maligned and dreaded oak species of firewood.
They are most apparent for me in the main burning seaon and seem to show up after extended hot burn times.



Fused ash, just like Jags said.

 

[Wood Duck]

I find it hard to believe that water has any role in forming clinkers. Clinkers form in the ash, and long before the wood becomes ash the water should have been evaporated. Of course I have never seen those things in my stove so I'm speculating.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Fossilized llama turd. Or is it alpaca? What do I look like- a scatological expert?

 

[Jags]

Fossilized llama turd. Or is it alpaca? What do I look like- a scatological expert?

Little early to be hitting the hard liquor, ain't it? :cheese:

And stick around Eileen - I got plenty more useless knowledge to share.

 

[ScotO]

Its called a clinker. Some woods (I find elm to be one of them) have a tendency to create these more than others. It typically happens when you have a very hot bed of coals sitting on top of a thick layer of ash. It basically fuses the ash into what you are seeing. Less than ideal seasoned wood can increase the occurrence of this as well.

exactly ......get them all the time in my Napoleon when I born both hard and soft maple ...I think it may also have something to do with the geography and soil type where the wood is from......ok now I'm getting a little technical! .......

 

[oldspark]

I find it hard to believe that water has any role in forming clinkers. Clinkers form in the ash, and long before the wood becomes ash the water should have been evaporated. Of course I have never seen those things in my stove so I'm speculating.

Incomplete combustion so I guess there would be many reasons for the formation of the clinkers.

 

[Battenkiller]

I find it hard to believe that water has any role in forming clinkers. Clinkers form in the ash, and long before the wood becomes ash the water should have been evaporated. Of course I have never seen those things in my stove so I'm speculating.

Interesting reading about the role of water in the formation of clinkers.

http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM32/AM32_607.pdf

 

[firefighterjake]

Clinkers . . . d'oh . . . late again.

 

[GAMMA RAY]

Fossilized llama turd. Or is it alpaca? What do I look like- a scatological expert?

Little early to be hitting the hard liquor, ain't it? :cheese:
.

Surely you jest Jagsy.....

 

[Jags]

Fossilized llama turd. Or is it alpaca? What do I look like- a scatological expert?

Little early to be hitting the hard liquor, ain't it? :cheese:
.

Surely you jest Jagsy.....

Yeah, your right. Ya caught me. :lol:

 

[Battenkiller]

Little early to be hitting the hard liquor, ain't it? :cheese:
.

Surely you jest Jagsy.....

Yeah, your right. Ya caught me. :lol:

You have fun and keep drinking, man, I'll hold down the fort with the useless information.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1993/misra93a.pdf

 

[Jags]

You have fun and keep drinking, man, I'll hold down the fort with the useless information.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1993/misra93a.pdf

I have to admit, your last two posts have given me more info on clinkers then I ever wanted to know. :lol:

 

[begreen]

I find it hard to believe that water has any role in forming clinkers. Clinkers form in the ash, and long before the wood becomes ash the water should have been evaporated. Of course I have never seen those things in my stove so I'm speculating.

Incomplete combustion so I guess there would be many reasons for the formation of the clinkers.

Quite the opposite. Combustion is so complete and hot that it fuses the trace elements and silicas in the wood into a solid form. You'll see this more if you burn bark which contains a lot more silicates, wind-born dirt and sand.

"The mineral content of clean wood of temperate
tree species is 0.1% to 06% and that of bark 3%
to 5%. Mineral matter in wood consists mostly of
salts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. but
salts of many other elements are also present in
lesser amounts...

...During combustion. the mineral ions oxidize
and volatilize or form particulates. The char
surface is hotter than the gas or the interior of the
particle. and ash particles tend to form on the char
surface."

http://marioloureiro.net/ciencia/ignicao_vegt/ragla91a.pdf

 

[shawneyboy]

Learn something new every day. The knowledge of this forum continues to amaze me.

Shawn

 

[oldspark]

I find it hard to believe that water has any role in forming clinkers. Clinkers form in the ash, and long before the wood becomes ash the water should have been evaporated. Of course I have never seen those things in my stove so I'm speculating.

Incomplete combustion so I guess there would be many reasons for the formation of the clinkers.

Quite the opposite. Combustion is so complete and hot that it fuses the trace elements and silicas in the wood into a solid form. You'll see this more if you burn bark which contains a lot more silicates, wind-born dirt and sand.

"The mineral content of clean wood of temperate
tree species is 0.1% to 06% and that of bark 3%
to 5%. Mineral matter in wood consists mostly of
salts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. but
salts of many other elements are also present in
lesser amounts...

...During combustion. the mineral ions oxidize
and volatilize or form particulates. The char
surface is hotter than the gas or the interior of the
particle. and ash particles tend to form on the char
surface."

http://marioloureiro.net/ciencia/ignicao_vegt/ragla91a.pdf

The ash melts to the non-combustibles forming the clinker.