Burn Design Lab

As with most technologies, the Jikokoa charcoal stove has a finite usable lifetime. In the pursuit of reducing the eventual corrosion and warping of the Jikokoa’s metallic combustion chamber, we have turned our attention towards ceramic materials. We are exploring whether, while avoiding the corrosive wear that the current design suffers from, a solid ceramic chamber will be able to withstand thermal stresses to an extent comparable to its metallic counterpart. We have tested various commercial products and are now looking at ceramic mixtures. The hope is that adjustments to their composition and microstructure will result in the properties we seek. -Gavin Ray, Materials Engineering Fellow