How to Deal with Rust in gasifiers

There may already be a topic which covers this, but I couldn’t locate it.

My 30-gallon barrel SimpleFire has an epoxy-phenolic lining inside and so far has not been affected by heat or moisture and will probably last the rest of my life. Can’t say the same for the accompanying steel 7-gallon filter container with lever-lock lid. I abandoned the earlier plastic filter container due to deterioration from heat. This current 24-guage steel filter container gets damp and sometimes there is a coating of water inside the bottom during the colder half of the year. I’m seeing rust forming on the inside. What is being used to retard or prevent rust in the steel containers and tanks being used in damp areas of your gasifiers or do you just let them rust out and replace them?

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I know that one can avoid problems with rust by using plastic and stainless steel tanks and containers, but are there effective treatments for the inside of bare steel containers used for filters which will make them rust resistant and prolong their usefulness??

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I wonder how well Cerakote or Durakote would work in a gasifier system? Both are used on firearms to prevent rusting. I believe you have to heat them up to cure the treatment though.

Edit: apparently C series Cerakote can cure in ambient temperatures. It can withstand up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and is chemical resistant.

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Knifesmith and metalcasting forums use a lining called Satanite.

I think there are paints for auto exhaust parts that might hold up.

Low tech,maybe a baked on oil finish, polymerized like well seasoned black iron or carbon steel cookware.
It might not last, but its cheap to redo.

Casting in or parging on a refractory lining could be great, providing the gasifire isn’t subject to too many physical shocks.
Add fibers to resist cracking

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For my hay filter I try to use a water heater tank . It seems to have some type of glass coating on the inside .

Never needed to replace one .

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There are some rubber undercoating’s that work well.

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Both have a tendency to flake off under stress and both will scratch. There are a fad thing right now trying to beat kg gunkoat that is a far superior product that is bake on anti scratch coating. If it’s steel and parkerized first then kg over the top it is a very durable finish my daily carry 1911 can verify (9 years going strong) but for gassifier temps I don’t think any of them would hold up for long to the extreme heat. Maybe on the outside of a insulated part that doesn’t burn off paint

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For his filter it doesn’t get that warm. It’s really just to keep the moisture in the gas from rusting out the inside.

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Bigger question is what effect would the acidity of the gas do to a gun finish. Parkerising has to stay oiled to not start to rust. Would be an interesting experiment, maybe I’ll go up to the gun shop and see if my buddy will coat a few pieces of steel and throw them in my hay filter to see what happens

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If you do, definitely try to get some C Series Cerakote, since it doesn’t require an oven or kiln to cure. Just has to sit for 5 days.

I do know for sure that C Series is at least resistant to gasoline, brake fluid, and acetone. Abrasion resistance is okay but it wouldn’t be abraded on as a filter lining.

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Thanks everyone for the continuing discussion. I’m gathering that rust is not a particular concern for others. Cody is right, heat is not the main issue. True, the plastic 5 gallon buckets and screw lids didn’t hold up to the heat. I doubt it has ever gotten over 200 f degrees and normally runs at somewhat less than that. I would just like to stop the rusting. Perhaps just a good rust-stop spray primer and paint for engine temps would be adequate.

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I painted everything inside both of my gasifiers with this, it will with stand a lot of heat. Follow instructions, it has to be rusty or sanded with 36 grit.https://www.ebay.com/itm/313354185175?hash=item48f55d69d7:g:C~oAAOSw2fZf4gzx

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Steve, it is a concern, but I try to hide and not think about it.
My Mazda 55 ga hopper lid is super thin and flexy by now. Started to leak over a year ago and just barely holds up. I’ve patched it up with silicone so far. It will very soon have to be replaced.
Cooler tubing (standard exhaust pipes) rust close to the rubbers. The tubing will have to be replaced or shortened pretty soon.
The hayfilter bucket I’m using for the Volvo will probably not last for very long. It’s very thin material to start with.
I’m sure different types of paint will help some, but personally I feel it’s not worth the effort. I’ve tried to use ss or plastic wherever possible and the rest will have to be replaced sooner or later.

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So this is the secret why you can lift your gasifer into the Volvo is using thin metals and stainless steel. Wayne did this on the 92 Dakota from the book to keep it light weight. The hay filter, drop box, lid on the hopper have all been replace now. Hay filter is a plastic barrel now, drop box made of heavier gage metal all custom made by Chris S. Two times as thick steel as the original barrel and is still holding up fine. Cooling tubes, connecting trees, other metal piping all been replaced tree times now. High acid areas. The condensation tank under the back of the truck has been bottom patch in places the drainpipe, and conection piping replaced.
The was Truck built in 2012. It seems Gasifier systems are like living in the East Coast salt belt highway driving areas.
I want to try this Chassis Saver Silver Aluminium that Al Frick is using.
Bob

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Bob did you put any stiffening rings in your plastic filter drum? I think JO or Jan has done that before. The WKs have a lot of cooling but I’d still be afraid of warping.

MY plastic barrel is strait wall so I am able to put round cut out plywood with 2" holes drilled in them for air flow. One sit below the hay and one on top of my hay. This keeps the vaccum from sucking the barrel flat. It has happened a couple times. I look in my mirror and I see a real skinny barrel. If you did that to a curved wall barrel it might not pop back out again.
I pull over negative 30 vaccum quite often on my gasifer when driving.
My next hay filter will be a metal water heater tank. With a 3" drain like Jakob North put on his truck. I saw it in action, he would open and drain it out in seconds. No pluging up. On his condensation tar/water tank he would open it up and add wood to the hopper close the hopper, close the valve and drive off. No waiting for water to drain out. This is why he now holds the refueling time record for driving on wood going down the highways.
Bob

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Why don’t you just spray all containers before building them into your systems with stove paint ? or am i missing something here . in some of the hottest wood fires i have ever had in excess of 300deg’s C not a part of it has ever worn off on the outsides of my fires

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Hi Dave & Brian, in wood gasification There is a lot of wood Acid in the hopper and cooling system. Charcoal Gasification is different hot and less moisture. Drier gases coming out of the gasifer. The wood gases acidity seems to attack the paint too. This Chassis Saver Silver Aluminium seems to solve this problem. Al has been using it for awhile now. So I would say the testing of it is very positive in his gasifer high acid areas.
Now if you are using stainless steel it can handle the higher acidity. I have been using galvanize fence post for my cooling rails the vote is still out on this test. But they seem to be holding up really good.
Bob

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The silver chassis saver is impervious to just about all chemicals once it is set up. I use it to seal inside fuel tanks, but it has to be set.

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https://www.magnetpaints.com/underbody.asp

Answers my questions about why not black. Top coat later with black.
Their MSDS shows just as high of resistance to Caustic exposures as to Acids exposures. That’s rare.
S.U.

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