DocX
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Heating mantle smoking
I bought a new heating mantle and used it the first time today. It has been standing for quite some time in the garage, but has never been used
before.
Today I fired it up for a distillation test run. It started giving off a thick, white, smelly smoke. Still worked, and heated up very well, but the
fibrous coating started turning brown and smoked like a chimney.
Naturally I aborted the distillation and put it outside to fume off.
Is this normal when you use a new heating mantle? Does it need to fume off residues in the coating? Should I just continue heating it until it has
fumed off?
Dammit.
[Edited on 20222222/7/14 by DocX]
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DocX
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Like so
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DocX
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I was a little hasty posting this. I found the answer not by UTFSE but by UAFSE (Using ANOTHER F***ing Search Engine. Funny that the best way to find
posts on this forum is through Google …).
Apparently heating mantles often ship with a coating that needs to be burned off before use. I ran it full heat for 1 hour and the mantle part turned
black, then partly almost silvery white. No smoke anymore, but still some smell.
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DocX
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Like so
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BromicAcid
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Yes, heating mantles do smoke, even if they have been in use for awhile. Obviously if you spill something in them that can be the culprit. A bad
fitting heating mantle can also cause some smoking issues because you have to put too much heat into it and can eventually fuse the glass. Not to
take anything for granted but what are you using for a voltage regulator, sure hope you're not main-lining this. Anyway, run it for awhile, try to
always have something in the mantle to act as a heat sink unless you're at low voltage and then put it in service. Just resist the urge to go full
power (warp speed) and it should be fine.
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Texium
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Quote: Originally posted by BromicAcid  | Not to take anything for granted but what are you using for a voltage regulator, sure hope you're not main-lining this.
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From the pictures, it appears that it has a built-in knob to control the voltage. Might still be better to
run it off a good variac though. I wouldn't trust these cheap electronics to accurately limit the voltage.
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Sulaiman
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Both my new-parts diy 500ml mantle,
and a 5l mantle stored for some time,
gave an alarming ammount of smoke when first used.
Now negligible smoke unless spills or dust get on the elements/baskets.
........
Variacs are nice when you have them,
but very expensive (compared even to a pid controller with ssr)
A well rated 'dimmer' controller is a very useful and fairly safe option.
(eg for a 110V 550W mantle you need at least a 5A controller, so buy a 20A or even 50A controller. (check prices vs various options)
.........
The inbuilt temperature controller will be ok for simple distillation/refluxing if it is the on/off thermo-mechanical type,
Ok for fractional distillation if of the 'dimmer' type (phase-angle control) or better.
CAUTION : Hobby Chemist, not Professional or even Amateur
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greenlight
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Had the same experience with a new chinese heating mantle. Was seriously worried there was a wiring problem in the lining.
The white smoke went away after 40 minutes or so and hasn't done it again.
Be good, otherwise be good at it 
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DocX
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It has now been used in several distillations and the smoke is definitely gone. It has, as someone spotted, a built-in voltage regulator (and
stirring). It wasn’t very expensive, but not dirt cheap either. But it’s Chinese, and I always take everything I buy from China that runs on
>50V apart and take a look under the hood. It seems well built enough. And works like a charm. Very good temperature control, good resolution on
the heat knob. I am a happy little chemist.
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