[Larry]

Larry asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello,

I want try something a bit crazy so I'm attempting to work out the details.

I want to harvest the heat of volcano to fire ceramic.  The glazing stage could be skipped due to the obsidian forming around the shell.  And, the heat harvest could save the normal firing kiln materials.  But materials and means are yet a mystery, any ideas?

Larry

What do you think?

[LeeE]

You'd need to pick the right kind of lava, but it might work, as long as you don't want to actually retrieve the ceramics after firing.

[cheryl j]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering. How are you going to get it back out?

[CliffordK]

I don't see why you couldn't go to Hawaii.
Build a portable kiln that you could put over a fresh lava flow, and collect the excess heat from the running lava. 

I'm not sure about making obsidian on demand, although ordinary bricks put into a normal (hot) kiln may glass over after a time.  I met a guy a while ago that had built a wood fired kiln, and a few of the bricks in the kiln got pretty glassy on the edges.

[dulallypotter]

Larry asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello,

I want try something a bit crazy so I'm attempting to work out the details.

I want to harvest the heat of volcano to fire ceramic.  The glazing stage could be skipped due to the obsidian forming around the shell.  And, the heat harvest could save the normal firing kiln materials.  But materials and means are yet a mystery, any ideas?

Larry

What do you think?

This topic has new relevance wrt the sustained volcanic eruptions in Iceland and the considerable global interest. I reckon there will be a multimillion dollar market for volcano fired pottery, the problem being how to retrieve them for marketing?

My answer would be to sow the 'privately' owned area of lava with vast numbers of cheapish preformed mugs, jugs etc., wait for the lava to do its business, and then recover what is possible to sell online at a vast profit.   Any other suggestions?

[Bored chemist]

then recover what is possible

How?

[alancalverd]

Why not skip the pottery phase and make things out of volcanic rock?

[dulallypotter]

then recover what is possible

How?

Well I thought about this , there are area where the lava creeps forward quite slowly, and in these places possibly simple water quenching may be sufficient to cool the lava enough to retrieve fired pots. The location would then have to be moved, but no ecological damage would be done. There again, you could wait for however many years it takes for the lava to cool and surprise the Icelander's great great great grandchildren with a mug suitably inscribed. Making the mugs out of the lava would  I suppose, be a safer option but would not have the same dramatic effect. I will shut up now, I really don't know what I am talking about.  I hear You Tube has just sent a drone into the volcano, is this any dafter?

[Bored chemist]

sufficient to cool the lava enough to retrieve fired pots.

How do you get the pots out of the solid rock?

[dulallypotter]

sufficient to cool the lava enough to retrieve fired pots.

How do you get the pots out of the solid rock?

I understand the lava is light and brittle. You can scrunch it underfoot.   Hey I saw this too!  Raku Clay
by Bill Jones
The raku firing process requires a porous non-vitrified clay that can withstand rapid heating and cooling without cracking or breaking from the thermal shock. By this definition, any clay that can withstand such stresses can be considered a raku clay; however, some clays will provide a greater degree of success. When deciding on a suitable raku pottery clay, your chances for success increase with bodies specifically formulated or adjusted for the raku pottery process.

Raku Glazes   So my quenching idea might not be too far fetched.

[Bored chemist]

It depends on circumstances.
You can get brittle lightweight rock, but you typically get basalt which is strong.

[Colin2B]

I reckon there will be a multimillion dollar market for volcano fired pottery,

How are you estimating that?
Is there a market for other lava products that you have used to give a forecast. What volume would you have to ship in order to turnover, say, $5m?

[dulallypotter]

I reckon there will be a multimillion dollar market for volcano fired pottery,

How are you estimating that?
Is there a market for other lava products that you have used to give a forecast. What volume would you have to ship in order to turnover, say, $5m?

If that cretinous Whatever pan can command the market and B J can get Brexit passed I reckon I ❤ Fagradalsfjall is a sure fire certainty.

[Colin2B]

I reckon I ❤ Fagradalsfjall is a sure fire certainty.

Mmmm, you might get your fingers burnt 

[Bored chemist]

I reckon there will be a multimillion dollar market for volcano fired pottery,

Apparently, the current US market for pottery  and ceramics is about $20Bn
Of which all but about $2Bn is stuff like pipe and toilets which aren't going to be practical or economic coproduce this way.

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/ceramics-market-101916

So you are hoping to get a few percent of the market with what's going to be a very expensive product

Good luck.

[alancalverd]

There again, you could wait for however many years it takes for the lava to cool

Or just go to another volcano.

[charles1948]

Using erupting volcanos to heat pottery, seems like using lightning strikes to kindle fire.

Both methods rely on unpredictable natural phenomena. And so are profoundly opposed to Science, which seeks to control the production of heat and combustion.  For example, by making kilns to heat clay into ceramic pots.

The kilns ensure reliable production of ceramic articles.   As the Ancient  Romans found out.  They set up factories to turn out pottery amphorae and lamps on a massive scale.
 
So shouldn't any suggestion that we retreat to random vulcanism be deplored?

[Colin2B]

So you are hoping to get a few percent of the market with what's going to be a very expensive product

Good luck.

And one for which there is no clear demand. On the other hand if you could get people who wanted out to lie in front of the lava and be Pompeiied, then I’m sure there would be buyers for those unusual ornaments.