Shuttle Technology for Earth Laboratories
Pyran System represents a major advancement in control of pyrolysis, the technology of subjecting organic material to selected temperatures to break them down into their component parts, and that the system offers capabilities unavailable. Pyran System is designed for rapid automated analysis of the composition of organic matter. It is capable of heating samples to 1,130 degrees fahrenheit with infrared heat at a precisely controlled atmosphere. In order to do this with the degree of control and repeatability desired, the developers of the Pyran system decided they would need a special type of material to insulate the heating chambers. They adopted the shuttle tiles for the difficult insulating job. The tiles provide superior insulating characteristics needed, and they can be readily cut and formed to fit the heating chambers.
Full article: http://hdl.handle.net/hdl:2060/20020087786