Similar to fiberglass, ceramic fiber wool is a silica-based man made mineral fiber (MMMF). It is often used in high heat appliances such as ovens and fireplaces. The spung fiberus material in this wood burning stove was creating very poor indoor air quality inside the home.
A catalytic converter is designed to take pollutants out of the air by heating up extra hot and burning them up. This wood burning stove had a bat of ceramic insulation positioned above the flame. It may be burning off gasses and toxins, but it is also putting microscopic particles into the air. When the stove was off the air would often flow back into the home. When the stove was lit it all floated up polluting the outside.
The bat of silica-based ceramic insulation collected soot creating a source of dust.
A soot filled bat of ceramic insulation inside the wood burning stove.
