Silicone nitrate lighter

hello all, ive been hearing more and more about ceramic heating elements, well anyways my dad just so happens to have a silicone nitrate heating element from his old work, says it gets red hot and would do about the same thing and isnt toxic or emitts anything, what do you guys think? im trying to figure out the V's for it so i can test it also says its used for something in heating something in a furnace, i forget