2025 - RS Kiln Refractory Bricks

The aluminum alloy melting process poses unique and demanding challenges to refractory materials, stemming from the physical and chemical properties of molten aluminum and its alloys. While the combustion chamber of an aluminum melting furnace can reach temperatures of approximately 1200°C, the furnace chamber area in direct contact with the molten aluminum typically only reaches temperatures of 700-800°C (the casting temperature for 6063 aluminum alloy is 720-740°C).

This means that the furnace lining material spends most of its time in a medium-temperature range, rather than a traditionally high-temperature state. In this temperature range, traditional refractories often experience a strength dip due to bonding phase transitions. For example, hydration products (such as CAH₁₀ and C₂AH₈) in cement-bonded Unshaped Refractories Castables begin to dehydrate at 300-400°C, losing their bonding properties while the ceramic bond is not yet fully formed, resulting in a significant drop in strength.

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Low-Cement Castables: Medium- and Low-Temperature Strength Properties

Low-cement castables exhibit unique strength properties in the medium- and low-temperature ranges, distinct from conventional castables. During heating, conventional aluminate cement unshaped refractories castables typically experience a decrease in strength (due to hydrate dehydration) followed by an increase (due to ceramic bonding), with a distinct strength dip occurring in the 800-1000°C range. Low-cement refractory castables, however, exhibit a significant increase in strength at medium temperatures, rather than a decrease in strength.

The research examples in the table below demonstrate that the hot flexural strength of low-cement castables at 800°C is significantly higher than that at room temperature. Low-cement castables made primarily of kyanite-mullite (M45 and M60) exhibit the greatest increase in hot flexural strength with increasing treatment temperature. Low-cement castables made primarily of high-alumina bauxite (M85) exhibit the second-highest increase. Conventional Unshaped Refractories castables using CA-50 cement as a binder exhibit a distinct strength dip after firing at 800°C.

Table: Changes in hot flexural strength after treatment at different temperatures (MPa)

Castable Sample Type	Dry at 110℃	After Sintering at 800℃	After Sintering at 1000℃	After Sintering at 1200℃	Strength Growth Characteristics
M45	8.5	10.2	12.8	15.3	Sustained and stable growth
M60	9.2	11.5	14.2	17.6	Significant increase in medium temperature strength
M85	10.7	12.3	14.9	18.2	High initial strength and stable growth
Traditional CA-50	11.2	8.5	10.3	13.7	The medium temperature strength decreased significantly

The mechanism of this anomaly is that the dehydration of calcium aluminate hydrate in low-cement castables is slow and continuous, with minimal damage to the crystal structure. Simultaneously, the ultrafine powder begins to sinter at moderate temperatures, forming a preliminary ceramic bond.

Core Characteristics and Advantages of Low-Cement Castables

Low-Cement Castables (LCC) are a new generation of unshaped refractory materials developed in the 1980s. Compared to traditional aluminate cement Unshaped Refractories castables, their core characteristic lies in a significant reduction in the amount of calcium cement (typically from 12-20% to 3-8%). Furthermore, through the introduction of ultrafine powder technology and high-efficiency admixtures, they achieve a comprehensive performance optimization of high density, low porosity, and high strength.

The revolutionary breakthrough in low-cement castables stems from the application of ultrafine powder technology. Ultrafine powders (such as reactive SiO₂ powder and α-Al₂O₃ powder) with particle sizes less than 1.0μm can exceed 71%. These ultrafine particles possess an extremely high specific surface area and reactivity, effectively filling the gaps between aggregate particles and achieving the densest packing. It prevents particle size segregation, reduces porosity and pore diameter, ensures the fluidity of the mixture, and improves the density and bonding strength of the Unshaped Refractories castable. More importantly, the high specific surface area and reactivity of ultrafine powder significantly reduce sintering temperatures and promote sintering at medium and low temperatures.

Active SiO₂ ultrafine powder not only improves the fluidity of the castable but is also one of the most effective sintering accelerators. At temperatures above 900°C, SiO₂ ultrafine powder reacts with Al₂O₃ to form mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂), accompanied by a volume expansion of approximately 10.5%. This volume effect effectively offsets some of the volume shrinkage of the unshaped refractory castable, promoting strength improvement. Furthermore, the mullite phase forms at a relatively low temperature (beginning to form in large quantities at approximately 1000°C), and its needle-shaped or columnar crystal structure forms a cross-linked skeleton, significantly enhancing the material’s strength.

Ultrafine α-Al₂O₃ powder strengthens the material through a different mechanism. It promotes the formation of calcium hexaaluminate (CA₆) from calcium aluminate at high temperatures, along with smaller amounts of mullite, anorthite, CA, and CA₂. These minerals have large molar volumes, which prevent volume shrinkage. Furthermore, CA₆ crystals are small columnar and needle-shaped, while anorthite crystals are fine columnar. Together, they form a cross-linked structure of fine columnar and needle-shaped structures, resulting in a strong and dense structure that can reach strengths of around 100 MPa.

The setting and hardening mechanism of low-cement castables is also fundamentally different from that of traditional Unshaped Refractories castables. Traditional castables primarily derive their strength from hydration products (such as CAH₁₀ and C₂AH₈) produced by cement hydration. However, these hydrates dehydrate and decompose during heating, significantly reducing their strength at medium temperatures. Low-cement castables, on the other hand, rely primarily on a cohesive bonding mechanism: ultrafine powder particles form colloidal particles in water, which form a three-dimensional network structure through van der Waals forces and chemical bonds, tightly binding the aggregate particles together. Cement acts only as a delayed-acting setting accelerator. This cohesive mechanism ensures that the strength of low-cement castables does not decrease due to hydrate decomposition during heating, but instead continues to increase due to sintering.

By carefully controlling the type, particle size distribution, and additive amount of fine powder, low-cement castables achieve an ideal strength development curve within the operating temperature range of aluminum alloy smelting (700-900°C). This avoids the mid-temperature strength trough common in traditional Unshaped Refractories castables while providing sufficient high-temperature performance, perfectly adapting to the unique operating conditions of aluminum melting furnaces.

However, there are downsides. Low porosity and high densification also result in poor air permeability. During baking and heating, steam generated by internal moisture cannot be promptly dissipated, easily building up high pressure within the lining, causing it to spall or crack. Therefore, when using low-cement castables, a reasonable baking system and the addition of explosion-proof agents must be used.

Conclusion

From the “medium-temperature dilemma” of traditional Unshaped Refractories castables to the “precise breakthrough” of low-cement castables, the path to upgrading refractory materials is essentially a matter of precisely matching material properties with operating requirements. For the unique application of aluminum alloy smelting, low-cement castables restructure their strength formation mechanism through ultrafine powder technology. This not only addresses the strength limitations of the medium-temperature range, but also addresses the core requirements of high density and corrosion resistance. This makes them a key material support for the longevity and high efficiency of aluminum industry furnaces.

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Oct 6 2025

How to Improve the Performance Parameters of Zirconium Corundum AZS Bricks?

AZS Bricks, abbreviated as zirconia, are primarily composed of alumina and zirconium oxide, with small amounts of other additives. Their high alumina content and the addition of zirconium oxide impart unique properties. For example, a typical zirconia brick may contain approximately 70% alumina and 30% zirconium oxide. It may also contain trace amounts of additives such as borax and silica sol to improve sintering performance.

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Zirconium-aluminum bricks are primarily used in glass industry tank furnaces, including key areas such as the tank walls, vents, superstructures, hanging walls, and breast walls. In glass furnaces, zirconia-aluminum bricks can withstand temperatures exceeding 1600°C and the corrosive effects of molten glass, ensuring proper furnace operation and high-quality glass production. They are also used in high-temperature industries such as steel smelting furnaces, cement rotary kilns, and non-ferrous metal smelting.

Improving the Performance Parameters of Zirconia-Corundum Bricks

To maximize the performance parameters of Zirconia-Corundum bricks, various performance-enhancing additives are added during production. Nanomaterials exhibit unique size and surface effects, and the introduction of nanoscale additives into Zirconia-Corundum bricks can improve their performance. For example, the addition of nanoparticles such as nanoalumina and nanozirconia can form finer dispersions within the brick, hindering crack propagation and increasing the brick’s toughness and strength. Furthermore, these nanoadditives can synergize with the original components of Zirconia-Corundum bricks to enhance their thermal shock resistance and erosion resistance.

However, due to its high specific surface area and surface energy, nanoalumina is prone to agglomeration. If dispersion issues are not effectively addressed during production, agglomerated nanoalumina particles can form localized defects within the Zirconia-Corundum brick, reducing its overall performance. For example, agglomerates can become stress concentration points, making cracks more likely to form during use, impacting the brick’s strength and durability.

By modifying the nano-alumina, a carbon nanotube core-shell structure is grown in situ on the surface. This core-shell structure prevents direct contact between nano-alumina particles, thereby reducing the possibility of nano-alumina agglomeration. This allows the nano-alumina to be evenly distributed within the corundum monolithic refractory brick, forming a finer dispersed phase within the brick, hindering crack propagation and improving the brick’s toughness and strength.

AZS Refractory Bricks (250 x 124 x 64-mm)

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The technical solution is as follows:

Materials: 55-65 parts alumina powder, 25-35 parts zircon sand, 1-5 parts modified nano-alumina powder, 2-6 parts binder, 1-2 parts chromium oxide, 1-3 parts yttrium oxide, and 1-4 parts flux.

The alumina powder has a particle size of 1-1.5 mm and a purity >99%.

The zircon sand contains 65% zirconium oxide and 34% silicon dioxide, with a particle size of 0.05-2 mm.

The modified nano-alumina powder is nano-alumina modified with in-situ carbon nanotubes. A carbon nanotube core-shell structure is grown on the surface of the modified nano-alumina.

The binder is silica sol. The silica content is approximately 40%, the iron content is <0.01%, the sodium oxide content is <0.5%, the viscosity is 10-20 mPa·s, and the particle size is 20-70 nm.

The flux is borax with a purity of >95%, an iron content of ≤0.005%, and a particle size of 0.15mm.

The production steps are as follows:

Ingredients: Add alumina powder, zircon sand, modified nano-alumina powder, binder, chromium oxide, yttrium oxide, and flux to a mixer in the correct proportions.

Mixing: Stir the ingredients in the mixer at a speed of 120-180 rpm for 90-120 minutes to ensure thorough mixing.

Molding: The mixed ingredients are placed into a mold and molded using a friction press or hydraulic press. The molding pressure is 150-220 MPa, and the holding time is 30-90 seconds, until the bricks reach the desired shape.

Drying: The molded bricks are placed in a drying oven along with the mold to dry and remove moisture. The drying temperature is 110-140°C, and the drying time is 24-72 hours.

Sintering: The dried bricks are placed in an insulated sand box along with the mold and then sintered in a high-temperature kiln at a temperature of 1650-1800°C. The heating rate is 3-5°C/min, and the holding time is 4-8 hours.

Annealing: After the sintered zirconium-alumina refractory bricks and the mold are removed from the insulating flask, the mold is removed. The zirconium-alumina refractory bricks are placed back into the insulating flask for annealing for 24-48 hours. The cooling rate is 2-4°C/min.

Advantages: Nanomaterial modification technology and optimized production processes not only address the problem of nanoparticle agglomeration but also significantly improve the overall performance of the bricks, making them more suitable for high-temperature and highly corrosive working environments. The resulting zirconium-alumina refractory bricks offer high quality, a high forming rate, stable internal stress distribution, and resistance to high temperatures and corrosion.

Differences in Application Between Fused AZS and Fused Corundum Bricks

In float glass furnace design, the optimal combination is determined based on glass quality requirements, furnace service life, refractory properties, and cost. Different refractory types are used in different areas. Parts in contact with the molten glass, such as the tank walls and bottom, have a significant impact on furnace life and glass quality, and therefore require more stringent selection criteria.

With improvements in refractory quality and performance, and increasing demands for furnace lifecycles, fused AZS bricks are currently used for both the melting tank walls and bottom, as well as the neck tank walls and bottom. This is primarily to address chemical erosion caused by batch reactions and erosion from high-temperature molten glass. Fused AZS offers superior high-temperature erosion resistance compared to other refractory materials.

33# oxidation-process fused zirconia-corundum bricks can be used for the cooling tank walls and bottom, but high-quality float glass production lines typically use α-β fused corundum bricks, primarily for glass quality considerations. α-β fused corundum bricks have low porosity and exhibit excellent corrosion resistance at the 1350°C operating temperature of the cooling section, without any glassy phase precipitation. However, fused AZS bricks, due to their high content of SiO2 and alkaline oxides, are prone to glassy phase precipitation, and this volume change can lead to the formation of bubbles. Furthermore, after the zirconium corundum is dissolved by the molten glass, the corrosion-resistant ZrO2 material remains, forming microscopic dendrites. Discharge at the tip triggers an electrochemical reaction, ionizing and reducing the gas components in the glass to form bubbles. Therefore, based on glass quality requirements, kiln runner designs generally use α-β fused corundum bricks for the cooling section walls and floor paving.

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Applications of Fused AZS Bricks and Fused Corundum Bricks

Fused Zirconia Corundum

Grades include: AZS-33 (33% ZrO₂ content), AZS-36 (36% ZrO₂ content), and AZS-41 (41% ZrO₂ content).

The erosion resistance of fused zirconium corundum increases with increasing ZrO₂ content. 33# fused AZS bricks are suitable for the melting pool walls and the breast wall of the material processing area. Corners of the pool walls are more susceptible to erosion by the molten glass, so 36# fused AZS bricks or 41# AZS bricks with higher ZrO₂ content are the best choices.

The production process for fused zirconium corundum is divided into reduction and oxidation methods. Currently, the oxidation method is the primary shrinkage-free casting process. The oxidation melting method eliminates contamination caused by graphite electrodes in the melt, has a low carbon content, and can reduce the bubble content in the glass.

α-β Fused Corundum Bricks

Al2O3 content >98%. Made from high-purity alumina with a small amount of soda ash, it is melted at 2000-2200°C and produced using a shrinkage-free casting method.

The thermal expansion coefficient of fused corundum is 8.6, placing it in the lower-to-medium range for thermal shock resistance. Fused corundum bricks exhibit slightly poor high-temperature corrosion resistance, with resistance to molten glass decreasing rapidly at temperatures above 1600°C. However, at operating temperatures of 1350°C and below, they exhibit strong corrosion resistance and virtually no contamination of the molten glass. They are ideal materials for the cooling tank walls and floors of glass melting furnaces, as well as for float glass launders.

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Sep 21 2025

Alumina Bricks Properties

Different types of alumina bricks (such as β-alumina bricks and hollow alumina sphere bricks) may differ in their specific properties. For example, β-alumina bricks offer better resistance to alkali vapor corrosion, while hollow alumina sphere bricks excel at being lightweight and providing excellent thermal insulation. RS Alumina Bricks Manufacturer supplies high-quality alumina bricks. Contact RS Factory for free samples and quotes.

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Alumina Bricks Have the Following Properties

High-Temperature Resistance

Alumina bricks typically have a refractoriness exceeding 1900°C, maintaining stable physical and chemical properties in high-temperature environments. They are suitable for use in high-temperature industrial furnaces and melting furnaces, where they can withstand long-term high temperatures without deformation or damage.

High Mechanical Strength

They possess high compressive and flexural strengths, reaching approximately 250 MPa at room temperature and maintaining a strength of approximately 150 MPa at 1000°C. They can withstand mechanical and thermal stresses at high temperatures.

Good Chemical Stability

They are chemically stable and highly resistant to corrosion from acids, alkalis, salts, and other chemicals, especially at high temperatures. They are particularly resistant to corrosion from a variety of molten metals and chemicals. They are suitable for applications in chemical and metallurgical industries, where corrosion resistance is critical.

Low Thermal Conductivity

With low thermal conductivity, they offer excellent thermal insulation properties, effectively reducing heat transfer and lowering energy consumption. They are often used as insulation layers in high-temperature furnaces to improve energy efficiency.

Thermal Shock Resistance

High thermal shock resistance allows it to withstand rapid temperature changes without cracking or damage. Suitable for equipment subject to frequent startups and shutdowns or large temperature fluctuations.

High Purity and Low Impurity Content

High-purity alumina bricks (e.g., Al₂O₃ content ≥98%) have low impurity content and greater chemical stability, making them more resistant to chemical reactions and corrosion at high temperatures.

Good Electrical Insulation

With excellent electrical insulation properties, they can be used in the manufacture of high-temperature electrical insulation components, such as spark plug insulators and electronic component substrates.

Why are Alumina Ceramics Both Insulators and Conductors?

Common sense suggests that thermal insulation and thermal conductivity should be two distinct entities. For example, cotton is insulating and can be made into cotton-padded clothes, while iron is conductive and can be used in frying pans. The reverse is not true. However, in the real world of refractory materials, we see a different phenomenon: the same material can be used for seemingly opposite purposes: insulation and thermal conductivity. This is the case with alumina ceramics. Alumina ceramics can be made into insulating bricks for high-temperature kilns and heat sinks for electronic products like LED lights.

To answer this question, we need to consider two aspects.

First, as the question above suggests, the thermal conductivity of materials does vary. The most typical example is the difference in thermal conductivity at different temperatures. Take alumina, for example. As the temperature rises, its thermal conductivity decreases. At 1200°C, its thermal conductivity is only about half that at 400°C. However, alumina’s thermal conductivity is not insignificant: at room temperature, it’s 20-30 W/m•K. Even if this decreases by more than half, it still leaves about 10 W/m•K, which is higher than the thermal conductivity of many materials. Therefore, this small change seems insufficient to explain why alumina can both insulate and conduct heat. A more convincing explanation is needed.

Therefore, we need to consider the second, and most important, aspect. Alumina’s ability to both insulate and conduct heat stems from structural changes. In other words, the internal structure of alumina ceramic differs when used as an insulator and a conductor.

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When used as an insulator, alumina ceramic’s most significant structural characteristics are its porosity and low density. For example, when made into hollow alumina sphere bricks, the thermal conductivity of air is very low, and so is the thermal conductivity of hollow alumina sphere bricks. Some may ask, since air has a very low thermal conductivity, why bother incorporating air into the alumina material? This is because, while air has a low thermal conductivity, it cannot prevent thermal radiation. Just as the thermal conductivity of a vacuum is zero, heat from the sun still travels through it to Earth. Porous alumina blocks both heat conduction and radiation, effectively providing insulation and heat preservation. For example, a study reported that a type of alumina microporous ceramic has a density of only 0.6g/cm3, a porosity of 85%, and a thermal conductivity of only about 0.3W/m•K at 1200℃.

However, when alumina is made into thermally conductive ceramics, the requirements are completely different. The first requirement is high density—the higher the better. High density reduces pores, allowing the ceramic grains to bond tightly together, facilitating heat conduction. The second requirement is high purity. The higher the purity, the higher the thermal conductivity. For example, a ceramic with a 99% alumina content can achieve a thermal conductivity of ~26 W/m•K, while when the alumina content drops to 95%, the thermal conductivity drops to only ~20 W/m•K. This is because ceramics with low alumina content have a higher glass content, and glass has lower thermal conductivity, resulting in a lower overall thermal conductivity. Of course, cost is also a factor in practical applications. While high-purity alumina ceramics offer high thermal conductivity, they also come at a higher price. Therefore, alumina ceramics should be selected based on the product’s requirements, rather than simply pursuing high purity.

In addition to high purity and a dense structure, alumina ceramics used as heat sinks often have specific requirements for their external shape. For example, when making an LED heat sink, it often has a fin structure to increase the surface area and facilitate heat dissipation into the air, thereby achieving better heat dissipation effects.

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Sep 6 2025

Problems Encountered in the Production of Refractory Precast Shapes and Solutions

Refractory precast shapes offer advantages such as convenient and fast on-site construction and a long service life, making them increasingly popular in high-temperature industrial furnaces. The production process for refractory precast shapes is relatively simple, essentially following a series of steps including batching, mixing, molding, and drying. However, production often presents challenges. Rongsheng Refractory Factory has identified several solutions for these common production issues.

Pulverization of Impurities in Bauxite Clinker

Bauxite clinker is a commonly used refractory raw material, and its quality significantly impacts the performance of refractory products. Bauxite clinker, also known as bauxite clinker, is produced by high-temperature calcination of bauxite ore. Its Al2O3 content should be greater than 50%. The impurity content in the product should not exceed 2%, and foreign inclusions such as limestone, loess, and high-calcium and high-iron materials must be avoided. Due to the geological distribution of raw bauxite, it is often associated with limestone and loess. Inadequate post-calcination sorting can lead to the inclusion of impurities such as limestone in the bauxite clinker. Once used in refractory prefabricated parts, the limestone can pulverize during the mixing, forming, drying, firing, and final use, resulting in localized pitting defects. This can affect not only the product’s appearance but also its internal quality. Therefore, before using bauxite clinker, it is necessary to test its pulverization rate. The method used is to take a weight of M1 of bauxite clinker particles (particle size + 3 mm) and immerse them in water for a period of time. The material is then dried at 110°C and passed through a 3 mm sieve. The weight of the particles above the sieve is M2. The pulverization rate can be expressed as:

Pulverization rate (%) = (M1 – M2) / M1 × 100%

A pulverization rate of no more than 0.20% is recommended. If the measured pulverization rate is too high, pretreatment of the raw material is necessary to ensure product quality. This can be achieved by soaking it in water, drying it, and screening it before use.

Pulverization of Brown Corundum

Corundum is increasingly being used as refractory aggregate and powder in monolithic refractories, achieving significant results. Corundum is generally produced from industrial alumina or bauxite through sintering or electric melting. It includes white corundum, sub-white corundum, tabular corundum, high-aluminum corundum, and brown corundum. Brown corundum is produced using electric melting, using light-burned high-aluminum material, coal, and iron scrap as its primary raw materials. The smelting process is divided into two types: shelling furnace and pouring furnace. Shelling furnaces produce material with significantly different crystallinity levels in different parts, and the iron distribution is also wider. Brown corundum produced in pouring furnaces offers uniform quality and good bulk density. However, this uniformity requires less grading, and overall performance may be slightly lower. Based on practical experience, brown corundum produced in shelling furnaces has a much higher probability of pulverization than that produced in pouring furnaces. Using brown corundum with a high pulverization rate to produce preforms can cause localized surface pulverization and cracking after high-temperature firing. It not only affects the quality of the product, but also greatly reduces the firing qualification rate and increases production costs. Since the use of brown corundum with high powdering rate has serious quality risks, it is necessary to test its powdering rate.

Currently, there are no methods or standards for testing the powdering rate. This article uses the following two methods:

Qualitative testing: For each incoming batch of brown corundum, a preformed product is formed according to a specific formula. After drying, it is sintered at a low temperature of 600°C or 1000°C to observe whether it exhibits cracking, thereby determining whether the batch of brown corundum has been powdered.

Quantitative testing: A sample of a certain particle size (3-1 mm) is taken, weighing M3. This sample is boiled in a pressure cooker for 60 minutes (or heated in an electric furnace at 1000°C for 1 hour). After drying, the sample is observed for changes in color and size. The weight of the material passing through a 1 mm sieve is recorded as M4. The powdering rate can then be expressed as:

Powdering rate (%) = (M3 – M4) / M3 × 100%

A powdering rate of no more than 0.10% is considered acceptable. The standard for controlling the powdering rate may vary for different refractory products.

Delamination of Magnesium-Aluminum Preforms Containing Silicon Micropowder

During the production of magnesium-aluminum preforms containing silicon micropowder, surface delamination often occurs on the molded surface, leading to delamination of the finished product. This can seriously impact the service life and yield of the refractory product. There are two types of SiO2 micropowder: one made from high-purity silica and the other a byproduct of producing metallic silicon or ferrosilicon. The latter is the silicon micropowder commonly used in refractory materials. It is hollow, spherical, active, non-agglomerated, and has good filling properties. It undergoes a pozzolanic reaction at room temperature and forms mullite with Al2O3 at high temperatures, both of which contribute to increased castable strength. However, it must possess stable physical and chemical properties; otherwise, the product’s performance will be affected. During the production of refractory preforms, changes in silicon micropowder batches often cause fluctuations in the moldability of the finished product. The most obvious manifestation is delamination of the finished product after molding.

To address this delamination issue, the silicon micropowder used is first screened to homogenize its composition. Secondly, during the mixing process, increase the amount of retarder, appropriately increase the amount of water added, and appropriately extend the wet mixing time before molding. Finally, appropriately lower the curing temperature of the product, which can basically solve the problem.

Flashing of Corundum-Spinel Preforms Containing Aluminum Micropowder

α-Al2O3 micropowder is a commonly used refractory powder in the production of monolithic refractories. Ultrafine α-Al2O3 powder is produced by calcining industrial alumina. Its characteristics include good dispersibility, small particle size, easy sintering at high temperatures, and minimal volume effect. In production, corundum-spinel preforms containing aluminum micropowder often develop a layer of milky white liquid and honeycomb-like pits on the molding surface during curing after molding. These pits are accompanied by bubbles escaping from the pits. Removing the liquid from the molding surface reveals that the molding surface is essentially composed entirely of powder. This phenomenon is known as flashing. The thickness of the powder layer on the molding surface varies depending on the degree of flashing.

Flashing is more pronounced in winter, posing a serious quality risk to prefabricated refractory components. This can lead to uneven microstructure, low strength, decreased thermal shock and corrosion resistance, and a shortened service life. Extensive investigation and analysis have revealed a correlation between flashing and the content of the metal oxides K₂O and Na₂O in the raw aluminum micropowder. When this content is above 0.2%, flashing is virtually nonexistent when forming prefabricated components using this aluminum micropowder mix. However, when this content is below 0.1%, flashing is inevitable and can be quite severe.

Flashing can be alleviated or resolved through the following methods:

① Reduce the normal water addition by 0.1-0.3 percentage points.
② Adjust the ratio of retarder to accelerator, increasing the accelerator while reducing the retarder.
③ Appropriately increase the curing temperature after forming.
④ When mixing, add a small amount of fused magnesia fine powder, and the amount added should not exceed 0.5%.

High-Temperature Treatment of Embedded Hook Prefabricated Parts

High-temperature treatment of embedded hook prefabricated parts is a common problem in the production of refractory prefabricated parts. The high-temperature treatment temperature here refers to temperatures above 1100°C. Therefore, direct firing is not an option, as is typical. Certain protective measures must be taken to prevent oxidation during firing of the metal hooks.

To this end, tests were conducted using rebar segments of the same thickness as the hooks. Three approaches were tested: charcoal embedment, coating the rebar segments with an anti-oxidation coating, and wrapping the rebar segments with refractory wool, followed by a castable as an external anti-oxidation layer.

Firing in a high-temperature furnace revealed that the rebar embedded in charcoal embedment remained intact. The rebar coated with anti-oxidation coating exhibited the most severe oxidation. The rebar segments with castable as an external anti-oxidation layer experienced partial oxidation due to microcracks in the castable during firing, resulting in an oxide layer thickness of 1-2 mm.

This demonstrates that charcoal embedment is the optimal approach. During the carbon burial treatment, it should be noted that partial or full carbon burial treatment should be performed according to the structural characteristics of the prefabricated parts.

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Aug 22 2025

Why the Service Life of Honeycomb Ceramic Heat Storage Bodies Not Long?

What are the reasons? Why the service life of honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies not long? At present, the service life of honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies is not very long. The main problems that occur during use are melting, softening, rupture, blockage, and corrosion. There are special cases where a large amount of fragmentation occurs after only one week of use, and there are also those whose service life reaches 2 years due to the large heating capacity or the low service temperature. However, the service life of most heat storage heating furnaces is generally 8-12 months, and the average life is generally short. Common reasons for damage to the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body and short lifespan are analyzed as follows:

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Small hole blockage

Blockage of small holes is one of the most common causes of damage to the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body. After the small holes of honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies are blocked, it not only directly causes a significant reduction in its heat storage and smoke exhaust performance. It also causes uneven smoke exhaust and heat exposure of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage, which can easily cause cracks and aggravate its damage.

The Small Holes of Honeycomb Ceramic are Blocked

Low load softening temperature

If the load softening temperature is low, during long-term use in normal high temperature environments or when abnormal high temperature occurs, the lower honeycomb ceramic heat storage body will not be able to withstand the combined effect of high temperature and load, and will soften, compressive deformation. This causes the row of honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies to collapse, and even causes the adjacent honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies to collapse together, resulting in the blockage of the lower heat storage chamber. The upper part forms a high-temperature channel gap without honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, and the high-temperature flue gas is directly discharged. The heat in the flue gas cannot be effectively recycled, the smoke exhaust temperature is high and the heating capacity is significantly reduced.

Local high temperature and secondary combustion

Under normal circumstances, although the furnace temperature exhaust gas exhaust temperature does not exceed 1300℃, the combustion temperature of the flame is much higher. According to the fuel combustion temperature calculation, when the blast furnace gas is preheated to 1000℃, its flame combustion temperature can reach 2400℃. The flame combustion temperature of high-calorie gas fuels, such as natural gas and acetylene, can be as high as 3000℃. Therefore, when secondary combustion or local high temperature channels appear in the heat storage chamber, the temperature it receives has exceeded the load softening temperature and the refractory tolerance limit. The honeycomb ceramic heat storage body will naturally soften, even shrink holes, or severe ablation into clusters.

The honeycomb ceramic heat storage body ablation into clusters

Poor corrosion resistance and poor slag resistance

The honeycomb ceramic heat storage body near the first row of the high temperature side reacts with the molten iron oxide or iron oxide small particles brought by the flue gas. The crystal phase inside the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body changes, causing the refractory resistance, load softening temperature, and slag resistance to a sharp decline. Adhesion, shrinkage, blockage or even collapse occurs between each other.

Poor ability to withstand cold and heat

Due to the frequent heat storage and heat release of honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies, the temperature changes are severe, causing the walls of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies to be subjected to tensile and extrusion stress alternately. And cracks are generated by the action of thermal stress, and severe fractures will occur. At the same time, collapse will also occur, resulting in the blockage of the lower part of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body and a hollow space on the upper part, which cannot be used normally. Therefore, the working characteristics of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body with frequent changes in heat force are the main reasons for its shorter life.

Poor volume stability at high temperature and large deformation of refiring

During use, most honeycomb ceramic heat storage bodies are installed in cold state and used in hot state. Since the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body has poor high temperature volume stability and large refiring deformation and shrinkage, a gap without honeycomb ceramic heat storage body will be formed on the upper part of the heat storage chamber during use. At this time, the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body itself is not damaged, but most of the flue gas slips directly from the upper gap and gradually forms a high-temperature channel in the upper part of the heat storage chamber. The high temperature causes the nearby honeycomb ceramic heat storage body to rupture, and the channel further expands, thereby accelerating the rupture and damage of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body.

Biased flow problem

In the heat storage chamber, the heat exchange process is roughly as follows: in the exhaust stage, when the flue gas flows through the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, the sensible heat is stored in the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, heating the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body. In the combustion stage, the air (or gas) is heated when it flows through the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, and the residual heat is brought back to the furnace. In any of the above stages, if the gas has a biased flow in the heat storage chamber, after several reversals, it is easy to cause local high temperature of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body and generate thermal stress. When the temperature stress generated exceeds its tolerance limit, the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body will break.

Fire barrier brick problem

The fire barrier brick plays a dual role of fixing and fire barrier protection for the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, so it also has an important impact on the service life of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body. If the material selection or shape and size design of the fire barrier brick is improper, there will be problems such as low brick strength or excessive gap, which will cause the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body to directly contact the flame or secondary combustion. As a result, the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body is prone to rupture, collapse, melting, softening and other problems.

Influence of water vapor in gas pipeline

When a large amount of condensed water is precipitated from the end of the gas pipeline and enters the heat storage chamber, or when the cooling water pipe in the furnace breaks and flows into the heat storage chamber along the furnace wall, the heat storage body in a high temperature state is very easy to break when encountering liquid water. At the same time, when water enters the heat storage chamber, the viscosity of dust impurities in the fuel gas and iron oxide powder in the flue gas increases, and chemical changes occur, increasing the corrosiveness of impurities. Therefore, it is easy to cause blockage and corrosion of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body, which accelerates the shortening of the service life of the honeycomb ceramic heat storage body.

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Aug 7 2025

Composition and Structure of Refractory Materials for Industrial Furnace Lining

Although there are many types of industrial furnaces, in terms of basic structure, they mainly include three parts:

① Heating system: including equipment systems that provide various heat sources to the materials in the industrial furnace. Such as: energy medium pipelines and equipment systems, power transmission system transformer equipment, etc.
② Industrial furnace body: This is the basic structure of the industrial furnace. Generally includes frame support structure, furnace structure, material conveying system, etc.
③ Smoke exhaust system: mainly includes flue, chimney, heat exchanger, and smoke exhaust auxiliary equipment etc.
④ Other supporting equipment.

Design of Industrial Furnace Lining Structure

The basis for completing the furnace construction material to the furnace lining structure when designing the industrial furnace furnace lining structure is a key procedure for achieving the purpose of the equipment process. kiln brick lining. Here, we mainly introduce the furnace lining structure with refractory materials as the main material. During the design process of furnace lining, the following aspects are usually needed:

(1) Reasonable furnace size. This is determined by the production process served by industrial furnaces, and the furnace size is subject to process requirements and the overall design of the equipment. The furnace size is the basic condition for the industrial furnace production process. The rationality of the furnace lining size directly affects the production of the entire process.
(2) Stable structural form. Due to the special purpose of industrial furnaces, the furnace lining is generally heated on one side. When the furnace lining is in such extreme temperature difference environment for a long time, it may cause structural damage, stress deformation, or form a melting state on the hot surface, the furnace lining structure will be greatly tested. Therefore, the stability of the furnace lining structure is a key indicator of the furnace lining design.
(3) Economic and effective material allocation.

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Inner Lining Structure of Industrial Furnace

Generally speaking, there are four main forms of the inner lining structure of industrial furnaces:

(1) Refractory brick lining.
(2) Amorphous refractory lining.
(3) Refractory ceramic fiber lining.
(4) Mix lining.

Refractory Brick Masonry

Refractory brick masonry is composed of refractory bricks and refractory mud. kiln brick lining is the most traditional and widely used masonry structure in industrial furnace body structure. When constructing or building an industrial furnace body structure with refractory bricks, first of all, refractory bricks and refractory mud should be selected according to the design or original structural requirements. Then the masonry structure is constructed according to the design drawings. Generally, masonry with refractory bricks is mainly used in the walls, furnace tops, furnace bottoms and pipelines in industrial furnace body structures.

Amorphous Refractory Lining

The so-called amorphous refractory lining means that the main material that constitutes the furnace lining lining is an amorphous refractory material. These amorphous refractory materials mainly include: refractory castables, refractory plastics, refractory spray coatings, etc.

When refractory castable is the main material of the furnace body structure, it is used for working layers such as the side walls, furnace tops, pipeline linings and outer bandages of the furnace body structure. It is also used as an insulation layer between the working layer and the furnace steel structure (such as the furnace shell).

Refractory plastic: In theory, refractory plastic can replace the function of refractory bricks on the main structure of various industrial furnaces. However, in practical application, you still need to study the following issues before making a decision.

① Type and form of furnace: is it a smelting furnace, reactor or heating furnace;
② Furnace structure: furnace top, side wall or bottom; construction thickness, whether there is heat insulation material; height and load condition of the furnace wall, etc.;
③ Operation status of the furnace: furnace temperature and its changes, whether the operation method is continuous or intermittent, whether the heated material is solid or liquid or gas, impact load in the furnace, etc.;
④Economics and construction conditions, etc. In actual industrial furnace furnace structures, refractory plastics are most commonly used in the furnace roof and furnace wall parts of the furnace body.

Refractory spray coating: Because spraying tools have the advantages of being able to be at any angle, anywhere, and forming any geometric shape. Therefore, in the furnace lining design of industrial furnaces, a lining formed by spray coating is often used.

Since the characteristics of spray coatings are basically the same as those of castables, they are also similar to those of castables in structural form. Its application parts in industrial furnace bodies include furnace walls, furnace tops, pipeline lining walls, thermal insulation layers, etc. In order to stabilize the structure of the spray coating lining, different forms of metal anchors or anchor bricks are usually provided in the lining according to specific structural requirements.

Refractory Ceramic Fiber Lining

Refractory ceramic fibers are loose as a semi-finished raw material and can be processed into finished products such as fiber blankets, fiber ropes, fiber paper, fiber boards, fiber fast-tipping (folding modules or laminated modules). After adding the binder, it can be used as a fiber spray coating or fiber castable. Ceramic fibers can be used directly in a loose shape. However, when it exists as a lining, ceramic fibers are often processed into blankets, plates, or blocks for use.

Therefore, in the lining of existing industrial kilns, it is essentially determined that refractory materials must be used to protect the melting changes of the shell. Based on the actual working conditions of each industrial kiln, a mixed body structure of a variety of refractory materials is generally used to extend the life of the furnace lining and save production costs for enterprises.

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Jul 19 2025

What Kind of Refractory Castable Material is Best for Coke Oven Doors?

With the development of large-scale blast furnaces and technologies such as oxygen enrichment and coal injection, the stability of the quality of coke used in blast furnaces has become a key factor restricting the stable operation of blast furnaces. The insulation effect and life of coke oven door bricks directly affect the quality of coke on both sides of the coke oven machine and coke. The mechanization and automation of coke oven operation require the longevity of furnace door bricks. In addition, with increasingly stringent environmental protection standards, the previous phenomenon of fire and smoke from coke oven doors will be eliminated. Therefore, coke oven door bricks must not only have good refractory properties, but also have good insulation effects, corrosion resistance, and overall stable performance.

The refractory materials of coke oven door bricks have developed from traditional clay and lightweight insulation materials to cordierite, mullite and cordierite composite materials with better refractory properties. In addition to the performance of conventional refractory materials, furnace door brick refractory materials must also have better refractory properties than furnace wall bricks. Including thermal shock resistance, lower heat transfer coefficient and density, corrosion resistance, and anti-carbonization performance.

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Cordierite Refractory Materials for Coke Oven Doors

Cordierite (2MgO·2Al2O3·5SiO2) is an aluminum magnesium silicate mineral. Cordierite in refractory materials is generally artificially synthesized. Cordierite has a low thermal expansion coefficient, a small thermal conductivity, and a strong compressive resistance. It is currently one of the most commonly used refractory materials for coke oven door bricks.

Early cordierite was generally synthesized from industrial alumina, clay, kaolin, talc, bauxite, coke gemstone, etc. Cordierite has excellent thermal stability, but its high temperature load performance is relatively poor. In order to further improve the high temperature performance of cordierite, cordierite composite materials are currently being studied more. Including cordierite-mullite composite materials, clay-fused quartz, magnesium aluminum spinel-cordierite composite materials, mullite-alumina composite materials, etc. The performance of these refractory materials is significantly better than cordierite materials.

The coke oven door is frequently opened during production, the surface temperature is high, and the coke outlet temperature varies greatly. The lining of the traditional coke oven door in China is mostly made of cordierite bricks and clay bricks, but the service life is not long.

The reason is: the products of the coking process of the coke oven door are complex and the chemical erosion of the products is serious. Diffusion through the pores of the bricks to the inside of the bricks, diffusion destroys the lattice structure of the bricks, reduces the performance of the bricks, and shortens the service life. The temperature of the coke oven door varies greatly, and rapid heating and cooling cause cracks on the surface of the lining bricks, and also damage the corners of the refractory bricks.

Refractory Castables for Coke Oven Doors

If refractory castables are used for coke oven doors, the body density cannot be too large. Because the door is too large and too heavy, the thermal conductivity is high when it is opened frequently. However, lightweight castables have the characteristics of low thermal conductivity, small thermal expansion coefficient and elastic modulus, and good thermal shock resistance. However, the strength is not good, the apparent porosity is large, and it cannot meet the needs. If cordierite material is used as castable, cordierite has high strength and strong resistance to acidic gas erosion, but it is expensive, has high masonry requirements, and is difficult to replace after local damage.

Moreover, during the use of the coke oven, tar will firmly adhere to the surface of the lining, and the thick carbon deposit layer will cause the furnace door to be closed loosely, leaking and emitting fire. If the carbon deposits are cleaned, the mechanical force will accelerate the early damage of the furnace door lining bricks. In recent years, the lining of large-volume coke oven doors has been mostly made of refractory castable prefabricated blocks. The material is clay plus fused quartz composite castable. Because of the combination of this composite property, the refractory castable has strong thermal shock stability. It can withstand the thermal shock and frequent opening of the furnace door during the coke oven production process. In addition, fused quartz has strong resistance to acid gas erosion and carbon deposition.

Clay and fused quartz composite castables are used as prefabricated blocks. Clay materials are cheap and have high strength. When manufacturing molding modules or integral casting, the production process is simple and convenient to use. The introduction of fused quartz with extremely low thermal expansion coefficient into clay plays a dual role of reducing the thermal expansion coefficient and increasing microcracks, and the thermal shock resistance will increase. It is fully adapted to the temperature of frequent opening of the furnace door under acidic high temperature. In addition, the bulk density and thermal conductivity of fused quartz are both low. When fused quartz is introduced into clay materials, the thermal conductivity of the castable is low, and the weight of the furnace door is appropriate, which fully meets the performance of the coke oven door.

While the performance of the composite refractory castable meets the use, it is made into a prefabricated block, which is convenient to construct and has a long service life. Therefore, the use of clay and fused quartz composite refractory castables is most suitable for coke oven doors.

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Jul 8 2025

Application of 3 Kinds of Magnesium Monolithic Refractories

Magnesium refractory materials are alkaline refractory materials, which are widely used in kilns in high-temperature industries such as steel and cement. Magnesium amorphous refractory materials include magnesium castables, magnesium dry vibrating materials (ramming materials), magnesium gunning materials, magnesium refractory mud, etc. Rongsheng Refractory Material Manufacturer, environmentally friendly fully automatic amorphous refractory production line, specializes in providing refractory lining materials for high-temperature industrial furnaces. Contact Rongsheng for free samples and quotes.

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Magnesium Castable

Since calcium aluminate cement can form high melting point CaO·6Al2O3 (CA6) with Al2O3. Therefore, aluminum-magnesium castables combined with calcium aluminate cement are widely used in steel ladle.

If MgO-MA alkaline castable combined with hydrated alumina can be used instead, due to the absence of CaO impurities, hydrated alumina and MgO form magnesium-aluminum spinel self-combination during use, its load softening temperature and slag resistance will be better than Al2O3-MA castable combined with calcium aluminate cement, and it is also beneficial to improve the quality of steel.

Another direction of the development of magnesium castable is to form a cohesive bond between SiO2 fine powder, MgO fine powder and water. The advantages of this combined magnesium castable are: due to the addition of SiO2 fine powder, the castable has good fluidity. The gel contains less structural water, and dehydration is gradual during heating, which will not cause damage to the structure. During use, a magnesium castable combined with forsterite is formed. Adding a small amount of ZrO2 or zircon to this castable can also improve the thermal shock resistance of the castable. In addition, magnesium castables that are combined with TiO2 micropowder, Al2O3 micropowder and magnesia fine powder to form M2T-MA solid solution are also being studied and developed. In order to improve the slag resistance of magnesium castables, the method of adding AlN, AION or MgAlON is also used.

Magnesium carbon-containing castables have been affected by the inability of water to wet graphite and the low density of graphite. Using surfactants to change the hydrophobic surface of graphite to hydrophilic may be an important way to solve the problem of carbon-containing refractory castables. In addition, carbon-containing refractory materials used in steel plants are also good raw materials for making magnesium carbon-containing castables, because the particles or powders made from this kind of residual bricks have a high carbon content, uniform C distribution, and are dense.

magnesia dry ramming mass — Magnesia Dry Ramming Mass

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Magnesium Dry Vibrating Material

Alkaline magnesium dry ramming material is widely used in various induction furnace linings and ultra-high power electric furnace bottoms. In recent years, it has been used on the intermediate ladle of continuous steel casting with good results.

Dry ramming material is an amorphous refractory material without liquid binder and water. It does not need to undergo strict maintenance after construction. It mainly relies on baking or heating of high-temperature melt during use to sinter the hot surface of the dry ramming material into a whole, forming a dense working layer with a certain strength. In use, except for the working layer, the rest of the dry material is still an unsintered dense stacking structure. Therefore, it has good thermal insulation performance, and at the same time avoids cracking and perforation caused by stress caused by expansion and contraction of refractory materials during use. In addition, it is also convenient to dismantle. However, dry ramming material is not suitable for kilns with rotation and high furnace height.

The commonly used sintering agent for magnesium and MgO-CaO dry ramming materials is iron oxide. FeO and calcium ferrite have low melting points and will gradually be absorbed by periclase to form a solid solution, namely magnesium fustenite [(Mg·Fe)O]. The impurities of magnesium and magnesium calcium dry ramming materials are SiO2 and Al2O3 respectively, and their content should be as low as possible and should not exceed 1%.

If MgO-CaO dry ramming materials use low-melting calcium silicate or magnesium silicate as a sintering agent. At this time, iron oxide becomes a harmful impurity and should be limited.

For MgO-MgO·Al2O3 dry materials, iron oxide or magnesium silicate can be used as a sintering agent. For Al2O3-MgO·Al2O3 dry materials, iron oxide or low-melting calcium aluminate can be used as a sintering agent.

Magnesium Coating or Gunning Material

Magnesium and magnesium-calcium materials are good for purifying molten steel, so they are widely used in intermediate ladle for continuous steel casting. However, when this kind of coating or gunning material is used for casting low-phosphorus steel, phosphate binders should be avoided. Secondly, since a lot of water is added to the coating, it is necessary to bake at high temperature to remove the water as much as possible to avoid hydrogenation in the first few barrels of molten steel.

For magnesium-calcium coating, the source of CaO can be lime milk [Ca(OH)2], light calcium carbonate, etc. according to the method of segmented decomposition, and high-calcium magnesium sand can be used less.

Alumina Magnesia Refractory Ramming Mass Material in RS — Magnesia Refractory Ramming Mass Material in RS

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Drying and Curing of Magnesite Ramming Mass Before Use

During the drying process of amorphous refractory materials before use, the surface moisture is first evaporated by heat, and the heat is conducted from the surface to the inside, causing the temperature of adjacent parts to gradually increase. Due to the evaporation of surface moisture, the moisture (steam) inside the refractory gradually diffuses to the surface to replenish. If the heat supply is too large and the temperature rises too fast, the amount of steam generated per unit time is too much. Due to the poor air permeability of amorphous refractory materials, the internal moisture (steam) is blocked from diffusing outward. At the same time, due to the vaporization of moisture, the volume increases sharply, and a large tension will be generated inside the refractory. If the tension exceeds the compressive strength of the refractory, it will cause the refractory to expand and crack. When the difference between the two is large, it will peel off or explode. Therefore, conventional heating and drying requirements are high, and the performance of the refractory cannot be guaranteed. The magnesite ramming mass used can be dried naturally at room temperature, avoiding the damage of high temperature to the refractory, and effectively guaranteeing the performance of the refractory.

Unshaped refractory is a kind of refractory that can be used directly without firing. It has the advantages of fast construction, simplified process, energy saving, good integrity, easy replacement, etc. It is widely used in the metallurgical field. Among them, ramming material is an unshaped refractory material that is constructed by ramming (manual or mechanical), made of a high proportion of granular material and a low proportion of binder and other components, and hardened under heating above normal temperature. The use of magnesite ramming mass on the top of the electric furnace and the copper water jacket at the flue gas outlet of the oxygen-enriched side-blown furnace not only meets the process requirements, but also reduces production costs.

To purchase high-quality unshaped refractory materials, please choose Rongsheng Refractory Factory. Rongsheng Factory provides refractory lining material services to the world. Customers who have used our refractory materials are all over South Africa, Chile, Egypt, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Italy, Indonesia, Ukraine, Hungary, Spain, Kenya, Syria, Zambia, Oman, Venezuela, India, Peru, the United States, Ethiopia, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Contact Rongsheng Now!

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Jun 17 2025

Al-O Alumina Fused-Casting Refractory for Glass Furnace

Fused cast refractory materials are highly valued by experts from all over the world because they are particularly resistant to corrosion by glass liquid, slag, etc. and have a long service life. They have been rapidly developed. The biggest advantage of alumina-based fused cast refractory materials (except fused mullite bricks) is that they contain very little glass phase, so they are widely used in glass melting furnaces. In fact, fused corundum refractory materials should include two varieties, namely fused corundum sand and fused cast products. The former is combined to produce sintered corundum products and amorphous refractory materials, while the latter is a product directly cast into a certain shape after melting.

Fused Cast Bricks for Glass Kiln — Fused Cast Bricks for Glass Furnace

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Composition of Alumina-Based Fused Cast Refractory Materials

Mullite fused cast bricks can be made from ferroalumina and other SiO2-Al2O3 natural raw materials due to their high SiO2 content. There are also re-sintered fused mullite made from fused mullite as aggregate.

The alumina raw material used in fused corundum bricks is chemically treated industrial alumina with a small amount of soda ash introduced. Adding a small amount of sodium carbonate to industrial alumina can make α (alpha)-corundum fused cast bricks. Adding a little more sodium carbonate can make α·β-mixed crystal corundum fused cast bricks. Adding a larger amount of sodium carbonate can make β (beta)-corundum fused cast bricks. Industrial alumina and chromium oxide can be mixed to make aluminum-chromium fused cast bricks.

Alumina fused cast bricks are mainly composed of Al2O3, with good crystal development and dense structure. Al2O3 precipitates α-corundum after melting and solidification, and β-corundum precipitates when a small amount of Na2O coexists. Its chemical formula is Na2O·11Al2O3, in which the weight percentage of Na2O to Al2O3 is 5:95. In addition to a large amount of Al2O3 and a small amount of Na2O, α-corundum bricks, β-corundum bricks and α·β corundum bricks contain very few other oxides. There are only two crystal phases: α corundum and β corundum.

The SiO2 content of mullite electrofused cast bricks is above 15%. Therefore, in addition to the formation of corundum crystals, a considerable amount of mullite crystals are also generated. A small amount of other oxides such as Fe2O3 and TiO2, part of which forms a solid solution with mullite, and the other part forms a glass phase with a small amount of SiO2 and Al2O3. The main crystal phases in the brick are corundum and mullite. The glass phase is filled between the crystal phases, and there are also a small amount of aluminosilicate crystal nuclei in the glass phase.

In aluminum-chromium electro-fused cast bricks, part of Cr2O3 dissolves in the corundum solid solution, and the other part forms composite spinel with Al2O3, MgO, and FeO in a certain proportion. There is very little glass phase, and due to the small amount of SiO2, the glass phase does not contain crystal nuclei.

Rongsheng Fused Cast α-β Aluminum Refractory Bricks

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Characteristics of Alumina Electro-Fused Casting Refractory

General Characteristics

The main crystal phase of Alumina Electro-Fused Casting Refractory is corundum, which belongs to neutral refractory.

The specific gravity of α corundum is 3.99, and the specific gravity of β corundum is 3.2, so the bricks containing more α corundum have a higher specific gravity. Mullite electro-fused casting bricks contain mullite crystals with a lower specific gravity. Therefore, the specific gravity is lower, which is similar to that of β-corundum bricks. Alumina-chrome bricks have a higher specific gravity than α-corundum bricks because the corundum crystals contain Cr2O3 solid solution and the specific gravity of spinel is greater than that of corundum.

α-corundum bricks (rarely used) and αβ-corundum bricks have less pollution to glass liquid

There are almost no metal oxides with strong coloring properties such as Cr2O3, Fe2O3, Ti02 in these two refractory materials. Therefore, when in direct contact with glass, the glass liquid will not be colored at all. The glass phase content in the material is below 1.0%, which is the lowest among all refractory materials in contact with glass. The glass phase is the weak link in the refractory. After the refractory is eroded, the glass phase is softened and lost first. As a result, the main crystal phase loses its binding material and becomes loose, entering the glass to become stones and streaks. Moreover, the glass phase often contains bubbles, and as the glass phase is eroded and lost, the bubbles also enter the glass liquid. Therefore, bricks with less glass phase have better corrosion resistance and less pollution to glass liquid.

The main crystal phase of fused corundum bricks is corundum, and the viscosity of the metamorphic layer generated after being eroded by soda-lime glass at high temperature is lower than that of cast corundum bricks. Therefore, the corrosion resistance is not as good as that of zirconium corundum bricks at high temperatures, and it is generally not used in the melting pool wall and liquid flow hole. It is mainly used on the working pool wall and material channel. The temperature in these parts is relatively low, and the main requirement is that the bricks have less pollution to the glass liquid. When these two refractory materials are used in these low-temperature parts, they have less pollution to the glass liquid than zirconium corundum bricks. Compared with α-corundum bricks and αβ-mixed crystal corundum bricks, α-corundum bricks are more resistant to glass liquid corrosion if the porosity is the same. In fact, due to production reasons, some α-corundum bricks have a higher porosity. The corrosion resistance of α-corundum bricks with higher porosity is worse than that of αβ-corundum bricks with lower porosity. Pay special attention to this point. αβ-corundum bricks are often used for the working pool wall bricks.

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β-corundum electric fused cast brick has good stability to alkali vapor

β-corundum brick is pure β-corundum crystal, that is, Na2O·11Al2O3 crystal. The crystal is plate-shaped, large, and cross-bonded. The surface of the brick is soft and light-colored, translucent, brittle and fragile. This brick has two major characteristics. The first is good resistance to alkali vapor erosion. The second is good thermal stability.

Alumina will generate β-corundum after contacting with alkali metal oxides at high temperature. Because β-corundum bricks themselves are composed of corundum crystals, they will not react with alkaline oxides. But another point to pay special attention to is that SiO2 will react with corundum as follows:

2SiO2+Na2O·11Al2O3→Na2O·Al2O3·2SiO2+10Al2O3

That is, nepheline and α-corundum are generated. This will make the structure of β-corundum bricks loose and destroyed. Therefore, β-corundum bricks cannot be in contact with SiO2 at high temperatures. This makes this brick unsuitable for use in areas with large dust content, in the upper space near the charging port in a horizontal flame furnace, and in the upper space of the melting pool in a horseshoe flame furnace.

β-corundum bricks have the best thermal stability among all electro-cast refractory materials due to their well-developed crystals, close bonding and cross-linking between crystals, and high porosity. They are very suitable as refractory materials for the rear section of the melting section of a horizontal flame pool furnace (away from the charging port) and the upper space of the working pool. But one thing to note is that their compressive strength is low. If it is used as a sill brick, the span of the sill cannot exceed 6 meters.

Mullite electro-cast refractory has poor performance

Mullite electro-cast brick is the oldest electro-cast refractory. It is inferior to other electro-cast refractory materials, but better than combined refractory materials. It was used as the lower pool wall brick a long time ago to balance the life of the upper and lower pool wall bricks, so as to reduce the cost.

When electro-cast mullite bricks are manufactured, corundum crystals are first precipitated during the cooling process, followed by mullite crystals. These two crystal phases consume most of the SiO2 and Al2O3 in the brick composition. The remaining small amount of SiO2 and Al2O3 coexists with the remaining components, namely Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, MgO, and Na2O, and finally becomes a glass phase. The glass phase accounts for a large proportion of the brick, and the glass phase contains so many low-melting-point substances. Therefore, the corrosion resistance is worse than other electro-cast refractory materials. In addition, the glass phase contains bubbles and reducing substances, so the generation of bubbles will pollute the glass liquid. On the other hand, electro-fused mullite bricks have better corrosion resistance than sintered refractory materials with the same composition. This is because the mullite in the refractory material will generate corundum and nepheline liquid phases when it is corroded by alkali. The nepheline liquid phase has low viscosity and is easy to lose. As a result, the brick body is damaged. Due to the high porosity of sintered refractory materials, this reaction can penetrate into the interior of the brick body, so it is very destructive. Due to the high density of mullite electro-fused bricks, this reaction can only occur on the surface of the brick, so it has higher corrosion resistance.

Aluminum-chromium (chrome corundum) electro-cast refractory with particularly good corrosion resistance

The glass phase content of aluminum-chromium electro-cast refractory is very low, below 5%. It is surrounded by two crystal phases with good corrosion resistance. One of the crystal phases is corundum enhanced by the presence of Cr2O3. The second crystal phase is a composite spinel composed of Cr2O3, MgO, Al2O3, etc. Both crystal phases are very stable. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of the entire brick is particularly good, three times higher than the high-temperature corrosion resistance of No. 41 zirconium corundum brick, and it is ideal for use as a flow hole brick.

However, due to the extremely strong coloring of Cr2O3, the coloring ability of trivalent Cr is dozens of times higher than that of trivalent Fe, so it can only be used in glass fiber tank furnaces and dark green bottle glass tank furnaces that have no requirements for color. In addition, the thermal stability of this brick is not good, which also limits its use.

Precautions

Poor thermal shock resistance. Electrofused refractory materials are dense and have low porosity. When subjected to thermal shock and uneven heating, there are no pores for buffering and adjustment, so they are very easy to burst. Since the glass pool furnace is operated continuously for a long time, the temperature does not change much, so this shortcoming does not affect the use. However, near the crater, the temperature will change somewhat due to reversing, so pay attention. In addition, pay attention to temporary cooling and furnace repair. The furnace temperature cannot change too much. This type of brick has poor thermal stability. But there are still differences between different varieties.

The order of thermal stability is as follows (when the porosity is the same):

β-corundum electrofused brick>α-corundum electrofused brick = mullite electrofused brick>aluminum chromium electrofused brick>α.β-electrofused brick

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Corundum Mullite Refractory Bricks for Glass Kilns

Corundum mullite bricks for glass kilns are high-quality refractory products. This product uses corundum as the main raw material and mullite as the auxiliary raw material. By adding an appropriate amount of high-purity alumina, ultrafine silicon oxide powder, and additives, it is strongly pressed and formed by a 630T friction press. It is fired at high temperature in an oxidizing atmosphere and can be used for a long time in a high-temperature environment of 1700 degrees. The characteristics of corundum mullite bricks for glass kilns are as follows:

(1) The Al2O3 of corundum mullite bricks for glass kilns is ≥82%, which has good high-temperature resistance. At the same time, the refractory temperature is high, and the load softening temperature is greater than 1700 degrees.
(2) Resistant to chemical erosion, it has strong resistance to acidic solutions or slag.
(3) The Fe2O3 content in the product is ≤0.3%, which is resistant to oxidation. It is not easy to react chemically with gases such as O2, H2, and CO.
(4) Good thermal stability, high temperature volume stability, not easy to expand or shrink.
(5) Good thermal shock resistance, 1100℃ water cooling ≥30 times, resistant to rapid cooling and heating, not easy to peel off.
(6) High compressive strength at room temperature, ≥100Mpa, not easy to wear during transportation or unloading.

Corundum mullite bricks can directly contact flames, resist peeling, and withstand high temperatures. They can be used as working linings for high-temperature industrial furnaces. They are mainly used in petrochemical industry, large and medium-sized synthetic ammonia gasification furnaces and magnetic material gas furnaces, and supporting facilities for high-temperature industrial kilns. Rongsheng Refractory Material Manufacturer can customize refractory lining solutions according to the working conditions of glass kilns. It can also customize and process various shapes of corundum and mullite refractory bricks and products according to the customer’s high-temperature equipment requirements.

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May 27 2025

Sintered High Zirconium Refractory for Glass Industry

Glass melting pools require high temperature, erosion resistant, long life materials. Typical refractories commonly used in this high temperature application are fused cast zirconium corundum (AZS, 40% ZrO2) and zirconium oxide (>80%), which have low apparent porosity (<0.7%) and high bulk density. The microstructure of refractory bricks made by the fusion casting process varies between the surface and the center, and usually contains shrinkage pores. Sintered AZS refractories with high apparent porosity (~20%) are also used in glass processing. Refractory manufacturers, the performance of sintered high zirconium refractories was compared with fusion cast refractories.

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Preparation of Zirconia Refractory Materials

Specific process of preparing zirconia refractory materials: Mix deionized water (11.5%) and alumina in a mixer for 10 min to form a slurry. Then gradually add boron oxide and silica fume, and mix for 10 min before each addition. Add nitric acid (diluted to 50:50 with deionized water) to make the pH value of the slurry about 3.5. Add zirconium oxide to the slurry and stir continuously until the zirconium oxide is evenly distributed. Heat the mixed slurry from room temperature to 40-80℃ (oven) and dry it, then pass it through a 100-mesh sieve. The dried powder is uniaxially pressed into a strip sample, and isostatic pressing and extrusion molding can also be used. Sample firing system: 25-1000℃ heating rate 50℃/h. At 1000-1700℃, the heating rate is 25℃/h. Keep warm at 1700℃ for 6-48h. At 1700-1300℃, the cooling rate was controlled to be 50-200℃/h. The cooling rate from 1300 to 1000℃ was 25℃/h. The cooling rate from 25 to 1000℃ was 50℃/h.

Various properties (specific gravity, apparent porosity, flexural strength, XRD and thermal conductivity) of the sintered sample (BZR) were measured and compared with those of industrial fused-cast zirconia (Scimos CZ). Static erosion tests were conducted on the prepared sintered zirconia refractory and commercial fused-cast zirconia samples (Scimos CZ). The crucible with glass-cullet and the refractory sample were placed in a furnace respectively and preheated to 1660℃. After sufficient insulation for a period of time, the refractory sample was placed in the center of the crucible and kept at this temperature for 3 days. After the test, the corrosion loss of the sample was measured at different points. The resistance of the sintered sample at 1500℃ and 1600℃ was measured by the 4-wire method. The microstructures of BZR and Scimos CZ were observed by scanning electron microscope. The comparative experimental results are as follows:

1) After sintering, the sintered zirconia sample was white or slightly milky due to the presence of impurities. Fusion-cast refractory bricks are usually gray due to the use of graphite electrodes during the melting process.
2) The performance of the sample, its specific gravity, apparent porosity, flexural strength and thermal conductivity test results are comparable to those of commercial fused-cast zirconia refractory materials.
3) Static and dynamic erosion tests show that the corrosion resistance of sintered zirconia refractory materials is comparable to or slightly better than that of commercial fused-cast zirconia Scimos CZ.
4) Sintered zirconia refractory materials exhibit high resistivity at high temperatures (1500-1600 ℃), comparable to commercial fused-cast materials (Scimos CZ).
5) The microstructure of sintered zirconia shows that it is composed of fine zirconia particles with glass phases between the particles. The microstructure of the entire brick body is uniform. The fused-cast zirconia microstructure has large grains that vary in size from the surface (smaller) to the center (larger) of the brick body, which are formed during cooling. During crystallization, voids and/or pores form in the center of the specimen, and the glass phase formed in the center and on the surface may have different compositions.

Performance Characteristics of Sintered High Zirconium Refractory Materials for Glass Industry

By mixing nano-glassy precursors with zirconium oxide particles, high zirconium oxide refractory samples of the required size were prepared by pressing (or isostatic pressing, extrusion, etc.) molding process. Then the sintered zirconium oxide refractory (BZR) was prepared by controlling the sintering process. High zirconium oxide refractory has similar specific gravity and lower apparent porosity, similar flexural strength and thermal conductivity to commercial fused-cast refractory. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the main phases of the sample are zirconium oxide phase and glassy amorphous phase. Static and dynamic erosion tests show that BZR has excellent erosion resistance to different glasses at high temperature (1715°C). BZR also shows high resistivity (measured above 1500°C), which is comparable to fused-cast refractory.

corundum precast block — Zircon Corundum Blocks for Glass Kiln

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Zirconium-Containing Refractory Bricks

Zirconium-containing refractory bricks are refractory bricks made of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and zircon (ZrSiO4) as raw materials. Zirconia bricks, zircon bricks, zircon mullite and zirconium corundum bricks all belong to this type of refractory bricks. According to different production processes, zirconium-containing refractory bricks are divided into sintered bricks, fused cast bricks and unfired bricks. Zirconium-containing refractory bricks have the characteristics of high melting point, low thermal conductivity, good chemical stability, especially good corrosion resistance to molten glass.

There are several phases in the Zr-O system that are non-stoichiometric solid solutions of oxygen in zirconium and oxides. The stable compound of zirconium and oxygen is dioxide ZrO2. The ion radius ratio in zirconium dioxide is 0.66, which is close to the boundary between the crystal coordination number 8 and 6. The zirconium cation size is large (0.082nm), and in order to achieve 8 coordination, the oxygen ions are as close as possible in the lattice. Therefore, ZrO2 exhibits abnormal coordination. When its coordination number is equal to 7, one of the oxygen atoms occupies the position between the two nodes of the AB lattice. A lattice -8 coordination and B lattice -6 coordination. At high temperature, the Zr-O bond length increases due to the thermal motion of ions at the lattice nodes. This is the result of the transition of oxygen ions from the unit space to the A or B position. At the same time, the 8-coordination of anion vacancies is achieved.

The properties of zirconium-containing refractory materials depend on the properties of ZrO2. The melting point of dense, stabilized zirconium oxide is 2677℃, and the service temperature reaches 2500℃. The bulk density fluctuates between 4.5 and 5.5g/cm3 due to the purity of the raw materials and the manufacturing method. The bulk density of dense zirconium oxide bricks can reach 5.75g/cm3. Sintered zirconium oxide products react chemically with liquid glass. Caustic solutions, carbonate solutions and acids (except concentrated H2SO4 and HF) do not react chemically with zirconium oxide. ZrO2 has high structural strength and has the ability to work at 2200~2450℃ as a lining hot surface.

Zirconia bricks have high mechanical strength, and the strength is maintained up to 1300~1500℃. The thermal conductivity of ZrO2 is much lower than that of all other oxide materials. This property of ZrO2 can be used as a high-temperature insulation layer, and the physical and chemical properties of zirconium-containing refractory bricks.

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