REFRACTORIES

James Fryer
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Technical Centre
 What is a Refractory?

• Material is classified as refractory if it has a minimum

softening temperature of 1500 °C

• Protect the kiln shell and other equipment

• Helps to retain heat within the system, minimising heat

loses and so reduce energy consumption

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 STAGE-1

STAGE-2

STAGE-3

TERTIARY AIR DUCT

STAGE-4
BURNER PIPE

FIRING HOOD

INLET HOUSING

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 Types of Refractory

Shaped Un-shaped

• Basic (Magnesia, Dolomite) • Castable

• Alumina • Gunned
• Fireclays • Rammed
• Insulating/Semi-insulating • Plastic

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 Magnesia Bricks

• High Refractoriness - MgO has a melting point of 2800 °C

• Additives improve thermal shock resistance (chrome, spinel,
zirconia)
• More chemically inert and tends not to form a coating
• Addition of Hercynite [FeAl2O4] promotes coating
• Susceptible to salt infiltration and chemical wear by alkalis

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 Dolomite

• Burned dolomite rock, Lime and magnesia (MgO +CaO)

• Compatible with clinker, forming a protective coating
• Hydrates rapidly avoid contact with water
• Poor resistance to thermal shock (Zirconia addition)
• Salt infiltration (Mag addition to increase density)
• Sulphate attack

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 Alumina

• Based on Alumina and Silica (Al2O3, SiO2)

• Various grades available (High Alumina bricks have Al>56%)
• High alumina content results in higher service temperature
• Cannot be used when there is liquid phase present

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 Insulating
 Characterised by low density/high porosity
 Insulating / semi insulating bricks
 Castable
 Blankets / Blocks
 Limited use in kilns
- Semi-insulating used in some kilns in the inlet zone
- Ingress of volatiles
- Poor lining integrity with 2 layers
 Widely used in static areas behind the hot face Blue Circle
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 Unshaped Products
Monolithics
 Group of products that can be shaped on the job site
 Useful for difficult access and/or difficult shapes
 Require anchors to support the lining
 Disadvantages
- Difficulty achieving properties on site
- Require proper drying out before operation

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 Mechanical Chemical
Storage

Installation
Service
conditions
Thermal

Selection

Raw
Engineering material
design quality
Production
quality
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 Storage
• In all cases, manufacturers recommendations should be
followed with respect to refractory storage.

• Storage areas should be dry and well ventilated.

• Basic bricks can be destroyed by hydration. Hydration can
occur by contact with water, but also in extremely warm and
humid weather.

• Hydrated bricks are characterised by cracks extending from the

brick centre, often like a network. These cannot be used.

• Burnt high-alumina, alumina and fireclay bricks can be used if

wet only after thorough drying.
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 Installation
Objectives
• Bricks are fitted tight to the kiln shell
• Rings are perpendicular to the kiln axis
• No overlapping of rings
• No gaps in the lining
• Sufficient expansion allowance
• Correct use of metal shims
• No damage to the lining during installation
• Unshaped products should achieve their datasheet properties
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 Mechanical
• Ovality deformation
- from brick, material load, shell weight
- kiln damage
- tyres
• Kiln alignment
• Thermomechanical
I want it now, influences
I wanted
it yesterday, and I want
- f~#*ing more
coating
tommorrow
- stoppages

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 Thermal
Specific Heat Load
Normal load is 3.5 to•5.0
Overheating
x 106 kcal/m2h
Maximum load is 5.8•x Thermal
106 kcal/mshock
2h

• Flame impingement 2000 °C

• Thermal variations
 550 °C
- dosing
- control 1450 °C
- fuel inhomogeneity

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 Chemical

• Redox
• Infiltration (clinker melt, alkali salts)
• Volatile cycles
• Chemical attack
• Abrasion
• Chemical variations

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 High Alumina

Magnesia Alumina
Magnesia
Fireclay
Dolomite
UPPER
LOWER Insulating
TRANSITION ZONE
TRANSITION ZONE

BURNING ZONE PREHEATING ZONE

OUTLET

High Alumina Magnesia

Magnesia
Castable Blue Circle
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 Performance Targetting
• Most cost effective refractory solution to protect the kiln shell
and reduce heat loss
- Price
- Performance
• Predictibility
- Planned repairs only
- Fit in with other repairs
• Continuous improvement (year on year savings)

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 Continuous Improvement
• Proper refractory selection
• Consistent, good installation practices
• Refractory friendly operating practices
• Good mechanical condition of equipment
• Establish the causes of lining wear and damage
• Monitor and optimise current situation
• Be aware of developments

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 kg/t clinker
Re
pu

0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
bl
ic
4
I
Ew liga
ek n
Ew oro
ek 2
o
Fo ro 1
rtu
ne
Al 2
ex
2
Al
ex
3
Al
ex
Ho 4
pe
2
Al
ex
Ho 1
• Wet
pe
• Lepol

Tu 1
K a ls a
nt 2
ha
• Long Dry

As n 3
• Preheater

ha
• Precalciner

Ew k a
ek 2
Re oro
Current Targets

pu 3
bl
A s ic 5

Actual
ha
Ka k a
nt 1
ha
n

Target
Du 4
nb
a
Tu r
B o ls
wm a 1
Specific Refractory Consumption - 2000

an
v
Ra ille
ve
No na
rth 2
0.8 kg/t
0.2 kg/t
0.7 kg/t
0.4 kg/t

fle
Ra et 4
v
W en
es a 1
tb
ur
y
Ca 2
2.3/1.4/0.7 kg/t

No ld u
rth on
W flee
es t 2
tb
W ury
ea
rd 1
W ale
ea
rd 1
Co ale
ok 2
st
ow
Technical Centre
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n
 Tonnes Clinker

-
Re

100,000

20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
pu
bl
Bo ic
wm 5
an
vil
le
Ilig
an
Ra
wa
ng
Fo
rtu
ne
Ka 2
nt
ha
n
No 4
rth
fle
et
As 4
ha
ka
As 1
ha
ka
Ha 2
rle
yv
ille
Ka
nt
ha
n
3
Ha
lk
is
No C
rth
fle
et
2
Lost Production - 2000

Ra
ve
na
Ra 2
ve
na
1
Vo
lo
W s
es 1
tb
ur
y
Ab 2
er
th
aw
Al
ex
4
Vo
lo
s
4
Tu
ls
a
La
ng 1
ka
wi
1
Ho
pe
Technical Centre
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1
 Months

0
5
10
15
20
25
Alex 2
Olympos 4
Olympos 2
Langkaw i 1
Langkaw i 2
Olympos 1
Olympos 5
Ew ekoro 2
Raw ang
Hope 2
Republic 5
Republic 4
Alex 3
Ravena 1
Ravena 2
Ew ekoro 1
Bow manville
Cauldon
Dunbar
Fortune 2
Harleyville
Kanthan 3
Kanthan 4
Hope 1
Iligan
Kiln Campaign Length - 2000

St Marys
Roberta 3
Roberta 4
Tulsa 1
Tulsa 2
Alex 1
Alex 4
Northfleet 2
Northfleet 4
Westbury 1
Westbury 2
Ashaka 1
Ashaka 2
Ew ekoro 3
Cookstow n
Technical Centre
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Weardale 1
Weardale 2
 Brick Sizes
• Range of standard sizes to fit different diamter kilns
• One size will not fit!
• Two taper system employed to get a good fit
• 2 international standards - VDZ & ISO
• VDZ have smaller taper - better fit to the kiln
• ISO are larger - quicker installation time, but installers suffer
from fatigue!

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Installation Method

 KILN TURNING
- Jacks
- Clamping
- Gluing

 KILN STATIONARY
- Wooden Arch
- Multi-O-Ring

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Jack & Turn

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Bricking Rig

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What could possibly go wrong?

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Storage

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Installation

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Installation

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 Thermal Expansion
Convex spallings in longitudinal
direction of bricks

• Insufficient clearance in the expansion joints

• No installation of cardboard spacers
• Frequent stoppages of operation
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 Displacement
Displacement of the lining.
Cold face wear from rubbing against the kiln shell

Loose installation
Increased kiln ovality
Deformations of the kiln shell

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 Ovality

Deep outbreaks of single bricks

Increased clearance on tyre

shoes, increasing ovality

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 Grooves

Parallel grooves, 2 - 4 bricks

wide of deep spalling appearing
along the axis

Excessively tight keyline

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 Retaining
Ring
Collapse of brick rings against
retaining rings and outlet
segments from pinch spalling

Thrust and oscillations

generate shear cracks and
grinding
Flexing kiln outlet or ovality
will accelerate the damage

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 Lava-like coating solidly
Liquid Infiltration connected to the bricks, and
cracks behind the densified
surface

Overheating of clinker with formation of

increased liquid phase infiltrating the hot face
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 Thermal
Shock
Split-like spallings in 2 -
3 cm layers

Thermal shock
• quick heating up
• sudden cooling down
• coating losses

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 Corrosion of Chrome Ore

Yellow-green discoloration and

brittle surface with cracks

Corrosion of chrome ore by reaction with

alkalis, resulting in the loosening of the brick
structure

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Hydration
Spider web cracks from
the surface into the
bricks, and possible
disintegration

MgO and CaO react

with water, resulting
in a large volume
increase

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 Summary
 Protection of external shell
 Retain heat within the system
 Variety of different types employed
 Performance affected by:
- refractory type
- quality of installation
- mechanical condition
- operating conditions
 Cost of refractory is insignificant compared to the
effects of a refractory failure Blue Circle
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