Refractories and Furnaces 3133

By Moumita Tasnim Meem
Lecturer,
REFRACTORIES AND FURNACES 3133 Dept. of Materials Science &
Engineering
RUET
Contents
 What is refractory material?
 Raw Materials
 Applications
 High temperature property testing (PCE, RUL, PLC, High temperature
rupture
 Mechanical property testing (Porosity, Cold Crushing Strength CCS)
 Manufacturing of refractories
# Raw materials (Clay, Non clay based)
# Used Equipment (Crusher, Grinder)
 Refractory Bricks
# Alumino silicate
# Fireclay
# Silicate bricks
#Insulation and special type bricks
Refractory materials
 Refractories are materials that can withstand very high temperatures (up to
3000°C or more) without degrading or softening. or,
 A refractory material or refractory is a material that is resistant to
decomposition by heat, pressure, or chemical attack, and retains strength and
form at high temperatures.
 Refractory materials include certain ceramics (silica, alumina, magnesia) and
super-alloys (nickel-cobalt, nickel-iron) and are used as heat insulator in
furnaces.
Raw Materials of Refractories
• The oxides of aluminium (alumina, Al2O3)

• Oxide of Silicon (silica, SiO2) and magnesium (magnesia, MgO) are the
most important materials used in the manufacturing of refractories.
• Another oxide usually found in refractories is the oxide of calcium (lime,
CaO).
• Fire clays are also widely used in the manufacture of refractories.
Applications of Refractory Materials
• Serving as a thermal barrier between a hot medium and the wall of a

containing vessel
• Withstanding physical stresses and preventing erosion of vessel walls
due to the hot medium
• Protecting against corrosion
• Providing thermal insulation
• Used in furnaces to sustain high temperature and maintain the
furnace structure
Classification of Refractories
 Based on Chemical Nature
Chemical behavior, i.e., their reaction to the type of slag
1. Acid refractories
• Are attacked by basic slag.
• Not affected by acid slag
• Used in furnaces having acidic work environment.
Examples are, (a) Silica (most acidic) (b) Semi silica (c) Alumino – Silicate Refractories
• High Alumina (exception, for they react with basic slags).
• Fireclay groups e.g. LHD (Low Heat Duty), HHD (High Heat Duty), SD (Super
Duty, 42% Alumina)
• Kyanite, Sillimanite, Andalusite
Here in case of Fireclay bricks one thing to be kept in mind is that the
higher the percentage of Al2O3 the higher is the fusion point & greater is
the resistance to basic slags
Andalusite
Kyanite
Silimanite
Silica refractory fire brick
Silica refractory powder
Semi silica firebrick

2. Basic refractories
• Are attacked by acid slag.
• Used for furnace linings where the environment is basic, Examples are (a) Magnesite
(b) Magnesite-Chrome, (c) Dolomite (MgCO3·CaCO3), d) Forsterite (Mg2SiO4)
3. Neutral refractories
These refractories are attacked neither by acid nor by basic slag. Examples are:
(a) Graphite (most inert)
(b) Chromites (Chromite is a crystalline mineral composed primarily of iron(II) oxide and
chromium(III) oxide compounds)
(c) Synthetic refractories (e.g. zirconium carbide and silicon carbide)
Basic Refractories
Magnesite Chrome
Magnesite
Neutral Refractories
Chromite Zirconium Carbide

Based on Other Considerations
1. Special Refractories
• Manufactured using synthetic (fused/sintered) grains free from impurities

under highly controlled production parameters for special applications
• Used for purposes like fabrication of crucible, some parts of furnaces and
research and developments
• Examples are: (a) Alumina, (b) Pure sialons (Si-Al-ON), (c) Thoria (ThO2), (d)
Beryllia (BeO), (e) Zirconia, (f) Boron nitride, etc.
2. Insulating refractories
• High porosity refractories having low thermal conductivity

• Used for reducing the rate of heat flow (heat losses) to maximize heat
conservation within the furnace.
• Examples include silicate materials (Silicate minerals are the most common
of Earth's minerals and include quartz, feldspar, mica, amphibole,
pyroxene, and olivine), kaolin (naturally occurring clay) and zirconia.
Silicate Mineral Kaolin or Kaolinite
3. Cermets
• Produced from the mixtures of high purity refractory oxides, carbides, borides, and
metals or alloys.
• A cermet is a composite material composed of ceramic particles including
titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), and titanium carbonitride
(TiCN) bonded with metal. The name “cermet” combines the words ceramic
(cer) and metal (met)
• Used as abrasives (cutting, grinding, boring tools), in parts of space crafts, missiles,
atomic power plants, etc.
• Common example is WC–Co based cermet, tungsten-carbide.
Thanks for your
attention
Forms of Refractories
 shaped,
 unshaped (monolithic)
1. Shaped Refractories
• The shaped refractory has a specific brick shape for a given

purpose.
• Various common shapes include straight (rectangular), side
arch, end arch, wedge, key, flat circle, combined arch and
wedge, circle, splits, dome brick, skew (end/side), bullnose or
jamb brick and soap or closer
2. Unshaped refractories (monolithic)
• Produced in powder or granular form for various applications

• Used as,
 Mortar:
 Materials used for bonding bricks in a lining
 Different setting mechanism
 Three types of mortars are used—heat-setting, air-setting and hydraulic-
setting
 Castables:
 Used for giving a shape in the furnace.
 Formed by casting and used to line furnaces, kilns, etc
 Plastics:
 Raw materials and plastic materials are mixed with water for use.
 Also added with chemical additives
 Gunning mixes:
 These are powder refractories that are sprayed on the surface by a gun.
 Ramming mixes:
 The ramming mixes have less plasticity and are installed by an air
rammer
 These are granular refractories that are strengthened by gunning
formulation of a ceramic bond after heating.
 Slinger mixes:
 Installed by a slinger machine
 Patching and Coating materials:
 Have controlled grain size for easy patching or coating
 Lightweight Castables :
 Porous lightweight materials and hydraulic cement are mixed.
 Mixed with water and formed by casting.
 Lightweight castables are used to line furnaces, kilns, etc.
General Requirements of Refractory Materials
The general requirements of a refractory material can be summed up as:
• Ability to withstand high temperatures.
• Ability to withstand sudden changes of temperatures.
• Ability to withstand action of molten metal slag, glass, hot gases, etc.
• Ability to withstand load at service conditions.
Requirements of Good Refractory

A good refractory should have high RUL value. It is defined as the ratio of its pore volume
to the bulk volume. Porosity is an important property of refractory bricks, because it
affects many other characteristics like chemical stability, strength, abrasion- resistance and
thermal conductivity
Thermal properties
1. Melting point
• It should have very high melting point (range).
2. Thermal expansion
• It is the measurement of the linear stability of material when exposed to high
temperature.
• If refractory material undergoes higher expansion; it will suffer flaking of the surface.
3. Dimensional stability
• It is the resistance of a refractory to changes its volume when exposed to high
temperatures for a long time.
4. Thermal Shock
• Fluctuations in temperature can significantly reduce the strength of refractory
surface, causing the breakdown or peeling of layers if it is exposed to no. of
thermal cycles.
5. Thermal conductivity
• Ability to conduct heat from the hot face to cold face when it is exposed to high
temperature.
6. Pyro metric cone equivalent (PCE)
• It is the measurement of heat work (it is a combined effect of temperature and
time)
Chemical properties
1.Corrosion resistance
• The refractory material should have high corrosion resistance since these
directly contact with hot gases and slag.
Uses of Refractories
Domestic applications
Heat-resistant materials are also used in households. Example of home
applications include:
● wood-fired ovens;
● fireplaces and stoves.
Refractories in industry
● ceramics industry; ● industrial boilers;
● iron and steel industry; ● petrochemical industry;
● foundry; ● glass industry.
● aluminium and non-ferrous metal

production;
● cement and lime industry;
● waste incineration plants;
Testing of Refractory Materials
Physical Tests/ Parameters

-Modulus of elasticity, rigidity.
-Abrasion resistance.
-Cold crushing strength (CSS).
-Acid Resistance.
-Modulus of rupture (MOR).
-Air Permeability.
-Size & Dimensional Stability.
-Bulk Density (BD).
-Water Absorption.
-Apparent Porosity.
-Pyrometric Cone Equivalent (PCE)
Thermal Tests/ Parameters
-Compressive stress/strain up to
1550°C.
-Flexural stress/strain up to 1550°C.
-Thermal conductivity.
-Thermal shock resistance.
-Creep in compression up to 1550°C.
-Thermal expansion up to 1400°C.
-Specific Heat.
-Refractoriness under Load (RUL).
Thanks for your attention

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By Moumita Tasnim Meem

• The oxides of aluminium (alumina, Al2O3)

• Serving as a thermal barrier between a hot medium and the wall of a

Silica refractory powder

Semi silica firebrick

Chromite Zirconium Carbide

• Manufactured using synthetic (fused/sintered) grains free from impurities

• High porosity refractories having low thermal conductivity

• The shaped refractory has a specific brick shape for a given

• Produced in powder or granular form for various applications

Requirements of Good Refractory

● iron and steel industry; ● petrochemical industry;

● foundry; ● glass industry.

● aluminium and non-ferrous metal

Physical Tests/ Parameters

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