Various materials used in refractory products can be found in various fields of the national economy, including iron and steel, nonferrous metal, glass, cement and ceramics, petrochemicals, machinery, boilers, light industry, electric power, and military industry. It is a vital material for the production and operation of the above-mentioned industries, as well as the advancement of technology.
Due to the broad range of industries that use refractory materials that involve extremely severe conditions. They require extensive thermal, chemical, and physical properties. In this section, we explored applications, characteristics, types of refractory materials, and much more.
Refractory Material: What Is It?
Refractory materials (over 1,000°F [538°C]) include ceramics that are designed to withstand the extreme temperatures present in modern manufacturing. Due to their heat resistance, they are often used inside industrial processes to line hot surfaces.
Besides resisting thermal stress and other effects caused by heat, refractory materials are resistant to corrosion caused by chemicals and physical wear. Due to this, these chemicals are essential for both petrochemical production and gasoline refining.
Refractory products fall into two primary categories: preformed materials and unformed compositions (also called monolithic or specialized refractories).
There are also thermal fibers that will insulate at higher temperatures, similar to home insulation. For centuries, Refractory bricks and blocks have been the most common types of refractory materials
In some cases, refractory materials are small & feature intricate, as well as delicate, but in some instances, such as precast concrete walls or fusion-cast concrete blocks, they can be massive and weigh several tons.
Refractory Materials Are Used For:
Refractories have their applications in the metallurgical sector to store and transmit metal and slag in the interior linings of burners, kilns, processors, as well as other tanks. In non-metallurgical industries, refractories are often employed on fired heaters, gasoline reformers, ammonium essential and auxiliary reformers, cracking ovens, landfills, power boilers, catalytic cracking machines, coke concentrated form, sulfur furnaces, air heating elements, etc.
The majority of the mentioned equipment operates at high pressures ranging from comparatively low to extremely high. As a result, refractory materials must withstand temperatures much above these limits.
Refractory Applications & Types of Refractory Materials:
–Fireclay refractories
It is basically hydrated aluminum silicate, consisting of Al2O3 as well as SiO2. Fireclay brick is one of the most common types of refractory brick, as it is affordable and widely available. It is used with most kilns, regenerators furnaces, stoves &, etc.
–Silica brick
Ninety-three percent of silicon dioxide is present in silicon bricks. Rocks of good quality are the raw materials for silicon bricks. When heated near its melting point, silicon brick is extremely durable. It is much more stable than many other refractory materials, such as aluminum-silicate materials.
–Magnesite refractories
The materials are composed of magnetite and silica. This kind of refractory brick has poor physical properties, and its primary purpose is to withstand harsh chemicals, such as iron and lime slag. As a basic steelmaking process, the following refractories are most commonly used.
–High alumina refractories
Refractory materials containing higher than 45% alumina have been described as high-alumina products. Ninety-nine percent of refractory materials are mullite, sillimanite, or corundum. A high alumina content increases the refractoriness of refractory materials.
–Monolithic refractory
All monolithic refractory materials are made of materials suspended in a liquid and then hardened to form solid materials. The use of monolithic refractories & industrial furnaces has replaced conventional refractories in many applications.
–Chromite refractories
Furnaces with high temperatures are built using chrome-magnesite refractories. These materials possess excellent insulation properties and can combat caustic fumes. And, The products made of magnesite-chromite are resistant to high temperatures & encounter the basic blast furnace slag used in melting steel. Magnesite-chromite is often more resistant to shear failure than chrome-magnesite.
–Insulating materials
In order to reduce heat loss, thermally insulation materials and porous refractory materials are used. Firebricks have a higher density, while the density of insulating materials is lower and their heat resistance is greater than firebricks. The insulation’s surface temperature rises dramatically as in all instances. The current market offers an extensive range of insulation refractories with various properties. Additionally, their price is lower compared to heavy-duty bricks.
–Zirconia refractories
A zirconia refractory can be maintained at temperatures up to 15000-degree Celsius at room temperature. In comparison to most other refractory materials, the thermal conductivity it possesses is extremely low. Zirconia doesn’t easily react with molten metals or melted glasses. In this way, they can be used as heat-resistant building materials in metallurgy and glass ovens.
The Final Verdict
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, and we hope you enjoyed it. You may learn more about different types of refractory materials and their uses by visiting Ganesha’s – a refractory fire brick manufacturer.