What is industrial refractory material?

Refractory masses are used in many industries that have very aggressive environments, so the chemical, thermal and physical characteristics required for refractory materials are many and varied. Accordingly, determining the mineralogical phase values ​​is a fundamental parameter for designing a new refractory matrix to achieve the desired properties and quality of the final product.

Refractory materials are generally unknown to the general public, industries and technical studies related to it, despite the fact that many refractories have been used for a long time and have been developed based on highly advanced technological innovations.

In fact, their knowledge is vital for the vast majority of industrial processes, as most of the products we use on a daily basis directly or indirectly require refractory products when producing raw materials or related components

The importance of refractory mass in industries

The importance of refractory mass in the industries of making steel, cement, glass, ceramics, gasoline, non-ferrous metals, lime or daily products such as sugar is practically impossible. Therefore, it can be concluded that the refractory industry is a strategic sector because it is necessary for the functioning of many other industries.

In terms of volume, their applications may range from a few kilograms for small furnaces to thousands of tons in large units. Their installation is also a very technical task, especially due to their specific application conditions. Unlike refractory bricks, the skills required for their installation are relatively simple, the installation of refractory linings for processes that work at more than 1000 degrees Celsius, due to the high mechanical, thermal and chemical requirements, requires special preparations

Applications of industrial refractory mass

Integrated steel production industry: blast furnace, heater, set of coking furnaces, cast iron mixers, ladle cranes, train cars, electric furnaces.

Steel industry: electric furnaces, converters, pits, degassing furnaces, heat treatment and refining furnaces, rolling furnaces for pressurized and movable beams.

Glass industry: melting furnaces for hollow and flat glass, tin baths, annealing furnaces.

Metal industry: copper smelting furnaces, aluminum furnaces, anode baking furnaces, pyrite rooting furnaces, lead furnaces, melting towers.

Cement industry: rotary kilns, heat exchangers, kiln hoods, grate and satellite coolers.

Waste industry: incinerators, fluidized bed furnaces for urban and industrial waste, combustion chambers.

Ceramic industry: tunnel kilns, chamber kilns, wagons.Petrochemical industries: gasoline furnaces, ethane furnaces and related processes, steam boilers, cracking furnaces.

Various industries: vertical shaft furnaces, sugar dryers, hot gas generators for power plants, arc furnaces for foundries, vertical kilns for lime, rotary kilns for paper sectors, baking furnaces and chimneys

Characteristics of refractory mass

In practice, a refractory material can be defined as a material that can be economically profitable for a long time at high temperatures without deterioration of properties, both physical and chemical, as well as the conditions in which it works. Refractory materials can be classified according to different criteria:

In terms of its chemical properties:

It indicates the reactive nature of the material (acidic, neutral or basic), its behavior against high temperature and slags and baths where chemical reactions are carried out.

In terms of chemical composition:

Depending on the percentage of compounds and additives, groups and subgroups are created: silica systems, silica-alumina systems, alumina systems, based on magnesium oxide, etc., with the addition of carbon, zircon, silicon carbide, etc., as well as a combination Of these formulas and special formulas.

In terms of chemical nature:

Valid classification for research and development of new products.The vast majority of materials are made up of oxides.

In terms of shape:

This method is clear and self-explanatory for the end user and is used in the development of detailed refractory engineering for each unit. It divides materials into shaped (bricks and precast blocks) and unshaped (concrete / casting and various materials such as insulating ceramic fiber products).

Production purpose:

They classify materials based on dense products, exposed to industrial process and insulating materials, whose mission is to preserve heat inside the unit to reduce fuel consumption, as well as protect the metal casing of the unit from high temperatures

Types of flammable mass

The purpose of a refractory material is to withstand the high temperatures required in furnaces, incinerators, power plants, etc. without contaminating other materials and retaining heat in the required area. Heavy dense refractories with low porosity but high mechanical resistance. Insulating refractories have higher porosity, resulting in lower density and lower thermal conductivity. This increases efficiency and reduces the amount of energy required for the desired process