Burning of tuyeres The tuyere failure may be in the form of leakage or burning of the metal.

The mo st vulnerable point of the tuyere is the tip of the nose., and especially the up per surfaces. It may be due to abrasion of the constantly descending stock durin g the long period of service, which wears the metal so thin that it cracks under strain. Stoppage of the flow of cooling water, whereby the enclosed water is co nverted into steam at the hottest point and integrity of the metal destroyed thr ough super heating. Another cause of burning is the alloying of molten iron whic h drops on the tuyeres in its passage toward the hearth, or is directed toward t hem too constantly by some obstruction. The burned tuyees that so frequently fol low the dislodgement of scaffolds probably result from the splashing against the m of molten iron. There are several ways in which a leaky tuyere becomes manifest. The slag become s dark, shows a black crust or appears foamy or glassy. At the same time the sul phur in iron runs up showing that te hearth is abnormally cool. Sometimes dampne ss can be seen about the base of the tuyere or cooler. A cold bar thrust in at t he peep hole will generally show dampness when withdrawn if there is a leak. Ton gues of blue flame may break through the walls about the tuyere. Sometimes water can be seen by looking into the tuyere, if the blast be thrown off. If the wate r inlet of the tuyere be shut off, the gases from the hearth will work into the leak and can be ignited by the torch at the discharge pipe. Causes of burning A well cooled tuyere with a positive water circulation will resist the heating e ffect of small quantities of mplten iron. Molten slag will not affect bronze unl ess it carries shots of iron. There are several ways in which the dripping iron may burn the tuyeres. Sometimes the molten material cuts grooves above them, or is deflected by some obstruction, so that a small stream of iron impinges consta ntly on the same spot in the tuyere, thereby weakening it and heating it to the steaming point. Lumps of fuel or chilled slag lying before the tuyeres may defle ct the iron against them and cause damage. If the blast enters through the tuyere under good pressure and penetrates direct ly to the hearth centre, there is little action immediately above the tuyeres an d an accumulation of material forms on the nose of each tuyere and protects it f rom the dripping iron. If the water supply is suitable, the repeated loss of a t uyere indicates irregular working. The sudden stoppage of a bllastwhen the hearth is full is always a source of dan ger of tuyeres, since it allows aslag and metal to flow into them when the press ure is removed. Before throwing off the blast, the slag should always be flushed if possible. If it is near casting time, it may be advisable to open the tappin g hole also. Prevention To high pressure or steam should be used periodically to wash out any that may have formed . Higher pressures should not be used regularly, as experience shows that tuyeres that are3successfully protected by a pressure of 25 lb/sq in will burn frequentl y with 40 pounds. It is suggested that water at such high pressure striking agai nst the nose of the tuyere, bounds away without allowing sufficient period of co ntact to cool it properly.