Refractory workshop

Castable selection
& installation

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Castable

In both cases:

Installation is key!
Once installation is

mastered, then you can work

on selection optimisation

Planning/preparation
Planning/preparation
Anchoring
Anchoring
Shuttering/gas trapping
Shuttering/gas trapping
Homogenisation
Homogenisation
Dosing
Dosing
Mixing
Mixing
Transport
Transport
Pouring
Pouring
Vibration
Vibration
Setting/hardening
Setting/hardening
Curing
Curing
Drying
Drying
Heating-up
Heating-up

Brick
Planning/preparation
Planning/preparation

Transport
Transport
Laying
Laying

Heating-up
Heating-up
Speaker's name October 2006 - 2

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

General description

Properties

Selection

Appendix

Speaker's name October 2006 - 3

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Unshaped product is a mix of :

Aggregate
One or several minerals

+
Additive(s)
To improve some properties

+
Bond

Speaker's name October 2006 - 4

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Aggregates
Coming from SiO2/Al2O3 system
Fireclay (45% Al2O3, SiO2 50%))
Sillimanite, Andalousite (Al2O3 63%, SiO2 37%)
Bauxite (After stabilisation by calcination at 1400-1500C)
Mullite (Electro fused at 1790C)
Corundum (electro fused alumina - In Nature, corundum is the hardest mineral after
diamond)
Tabular alumina (calcined alumina ceramic, sintered long enough at high temperature
1900C)
Silicon carbide (Produced in electric furnace quartz+ petcoke 1800C)

Speaker's name October 2006 - 5

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Additives

Plasticizer
Fibres

Speaker's name October 2006 - 6

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Bond

Hydraulic bond
Cement addition
Setting and curing at ambient T

Chemical bond
Silicate bond
Phosphatic bond
Allow to reduce permeability
Link developed above 300C

Speaker's name October 2006 - 7

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Conventional Castable

Low Cement Castable

Ultra Low Cement Castable

Speaker's name October 2006 - 8

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Examples

Aggregate

Bond

Speaker's name October 2006 - 9

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

General description

Properties

Selection

Appendix

Speaker's name October 2006 - 10

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Abrasion test
Measurement of the amount of material
removed during the test

Depend on incidence angle of particles, velocity,

hardness of particles => ASTM C704 after drying 800C
Rarely mentioned
Speaker's name October 2006 - 11

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Abrasion

Bauxite
Bauxite
Fireclay
Fireclay/SiC
The higher
the less resistant to
abrasion
Speaker's name October 2006 - 12

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Speaker's name October 2006 - 13

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Permeability

The rate at which air passes through a sample under

specified conditions (ASTM C 577)
The higher, the lower the resistance to chemical
attack
Speaker's name October 2006 - 14

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Open/apparent porosity
Open or Apparent Porosity
(exposed to the
exterior)

Closed Porosity
(not exposed to the exterior)

ASTM C 830 absorption of a liquid whilst in vacuum

Speaker's name October 2006 - 15

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Open/apparent porosity

Bauxite
Fireclay

Bauxite
Fireclay/SiC

Calderys

Speaker's name October 2006 - 16

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

General description

Properties

Selection

Appendix

Speaker's name October 2006 - 17

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Step 1: identify constraints and wear

origin
Abrasion

Chemical attack

Build up
Sticking

Thermal shock

Top cyclones
Gas ducts

Bottom cyclones

++

++

+++

++

++

Calciner
Riser duct

++

+++

+++

+++

+++

Tertiary air duct

+++

++

++

+++

Kiln hood

++

+++

++

Nose ring

+++

+++

++

++

Cooler

+++

++

+++

Speaker's name October 2006 - 18

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Solutions to fight against abrasion :

Casted

>> gunned

Large particles
Material selection :
High alumina
Ex :
Tabular alumina/corrundum > bauxite > fireclay
More and more : SiC addition

Speaker's name October 2006 - 19

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Vibration vs Gunning (1)

Speaker's name October 2006 - 20

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Vibration vs Gunning (2)

Speaker's name October 2006 - 21

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Key Factor: Water addition

Speaker's name October 2006 - 22

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Key Factor: Water addition

Speaker's name October 2006 - 23

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Description of chemical attack :

Chemical attack =>

volume change (spalling / bursting)
Anchoring system corrosion

Plibrico

Speaker's name October 2006 - 24

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Refratechnick colloquium 2004

Speaker's name October 2006 - 25

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

The higher the alumina the worse the effect of alkalies

Refratechnick colloquium 2004

Speaker's name October 2006 - 26

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

SiC addition to create skin effect

SiC addition
Normal alkalies attack : 10%
Severe alkalies attack : 30 %
If T < 800C SiC oxidation is more difficult thus :
- it is necessary to increase SIC content
- not sure to get Sic effect

Calderys

Speaker's name October 2006 - 27

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Solutions to fight against chemical attack

Material selection
Castable

Low cement content

Reduce permeability
Reduce porosity (shotcrete / casted gunned)
Reduce alumina content
Mullite/ Sillimanite /Andalousite less sensitive than fireclay
SiC addition
Move acide due point T outside of the lining (accept Wall T
> 120C in bottom stages)

Speaker's name October 2006 - 28

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Alumina content : a compromise :

Refratechnick colloquium 2004

Speaker's name October 2006 - 29

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Heat resistant

High alumina
Bauxite

0% SiC addition

10% SiC addition

30% SiC addition

0% SiC addition

10% SiC addition

30% SiC addition

10% SiC addition

30% SiC addition

Andalousite
Mullite

Fireclay

0% SiC addition

alkalies resistant
Speaker's name October 2006 - 30

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Example :

Refratechnick colloquium 2004

Speaker's name October 2006 - 31

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Insulation / alkalies

Material selection
Calcium silicate prohibited in bottom stages

Volume redcution if overheated / chimney effect

Higher themal solicitation for the anchors

SKAMOLEX
Refratherm 160P,102P, 82 P

refratechnick

Speaker's name October 2006 - 32

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Summary

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify wear origin in the studied section

Adapt selection
Adapt installation method
(gunned/casted/shotcrete)
Check carefully installation
For costs optimisation, update comparison table
between different :

Products
Suppliers

Speaker's name October 2006 - 33

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

General description

Properties

Selection

Installation

Speaker's name October 2006 - 34

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Anchors
Tack welded

Plastic cups for

expansion

Metallic goat track to be

repaired.

Anchors for static part

Fully welded,
both sides

Flat support for

insulating layer
V anchors for
dense castable
Speaker's name October 2006 - 35

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

No patchwork

Bull
nose k
Metallic goat track to be
repaired.

Format pattern
800 x 800 mm
Staggered anchors
12 anchors in total
Speaker's name October 2006 - 36

Refractory workshop Castable selection and installation

Steam evacuation

Metallic goat track to be

repaired.

Holes drilled in casing

in order to evacuate
steam during warming
up program

Speaker's name October 2006 - 37