Refractory concrete: A material that offers new ceramic opportunities.

Refractory concretes (RC) are industrial materials used most commonly in high temperature applications, primarily in the steel and glass industries. In most cases they are a mix of refractory aggregate’s chosen for specific hot engineering applications combined with a cement binder. RCs are known to ceramicists largely only for their insulating properties for which they are used in the manufacture of kilns as hot face lining. However, currently very little information is available regarding the structural and aesthetic possibilities that RC can offer to the artist and designer. Refractory concrete displays novel handling properties that include: increased green and fired toughness and strength, thermal shock resistance, ceramic glaze compatibility, thixotropic effects and rapid setting. These properties offer the opportunity to achieve the creation of objects that do not conform to some of the traditional limitations of conventional clay and yet are able draw upon the vast array of ceramic surface decoration available to the ceramicist [1]. This paper seeks to inform readers on the possibilities of RC and the potential for their use by smaller scale manufacturers in architectural applications through some practical advice and instruction on their use. The paper goes on to discuss how RC has been used in a recent PhD project to create contemporary Islamic ceramics that draw upon the rich history of ceramics in Arab states. The paper questions specifically how the cultural sustainability of Islamic architectural ceramics can be fostered in the face of western globalization and modernization and how RC might offer part of a solution

Practical aspects of the use of phosphate binding materials in refractory mixtures, mortars and putties

Phosphate binders, particularly acidic phosphates of Al and Cr, are used for binding Al silicate refractories used for lining of burners, SiC refractories, and refractory mortars. The binders have apparent d. 2.13-2.18 g/cu cm, porosity 21.4-23.8%, compressive strength 223 71 kg/ sq cm, total shrinkage 0.2-0.8%, and refractoriness 1240 deg

The role of aggregates in the thermal stability of Mg-PSZ refractories for vacuum induction melting

Mg-PSZ refractories used as vacuum induction melting crucibles are particle-reinforced composites with aggregate and matrix phases comprising fused zirconia. Three commercial varieties were cycled eight times to service temperatures and their microstructural and thermomechanical evolution investigated, with focus placed on the aggregate populations. Two refractories, with large aggregates of similar size, were found to retain stiffness after cycling but in the refractory containing aggregates with high stabiliser levels, reaction between the stabiliser and Al and Si impurities produced secondary phases. Volume changes accompanying formation of these phases, and subsequent thermal expansion mismatches, led to aggregate break-up with consequent reductions in refractory toughness and strength. Secondary phases developed only rarely in the aggregates (with lower levels of stabiliser) of the second refractory. These aggregates remained intact and the refractory retained its toughness and strength. A third refractory contained small, unstabilised aggregates in a stabilised matrix and the strain mismatches that ensued during polymorphic transformation damaged microstructural interfaces. Refractory stiffness halved within eight cycles and toughness and strength were lost. All three refractories displayed R-curve behaviour and quasi-stable fracture curves were observed during bend tests. The study shows that when using fused zirconia aggregates to design refractories, engineers need to i) limit stabiliser concentrations - a difference of just ±1 wt% Mg (in the presence of impurity elements) may determine whether secondary phase formation occurs and ii) eliminate alumina and silica impurities when possible through substitution of zircon sand with baddeleyite as the source for fused zirconia.Open Acces

09 Intern Assignment Refractory Materials

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM! You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link

A possible signature of terrestrial planet formation in the chemical composition of solar analogs

Recent studies have shown that the elemental abundances in the Sun are anomalous when compared to most (about 85%) nearby solar twin stars. Compared to its twins, the Sun exhibits a deficiency of refractory elements (those with condensation temperatures Tc>900K) relative to volatiles (Tc<900K). This finding is speculated to be a signature of the planet formation that occurred more efficiently around the Sun compared with the majority of solar twins. Furthermore, within this scenario, it seems more likely that the abundance patterns found are specifically related to the formation of terrestrial planets. In this work we analyze abundance results from six large independent stellar abundance surveys to determine whether they confirm or reject this observational finding. We show that the elemental abundances derived for solar analogs in these six studies are consistent with the Tc trend suggested as a planet formation signature. The same conclusion is reached when those results are averaged heterogeneously. We also investigate the dependency of the abundances with first ionization potential (FIP), which correlates well with Tc. A trend with FIP would suggest a different origin for the abundance patterns found, but we show that the correlation with Tc is statistically more significant. We encourage similar investigations of metal-rich solar analogs and late F-type dwarf stars, for which the hypothesis of a planet formation signature in the elemental abundances makes very specific predictions. Finally, we examine a recent paper that claims that the abundance patterns of two stars hosting super-Earth like planets contradict the planet formation signature hypothesis. Instead, we find that the chemical compositions of these two stars are fully compatible with our hypothesis.Comment: To appear in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Augmentation of the mechanical and chemical resistance characteristics of an Al2O3-based refractory by means of high power diode laser surface treatment

Augmentation of the wear rate and wear life characteristics of an Al2O3-based refractory within both normal and corrosive (NaOH and HNO3) environmental conditions was effected by means of high power diode laser (HPDL) surface treatment. Life assessment testing revealed that the HPDL generated glaze increased the wear life of the Al2O3-based refractory by 1.27 to 13.44 times depending upon the environmental conditions. Such improvements are attributed to the fact that after laser treatment, the microstructure of the Al2O3-based refractory was altered from a porous, randomly ordered structure, to a much more dense and consolidated structure that contained fewer cracks and porosities. In a world economy that is increasingly placing more importance on material conservation, a technique of this kind for delaying the unavoidable erosion (wear) and corrosion that materials such as the Al2O3-based refractory must face may provide an economically attractive option for contemporary engineers

Effect of impurities and sintering temperature on properties of MgO-CaZrO3 ceramic

CaZrO3 -MgO ceramics are useful as refractories in kilns for the cement production. One method of manufacture of such ceramics is by sintering from m-ZrO2 and dolomite MgCa(CO3 )2 mixtures. In this work electrofused m-ZrO2 grains (fraction <M325) and two Argentinean dolomites with different mineralogical compositions were used as raw materials. Ceramics were obtained by the conventional powder method of uniaxial pressing and subsequent sintering at 1400 to 1680 °C. The influence of the different mineralogy of the dolomites and sintering temperature on the properties of the composites was investigated. Ceramics had 20-30% porosity with representative SEM-EDX microstructure constituted by CaZrO3 agglomerates of variable size (~100µm) and MgO grains (size <50µm) containing some unreacted m-ZrO2 grains. The elastic modulus and flexural strength were correlated with the presence of impurities of the dolomite, porosity and microstructure of the ceramic.Fil: Booth, Raul Fernando Nicolas. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Invest.científicas. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica; ArgentinaFil: Garrido, Liliana Beatriz. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Invest.científicas. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica; ArgentinaFil: Aglietti, Esteban Fausto. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Invest.científicas. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - la Plata. Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Ceramica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; Argentin

Heat-resistant concrete based on alumina cement from substandard raw material

Results are provided for development of refractory concrete based on modified alumina cement using chemical industry waste. A quantitative ratio for mixed filler fractions, the effect of production factors on concrete strength, the dependence of its strength properties on form of filler, and solidification conditions are established. It is shown that with respect to physical mechanical and engineering properties the concretes developed is no worse than those existing in the market.With respect to all engineering properties this form of refractory product may be recommended as lining for high-temperature units