Swiss
traditions.
Quality
and high-tech
engineering
solutions.
EN

Refractory materials for non-ferrous metallurgy

The mechanism of destruction of refractory linings in aluminum furnaces:

  • Growth of corundum
  • Mechanical damages
  • Metal penetration
  • Thermal shock
  • Erosion
  • Chemical exposure

Insulation Fiber Products (Superwool, Cerablanket, Kaowool, Pyrobloc)

Advantages and available forms

  • Protective coatings (features: excellent heat resistance, soft fiber coating, flexible, easy to cut and give any forms, no degassing during firing)
  • Modules
  • Bulk fiber (features: long loose fiber supplied with and without lubrication, means for sealing, does not contain binders or corrosive substances)
  • Papers (features: made from fiber with a low percentage of organic binder, tear resistant, very elastic, exceptional properties for ease of handling)
  • Vacuum molded
  • Low biological stability insulating fibers (biological stability means the ability of fiber to resist removal from the lungs through natural mechanisms, dissolution and destruction)
  • Superwool panels (rigid panel of refractory filler and binder, light weight, excellent resistance to temperature shock, uniform thickness)

Fused Cast Refractories

  • Insulating refractories
  • Dense refractories
  • Special use
  • Low cement, ultra low cement, cement-free refractories
  • Plastic monoliths
  • Microporous insulation BTU-Block (extremely low thermal conductivity, good compressive strength, minimal required area, available in many forms)

Non-wetting refractories for high temperature applications

  • Performance Requirement
  • Rising melting rates
  • Rise in oven temperature
  • Enhanced corundum growth
  • Improved varieties developed with high temperature corundum resistance

Special testing of refractories

  • Slag resistance
  • Resistance to liquid metals
  • Alkali resistance

Composition and raw materials

  • Fillers (calcined clay, lamellar alumina, fused alumina, broken refractory bricks of all types, perlite, expanded clay, vermiculite)
  • Cements (high alumina cement of all types of purity)
  • Modifiers (silica for the formation of mullite, for strength in the intermediate roasting, the addition of clay for additional plasticity, the use of high-grinding alumina gives increased strength and refractoriness)
  • Chemical additives to control the time of hardening, plasticity, rate of increase of strength, fluidity for pumping

Application methods

  • Casting
  • Torkret process
  • Concrete mix rodding
  • Hand stowage
  • Wet gunning

Main applications in the aluminum industry

  • Refractory kilns
  • Anode furnace with carbon anodes
  • Electrolytic crucible cells
  • Melting furnaces
  • Metal transportation

Examples of refractories use in non-ferrous industry

Anode furnace with carbon anodes - areas of application of refractories

  • Orange color (tubular wall) - K® / JM tm insulating refractory bricks, Kaolite® / Firelite® cast refractories, TR-19® Block;
  • Blok 607®, BTU-BLOCK™
  • Brown color – furnace hearth:
  • Red color (chimney distributors) - cast refractories with low cement content;
  • Yellow color (distributor cap) - fiber / cast refractory.

Electrolyzer

  • Red (bottom insulation) — TR-19® / блок Blok 607®
  • Green (upper side wall) — SIC blocks;
  • Yellow (heating cap) — SW Bikt Seal – Kaofil® mastic.