New Technology, New Refractories. Engineering-Economic Analysis

The heat resistance of refractories, expressed in hours, heats, etc., is determined by the performance characteristics of the refractory lining and the observance of operating conditions of a plant. Currently, the efficiency of using refractories is assessed in terms of production cost per ton of the end product. In determining the production cost of a refractory, it is necessary to take into account not only the net cost but also additional expenditures expressed in roubles (less frequently, in US dollars) per ton of product. Taking, as an example, the use of different refractory materials in the service of the outer lining of the branch inlet of a vacuum degasser, we carried out an engineering-economic analysis of the potential applicability of actual refractories to one or the other technology. Improving the actual technology of using refractory materials provides a way towards improving economical efficiency.     

Improving the endurance of graphite-containing submerged nozzles for CCM

The main causes of erosion of graphite-containing submerged nozzles in the slag belt in operation of continuous casting machines and results of industrial tests of experimental articles of different compositions are described. It is shown that the materials can be arranged in the following series in accordance with their endurance: Al₂O₃ - C - SiC - BN ZrO₂ - C - SiC Al₂O₃ - C - SiC.Translated from Ogneupory i Tekhnicheskaya Keramika, No. 6, pp. 27 – 30, June, 1996.     

The Use of a Multiple-Purpose Lining of the Casting Ladle in an Integrated Steel-Processing Unit at the Oskol'skii Electrical Iron and Steel Works

A report is given on the production of periclase-carbon refractories using advanced technologies and raw periclase of different quality grade at the Semilukskii Refractory Plant Joint-Stock Company (SRP JSC). Refractories available from the SRP JSC were used at the Oskol'skii Electrical Iron and Steel Works JSC (OEISW JSC) to fabricate the multiple-purpose lining for casting ladles exploited in vacuum furnaces and integrated steel-processing units. The endurance of the lining for the walls and the slag zone of the casting ladle reaches 69 heats.     

Production of Periclase-Carbon Refractories at Semiluki Refractory Plant

The technology and commercial production of periclase-carbon articles with a regular grain composition from a raw material with unstable grain size are described. A comparative study of casting, elemental, and crucible graphite as the basic carbon component has shown that the best commercial properties are provided by the use of crucible graphite. Tests of periclase-carbon refractories without metallic aluminum and with various contents of aluminum have shown the possibility of a differentiated approach to the use of the antioxidant with allowance for the specific service conditions of the lining.