A journey through refractory design development – how to evaluate the best techno-economical solution for my process?

Refractories are ceramic products designed for the application in high temperature processes up to 1800°C. In our daily lives it is considered to be just “a brick” or “a mix” for most of us but a refractory solution for a furnace consists of a complex interaction of mechanical, chemical and thermal factors and their trade-off in terms of the expected service life for a furnace.

This short course provides a unique opportunity to deepen the knowledge into the refractory world. Participants are enabled to assess refractories and lining concepts with respect to their suitability for pyrometallurgical processes in the non-ferrous industry. They also become familiar with common wear mechanisms, possible failure types and strategies to mitigate them during the design process.

The following aspects are covered:

• Raw materials for production of refractories
• Shaped refractory products
• Refractories and lining concepts for primary & secondary NF vessels and furnaces
• Typical refractory wear in NF vessels and furnaces (selected case studies)
• Selected refractory testing methods
• Refractory wear mechanisms
• Refractory lining failure
• Furnace refractory lining Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and continuous monitoring methods
• Risk Based Inspection (RBI) refractory management approach