Refractories

Abstract

Earlier in this book, we considered the use of industrial minerals as raw materials for the manufacture of a number of products whose processing requires high temperatures. We have paid little attention to the very special problems of containment that the manufacturing processes involve, which include contact with often corrosive solids, melts and gases at high temperatures. These problems are solved by the use of refractory materials as linings to furnaces, kilns, flues, reaction vessels and ladles. Refractories are carefully selected to be compatible with the conditions of service, and must meet the following ideal requirements:

• they must be physically capable of performing under the conditions of the process, without failure of any kind. They must not melt, and they must not fracture or spall in response to thermal stresses.

• they must be chemically capable of performing under the required conditions — they must not react with the materials which are being processed, or dissolve within them.