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Focus

Status & Outlook of Indian


Refractory Industry
- B. V. Raja
Quality Assurance Manager

Introduction : The fortunes of the refractory steel production for the past few years.
industry are linked to the growth of iron
Refractory is a term given to a Among the refractories, high
and steel sector which consumes a
class of materials which are produced alumina bricks/shapes constitute
mammoth 75% of the refractories
from non-metallic minerals and 35.13%, fire clay bricks/shapes about
produced. Sector wise consumption of
possess capability to withstand heat 25.33%, basic bricks/shapes 19.02%,
the refractories in India is shown in
and pressure. These are products that
Fig.1. The specific refractory others comprising of monolithics about
confer properties like high
consumption is about 27 Kg/T in steel 15.43%, special products 2.71% and
temperature insulation, resistance to
industry, 1.7 Kg/T in Cement and 55 silica bricks/shapes about 2.38% of
corrosive and erosive action of hot
Kg/T in glass industry. These sectors the total refractory production during
gases, liquids and solids at high
are giving high thrust on productivity, 2004-05 in India. A look at the
temperatures in various kilns and
quality, cost, energy conservation and
furnaces. individual refractory wise capacity
cleaner environment which
utilization indicate that the production
necessitates new
of high alumina is running at 88.25%,
generation of refractories
with specific requirements. special products at 81.60%,
monolithics about 62.61%, basic at
Production about 58.31%, fire clay at 46.60% and
Scenario : silica at 42.65% of the installed
The installed capacity capacities. The above figures reveal
for refractory production in the growing popularity of high alumina,
India is 1.65 million tons special, monolithics and basic
and today runs at 62.37% refractories which is attributed to the
of the total capacity. The technological changes in the steel
production was a mere industry.
47.25% of
the installed
capacity in
The production of refractories 2002-03. Refractory
started in India in the form of fire clay production in the
bricks in 1874. Today, a wide variety of
country has been
refractory products are manufactured
showing a growth of
tailor made to suit the requirements of
16% per annum from
the application in various sectors
which include iron and steel, cement, 2002-03 till now as is
glass, non-ferrous metal, petro- evident from Fig.2. This
chemical, fertilizer, thermal power is attributed to the
plants etc. The refractories are stupendous growth in

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Category of Refractories 800ºC to 1250ºC, 72% alumina bricks refractory as a result of aggressive
& Application with improved insulation are used. In slag, prolonged turbulence by
steel plants involving in production of rinsing/lancing, high temperatures etc.
Fire Clay Bricks/Shapes : carbon steels, 72% alumina bricks are led to adoption of basic refractories to
These are basically alumino- still used for working lining of ladles resist slag attack while being
silicate refractories possessing due to high refractoriness and chemically stable. Broadly, these
alumina not exceeding 42%. Fire clay moderate slag resistance properties. refractories are classified as the
Well blocks and sleeves used in steel dolomite variety and magnesite
refractories earlier used to find use in
ladles for fixing at gas purging cones variety.
lining of blast furnaces for hearth and
which are subjected to localized
bosh portion due to the dense Dolomite is the most common
turbulence created by flow of gases
structure, reheat shrinkage, basic refractory for both metallurgical
through porous plugs requires
resistance to slag and load and economic reasons. These are
refractory material that sustains good
characteristics of these bricks. How further classified as the sintered and
number of thermal cycles and
ever, today, the dense low heat duty unburnt materials. The high silicon in
increased campaign life. Here, 96%
fire clay refractories find use in top part hot metal led to use of dolo bricks for
alumina bearing material are used for
of the blast furnace where abrasion high temperature abrasion resistance, working lining of BOF. In steel ladles,
resistance is required and upper in low porosity, high mechanical strength dolomite bricks are used but the
wall portion where slight slagging and result in uneven erosion on top holding time of steel in the ladle should
action & abrasion resistance are surface of the block. Even, slide gate be less and should be hot in
necessary, intermediate duty fire clay refractories of 96% alumina are in use circulation. In contact with air, the free
bricks are applied. Though these are in steel ladles. The increasing trend for lime of the dolomite refractory reacts
the most economical variety of production of cleaner steels led to use leading to crumbling of the refractory
refractories but suffer from poor slag of 70% alumina refractories for bottom which is its major disadvantage.
resistance & low refractoriness pouring. Ceramic bonded sintered dolomite
characteristics. In many steel plants, possess high mechanical strength and
Silica Bricks / Shapes : possess good resistance to hydration.
these find extensive use in lining of
Silica refractories possess the Here, addition of zirconia permits
soaking pits & reheating furnaces,
ability to withstand substantial load [50 improvement in resistance to thermal
bottom pouring refractories for steel
lb/sq.in] to within a few degrees of its shock while enrichment with magnesia
casting, safety lining of the steel ladles
cone fusion point of 1710ºC to 1730ºC, lessens sensitivity to slag attack. The
and kilns in cement industry due to
high resistance to attack by steel high carbon dolomite products and
their good insulating, spalling
furnace fluxes comprising iron oxide, chemically bonded products emerged
resistance, dense structure preventing lime etc., freedom form shrinkage at in the market as an alternative to resin
erosion characteristics. temperatures up to melting point and bonded ones and are expected to be
High Alumina Bricks/Shapes : high thermal shock resistance in lower in cost with absence of fumes
temperatures ranging from 600ºC to during heating.
The change in the quality of the raw
1700ºC. How ever, silica refractories
materials, increased productivity and
are highly sensitive to thermal shock Among the magnesite refractories,
higher temperature and increased
below 600ºC or below 300ºC. These Magnesia-Carbon and Magnesia-
campaign life in iron/steel making
refractory products find extensive use Chrome bricks are highly popular.
arena resulted in drastic reduction in
in arch roofs of the furnaces, door Magnesia-C bricks find us in the hot
consumption of fire clay products and
jambs of furnaces and in coke ovens spot area of EAF and BOF vessel
evolution of high alumina refractories.
due to their excellent resistance to lining as the refractoriness is high,
60%-72% alumina mullite bricks are
spalling. highly resistance to slag and thermal
used in hearth and bottom of the blast
shock. In LF/VAD steel ladles,
furnaces. The stoves and hot blast Basic Bricks/Shapes : magnesia-carbon variety refractories
system where the hot blast The need to produce steels of high with high oxidation resistance and high
temperature gradually increased from quality resulted in greater stresses on hot modulus of rupture are applied in

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strike pad & slag zone areas. These involving in production of special /alloy magnesia-zirconia refractory. Shrouds
refractories help in improved lining life steels. In acidic induction furnaces and monoblock stoppers made of
under severe operating conditions like used for melting cast iron/carbon alumina-carbon/alumina-zirconia are
high tapping temperature, longer steels, silica ramming mass is applied used in tundishes of various
holding times and highly basic slags. as the lining material. Another bloom/slab/billet casting machines.
For VOD/AOD, dense magnesia- 95%zirconia metering nozzles are
important application is in the form of
chrome co-clinker grains with low used for flow of steel into mould of
ceramic coating of oxygen/rinsing
apparent porosity and high hot billet continuous casting machines for
lances for prolonged lancing/rinsing to
strength applied for full wear lining in excellent erosion resistance. Also, for
side wall and bottom for slags of lower meet the metallurgical requirements. eliminating non-metallic inclusions
basicity [as is the case for stainless Among the monolithics, castables thus improving the steel quality,
steel] and provide properties such as ceramic filters in tundishes have
especially of low cement variety have
excellent penetration of low basicity evolved recently.
dominated presence in various
slags, high hot modulus of rupture,
applications. This variety of castables Prefabricated single block
excellent thermal spalling resistance
and good abrasion resistance. possess about 5%-7.5% calcium launders of high alumina with SiC,
Magnesia-chrome steel cladded aluminate cement requiring only Cr2O3 are used in EAFS to minimize
bricks are used in working lining of around 5% casting water and are less lip jam formation, improved hot load
EAF and in certain zones magnesite prone to explosion, no loss of cold characteristics with resistance to slag
bricks are applied. crushing strength at any temperature, and thermal shock. Ceramic fibres due
to their insulating nature are used in
Monolithics : low moisture content enabling faster
reheating furnaces, blast
drying/pre-heating, high degree of
These refractories are well known system/stoves of blast furnace etc.
volume stability at high temperature
to produce joint less structure which High magnesia porous plugs is
providing and excellent abrasion another area which involves inert gas
are stable from dimensional aspect at
resistance. 90% alumina castables purging for homogenisation of steel
high temperatures and are resistant to
find use for hoods of VAD/AOD/VOD with regard to temperature and
thermal shock and abrasion. It
units, delta region of EAF, permanent composition.
comprises of castables, plastic mass,
lining of tundish, walking beam
ramming mix, mortars, slingor mix and Future Outlook :
furnace hearth, precast burner block of
coating material. Refractories cost about 8%-10% of
walking beam furnaces etc. 60%-70%
the total cost of steel production.
Magnesia based gunnitting mix is alumina castables are applied for There is greater possibility in reducing
used for patching of eroded areas in covers of soaking pits, stand pipes, the specific consumption of
EAF. Mortars of magnesite and high charging hole blocks and covers of refractories by 9 kg/T in steel industry,
alumina are applied for patching of coke ovens. 0.4 kg/T in cement industry in the
steel ladles. High alumina mortars are coming 3 to 4 years. How ever, the
Special Products : refractory production is expected to
used for fixing ladle nozzle with well
In continuous casting, Garnex increase by 16% per annum in the
block, joint portion of plate and nozzle,
boards of silica/magnesite for cold coming few years due to the major
fixing well blocks to steel ladle etc.
tundishes are used to facilitate expansion and green field projects
Alumino-silicate [60% Al2O3] trough
sequencing of heats. Various flow coming up in the steel segment.
and tap hole mixes are used in blast control devices such as baffles / dams Refractories still have many areas in
furnaces. Even in coke ovens, there is / weirs made of magnesite are used in various sectors to enter in and it would
extensive use of silica based mortars tundishes for improved quality of the be the monolithics & special products
for hot patching and gunnitting. steel. For crack and corrosion that would dominate the production in
Magnetie ramming mass is applied resistance, submerged entry nozzles future.
above the safety lining in EAF and for used between tundish outlet and
lining in basic induction furnaces mould are made of alumina-carbon/

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