cement performance international

Refractories
 Thermal Conductivity
Btu/hr.ft.F
• STEEL 30
• ALUMINIUM 120
• GOLD 170
• ASBESTOS 0.11
• REFRACTORY BRICK 0.85
• MINERAL WOOL 0.022
• WOOD 0.11
• CONCRETE 0.54
• AIR 0.02
 Refractory Target
Performance
• Most cost effective refractory solution to protect kiln shell
and reduce heat loss
– Price
– Performance

• Predictability
– Planned repairs only
– Fit in with other repairs

• Continuous improvement
 Refractory usage
• Typically 400 to 1200 g/tonne clinker
• Best practice is 200 to 400 g/tonne
• Good initial target is 400 to 600 g/tonne
• Heaviest usage is at outlet end of the kiln
• Typically 50 to 75% of the refractory usage
is over 8 to 10 kiln diameters from the nose
ring
 Effects in kiln
• Raw materials:
– Solid clinker -wear on surface
– Liquid phase -infiltration, reaction(<1300C)
– Volatiles - liquid phase and condensation
• Flame
– Liquid ash -infiltration, corrosion
– Sulphate -condensation
– Atmosphere -Reducing conditions
– Temperature - over heating and fluctuations
• Kiln shell
– Deformation -Compression, bending forces,
- tensile stress, shear forces
 Kiln Zones
Outlet

CALCINE PREHEAT SINTER

Upper Lower
Inlet
Transition Transition
Examples - zones in rotary kilns
Precalciner kiln

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9
Preheater kiln

8
Long wet or long dry kiln
2 3 - 4 5 6

1 Inlet Cone 6 Lower transition zone

2 Calcining zone 7 Kiln outlet, and nose ring-cooling zone
3 Safety zone 8 Outlet cone
4 Upper transition zone 9 Burner pipe
5 Burning zone
Examples - zones in rotary kilns

Cooling zone – 1 diameter

Lower transition zone – 1 diameter
Main Burning zone - 4 to 6 diameters
Upper transition zone - 1 to 2 diameters
 Requirements
• Transition zones
– Variable liquid phase in clinker
– Alkali and sulphate compounds
– High temperature
– Varying temperature

• Burning zone
– Very high temperature- thermal conductivity
– Chemical reaction
– Alkali and sulphate compounds
– Abrasion

• Cooling zone
– Abrasion
– Variable temperature
 Refractory bricks
• Basic
– Dolomites -Periclase and CaO
– Magnesia - Periclase
– Chrome or Mag-chrome – seldom used now
• High Alumina
– Bauxite, Kyonite, Sillimanite, Andalusite
• Firebrick
– Fireclay, Chamotte
• Insulating firebrick
– Expanded clay aggregate, rice hulls
 Selection of Refractories
• Chemical analysis
• Refractoriness
• Temperature capacity and expansion (spalling resistance)
• Thermal shock resistance
• Hot strength
• Cold strength
• Apparent Porosity
• Thermal conductivity
• Coating resistence
• Abrasion resistance
• Performance in service
 Kiln Zone Length of zone Types of refractory brick
Nº of kiln diameters
Outlet zone 1 to 2 High Alumina - 75% +
Lower 1 to 2 Magnesia Bricks
transition zone Magnesia spinel bricks

Burning zone 3 to 4 Dolomite bricks

Magnesia Bricks
Magnesia spinel bricks
Upper 2 to 3 Magnesia or Mag spinel
transition zone High Alumina(70 to 80%)
“Safety” zone 2 to 3 High Alumina bricks (50/55%)
Insulating bricks
5 to 8 Firebricks (20% Al)
calcining zone more usually higher
- alumina up to 45%+
Chain zone: dense low alumina firebrick
castable
 BASIC REFRACTORY
• Magnesia Alumina Spinel ( MgO.Al2O3)
– Several types but all consist of Magnesia and Magnesia
Alumina Spinel
– Spinel can be preformed addition or formed in the brick
during firing
– High refractoriness
– Good thermal shock resistance
– More chemically inert and tends not to form a coating
– Susceptible to salt infiltration and chemical wear by
alkalis
 BASIC REFRACTORY
• Dolomite
– burned dolomite rock, Lime and magnesia (MgO +CaO)
– Compatible with clinker, forming a protective coating
– Hydrates rapidly avoid contact with water
– Poor resistance to thermal shock (Zirconia addition,
ZrO2)
– Salt infiltration (Mag addition to increase density)
– Sulphate attack
– Development work on microstructure
 ALUMINA REFRACTORY
• Based on Alumina and Silica (Al2O3, SiO2)
• Various grades available
• Higher Alumina content higher service
temperature (need to consider other effects)
• Cannot be used when liquid phase present
 Insulating Materials
• Characterised by low density / high porosity
• Insulating / Semi insulating bricks
• Castable
• Blankets / Blocks
• Limited use in kilns
– Semi-insulating used in some kilns in inlet zone
– Ingress of volatiles
– poor lining integrity with 2 layers
• Widely used in static areas behind hot face
 Kiln Refractories
Uses CASTABLE
HIGH ALUMINA
MAG SPINEL
CASTABLE MAG SPINEL
DENSE FIREBRICK TRANSITION
HIGH ALUMINA ZONES

CALCINE PREHEAT SINTER

FIREBRICK DOLOMITE
SEMI-INSULATING MAG SPINEL
 Refractory Types

• Shaped products
– Basic
• Dolomite
• Magnesia-alumina spinel
– High alumina
– Firebrick
– Insulating / semi insulating bricks
• Unshaped products
– Castables / gunning materials
– Rammables
– Plastics /mouldables
– Pumpables
 Brick Sizes
• Two taper system vdz, iso sizes - preferred
•Range of standard brick sizes 2 m - 8 m
•Ideal ratio close 1:1

Slow
brick

Sharp
brick
 Correction of brick ring to fit
kiln shell during installation
Corrected using Corrected using
slow taper bricks sharp taper
bricks

Exaggerated
effect of using Exaggerated
to many sharp taper effect of using
bricks to many slow or fla
taper bricks
“Correct” use of bricks
VDZ Dimensions for 320/420 bricks
Brick type
b 320 420
a 76.5 75.0
h b 66.5 68.0
h 200 200
i
a
i 198 198
 Unshaped Products
• Group of products that can be shaped on the job site
– Castables
– Rammables
– Gunnites
– Pumpables
• Useful for difficult access or difficult shapes
• Need anchors to support lining
• Disadvantages
– Difficulty in achieving properties on site
– Require drying before operation
Mechanisms for refractory failure
• 1.-Thermal
– Thermal shock
– Overheating
– Thermal stress
• 2.-Mechanical
– Shell flexing/movement
– Expansion
• 3.- Chemical
– Alkali attack
– Flux infiltration
 Effect on lining-1- mechanical
• Radial shell deformation • Loosening of lining
• Concave/convex dents causing motion and
• Tyre conditions spiraling
• Compression
• Axial bending
• Bending
• Misalignment
• • Tensile stress
Welding seams
• Friction between shell and
• Shell cooling (natural)
lining
• Retaining rings
• Shell torsion at starts
 Effect on lining-2- poor
installation
• Mechanical • Loose lining
• Crushed closure bricks
• Edge pressure

• Thermochemical • Insufficient thermal

expansion allowance
• Crushing
 Effect on lining-3- raw material
variability
• Thermo-mechanical
• Material flow – Lining tension changes
• Composition and • Chemical
homogeneity – Reactions between lining and
• Granulometry material
• Burnability – Alkali attack
• Physical behaviour – Sulphate attack
• Ability to form – Silica migration
coating • Thermal
– Formation of low temp eutectics
– Recrystallisation
 Effect on lining-4- Firing
system
• Flame shape • Thermo-mechanical
• Fuel type – Lining tension changes
• Ash content • Chemical
• – Reactions between lining and ash
Ash composition
– Changes in eutectic points
• Calorific value
– Sulphate attack
• Consistency
– Redox
• Fuel rate • Thermal
• Kiln atmosphere – Formation of low temp eutectics
• Burner settings – Recrystallisation
• Air temperatures – Over heating
 Effect on lining-5- Coating fall
• Flame shape • Mechanical
– Impact
• Fuel type – Abrasion
• Ash content • Thermo-mechanical
• Ash composition – Thermal shock
• Calorific value • Chemical
– New surface gives
• Consistency increased chemical
• Fuel rate reactions
• Kiln atmosphere – Liquid infiltration
• Thermal
• Burner settings – Reduced thermal protection
• Air temperatures – Over heating
 Appearance of Wear
• Mechanical • Chemical
– Loose lining – Erosion
– Open gaps – Brittleness
– Displacement of rows – Discolouring
– Spalling – Bleaching
– Cracking/crushing – Deposits on shell
– Erosion
– Broken ends
• Thermo-mechanical
• Thermal – Spalling
– Melting
– Brittle bricks
– Erosion – Cracking within brick
– Open joints
– Loose lining
 Factor that affect the life of Refractories
The best The worst

Semi dry
Process Precal
Long dry Dry SP Wet
Level of NOx 600 - 800 800 - 1500 1500 - 2000 >2000
Stops/month <3 3-5 5 - 10 >10
Shell diameter <3 3-4 4 - 4.5 >4.5
Shell Ovality <0.2 0.2 - 0.35 0.35 - 0.5 >0.5
CLINKER LSF <90 90 - 95 95 - 98 >98
CLINKER free CaO <1.5 1.5 1.0 <0.5
Max C3S Crystal mic 30 40 50 >50
28 Day cube N/mm2 35 35 - 40 40 - 45 >45
WHAT CAN GO WRONG ?
Installation
High temp -”washout”
Reaction between steel and
brick
Alkali attack ??
 Kiln Light Up Schedules

1200
BZ LINING TEMPERATURE C

1000

800

600

400
Major Burning Zone Repairs

200
New Kiln Commissioning
Short Stop
Monolithic Repairs
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
TIME FROM FLAME IN HOURS
High Thermal Load
Salt Infiltration
Build Up
Mechanical Damage
 Refractories
Summary
• Protection of kiln shell
• Several Types Used in Kiln
• Performance affected by
– Refractory Used
– Installation Quality
– Kiln Mechanical Condition
– Operating Conditions
• All aspects need to be considered, not just the
refractory !
 Installation
• Considerations

– Kiln length of repair

– Shell condition
– Other work on the kiln
– Position of repair
– Time available
 Installation Objectives

• Bricks
– Bricks Fitted Tight to Kiln Shell
– Rings at Right Angles to Kiln Axis
– No Overlapping of Rings
– No Gaps in the Lining
– Sufficient Expansion Allowance
– Minimum Kiln Down Time
• Un-shaped products
– Achieve datasheet properties in service
 Installation Methods

• Kiln turning
– Jacks
– Clamping
– Gluing

• Kiln stationary
– Wooden Arch
– Multi-O-Ring
JACK AND TURN
Bricking Rig
Keying
Up
 Tool for locating
metal shims

10mm

30mm

30mm
200mm
3mm
10mm
 Monolithic (castable) refractories
Important Factors

1.- Preparation 3.- Placement

- Surface - Time
- Anchors - Air/Segregation
- Expansion - Addition of
2.- Mixing
water
4.- Curing
- Water (quantity)
- Up to 24 h.
- Water (quality) 5.- Drying
- Density - Procedure
cement performance international