Alumina Monolithics
Cement
Edgar Schulz
Process Technology
Classification
of alumina monolithics
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Alumina Monolithics - Classification
Non-Basic Products
Mortars/ Mastics Refractory
Concretes
Insulating Mixes
Special Products
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Classification of Refractory Concretes
• Bonding System
• Processing
• Raw Materials
• Additives
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Refractory Mixes: Classification
(Bonding System)
Alumina Refractory Mixes
Chemically bonded M.‘s Hydraulically bonded M.‘s
Conventional Castables Low-Cement Castables
CaO > 2,5 % CaO < 2,5 %
LCC‘s ULCC‘s NCC‘s
Low Cement Castables Ultra Low Cement C.‘s No Cement Castables
CaO 1,0 - 2,5 % CaO 0,2 - 1,0 % CaO < 0,2 %
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Refractory Mixes: Classification (Processing)
Alumina Refractory Mixes
Castables Gunning Mixes Ramming Mixes
Conv. Conv. GM Granular RM
Castables
LC Castables Dense GM Plastic RM
Dry RM
Vibration C.’s
Compac Shot
Mixes
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Non basic raw materials according to alumina cont.
out of the system Al2O3-SiO2, Overview of materials used for cement industry
<10% Al2O3
Clay minerals (Al2O3 – cont.: 18% - 40%- example: Kaolinite 39,5% Al2O3)
Fire clay acidic fire clay (Al2O3 - cont. 10% - 30%)
fire clay (Al2O3 - cont. 30% - 50%)
Volume stable “Type 60” fire clay (Al2O3 - cont.: 60%)
Sillimanite (Al2O3 - cont. 55% - 70%)
Andalusite
Sillimanite
Cyanite
Mullite (Al2O3 - cont. 70% - 85%)
Bauxite (Al2O3 - cont. >80%)
Calc. alumina (Al2O3 - cont. >98%)
Sintered alumina, tabular alumina (98% - 100% Al2O3)
Fused alumina brown fused alumina BFA (92% - 97% Al2O3)
grey fused alumina GFA (95% - 98% Al2O3)
white fused alumina WFA (98% - 100% Al2O3) 100% Al2O3
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Differences between different types of castables
CC LCC ULCC
Water addition 10,0 - 15,5 5,5 - 8,5 3,5 - 4,5
+ (/-) 1,0 0,5 0,2
Processing (mixing) easy careful careful
Installation (casting) easy demanding demanding
Matrix rel. porous dense very dense
Effects of temperature low sensitive very sensitive
Heat-up rel. easy sensitive very sensitive
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Influence of water content
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Effect of Water on Porosity, Density
20 3,2
18 3,15
16
3,1
14
Bulk Density [g/cm³]
Porosity [%]
12 3,05
10 3
8
2,95
6
2,9
4
2 2,85
0
2,8
4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5 4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5
Am ount of Mixing Water [%] Am ount of Mixing Water [%]
Porosity Bulk Density
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Effect of Water - CCS, MOR
120
16
100 14
12
80
CCS [N/mm²]
MOR [N/mm²]
10
60
8
40 6
4
20
2
0
4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5 0
4 4,5 5 5,5 6 6,5
Amount of Mixing Water [%]
Amount of Mixing Water [%]
Cold Crushing Strength Modulus of Rupture
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Correct amount of water: “ball-in-hand-test”
1) crumbly – the concrete is too dry
2) slowly flowing apart –
the concrete has the
optimum consistency
3) flowing apart quickly – the concrete
was mixed with too much water
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Application - Installation
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Fundamental theorem
”A high value product - handled bad -
may be of worse quality
then a perfectly placed lesser value product.”
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Application – Mixing of Monolithics
Preparation of
castables
FOR MIXING REFRACTORY CASTABLES ALWAYS AND BY ALL
MEANS A HORIZONTAL PADDLE MIXER HAS TO BE USED TO
OBTAIN A PROPER MIXING EFFECT !!!!!
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Application - Mixing
Correct mixing procedure
THE USE OF A HORIZONTAL PADDLE MIXER IS OBLIGATORY !!!
DRY PREMIXING APPROX. 1 MINUTE TO PREHOMOGENIZE THE
MATERIAL
ADDITION OF 80% OF MIXING WATER, MIXING FOR 1 - 2 MINUTES
ADDITION OF REST OF WATER, MIXING 2 - 3 MINUTES FURTHER
AS A RULE OF THUMB, THE WHOLE MIXING PROCESS SHOULD LAST
ABOUT 5 MINUTES (CONVENTIONAL CASTABLES) RESP. 6 MINUTES
(LOW CEMENT CASTABLES) IN TOTAL
NEVER ADD MORE WATER THAN MENTIONED IN THE CASTABLE‘S
SPECIFICATION !!!!
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Application - Installation
refractory concrete
working joint
Installation in Working Fields
metallic anchor
• Field Size (max. 1 m²)
wooden or iron
template
• Anchors Ceramic and/or
shell Metal
ca. 1m
• Preparation of Adjoining
Areas
5 3 6
1 • Staggered Expansion Joints
2
4 (Z-joints)
• Chessboard installation
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Application - Installation
Field Size Example
• 800x800mm
• max. 1 m2
• not bigger than can be installed
within 30 min (working time)
• Anchor distance:
• Ceramic: ~ 400mm
• Metal: walls ~250mm
roofs ~200mm
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Application - Anchors
Ceramic Anchors
> 1250°C SK 38 / andalusite, bauxite
Wrap with Ceramic Blanket !
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Application - Anchors
Metallic Anchors
Stainless steel
AISI 304 AISI 309 AISI 310
1.4301 1.4828 1.4841
750 °C 1100 °C 1200 °C
Expansion allowance -
plastic caps, bitumen, tape
Welding Electrodes
DIN 8556
ISO 3581 E19.12.LR
rutile encircled, basic
e.g.: Thermanite XW
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Application - General
Preparation of adjoining areas
To prevent withdraw of water,
seal off with sodium silicate liquid,
paraffin, oil, grease or cover with
plastic
Templates should be impregnated
Expansion Joints:
Room for expansion or shrinkage, 6-12 mm
Staggered, Z-shaped, filled with Ceramic
Paper/Felts
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Application - Casting
a
a
Installation
H
v
• Steel anchors should be
covered by castable 20 –
30 mm
• Working time depending
on ambient temperature
max. 30 min
• Never mix more than can
be installed - open time
max. 30min depending on
ambient temperature
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Application - Casting
Vibrating
• Air driven or electric
pokervibrator Ø 35 - 60mm
• Compaction
• Remove air, reduce porosity
• Don`t overdo: separation
• Don`t vibrate set concrete
• Vibrate until smooth and shiny
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surface
Dry Gunning
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Application - Gunning
Gunning Installation
+ Fast installation: 3times faster
than bricks, 2 times faster than
casting
+Simple: no moulds, no mixer
needed, pneumatic transport of
material
-Need of skilled nozzleman
(rebound)
-Hydraulic bond-problem with
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Application - Gunning
•Always try to apply material in
45° angle
•Full thickness – in one working
step
•Not in layers
•Leave the surface rough
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Application - Gunning
Equipment
• Rotor Chamber Machines
• Mechanical distribution
machine for continues loading
1. Feed hopper
2. Slotted Rotor
3. To the material hose
p. pressurized air
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Application - Gunning
Hydromix Nozzle
• The gunned mix is completely uniform
• Better wetting of the product against the air
pressure in the hose
• Reduce dust generation
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Application - Gunning
Requirements:
• Air: minimum air flow .......8000 l/min
• Minimum pressure:............. 5 bar
• Minimum diameter of air feed line ... 2/3 of material hose
• Water pressure: 4 - 6 bar to overcome the pressure of material
flow in material hose
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Application - Gunning
Requirements:
• Material hose minimum 30m for
optimum flow
• Material hose diam. 32mm to
38mm
• Sufficient work space and light
• Good communication between
machine operator and nozzle man
• Machine and nozzle operator form
a team. Each should be capable of
doing the others job.
• Clean equipment and regular
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Reference - Gunning
Facts:
• First gunning installation in India:
ULTRATECH HIRMI CEMENT
WORKS (8500 tpd kiln)
• 40 mt of COMPRIT 145HSR V ex
RHI-Clasil in the suction chamber
• Installation done by VMC (certified by
RHI, “gunning license”)
• Successfully installed since August
2008
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Reference - Gunning
• Excellent application behaviour of
COMPRIT 145HSR V
• Easy handling of RHI gunning machine
• Significant reduction of installation time
compared to conventional casting
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Reference - Gunning
RHI offers total package
including:
• refractory product
• machine
• installation
• supervision
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Dense Gunning
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“DENSE GUNNING”
Improved dry gunning method with rotor chamber machine
Gunning of special adapted Low Cement Castables
Quick and intense wetting of the material grains through a
modified nozzle
Physical properties clearly improved compared to
conventional gunning
Simple setup / conventional machine
Equipment available with most installation companies
Special developed gunning nozzle
Combination of the „simple“ dry gunning installation technique
with the excellent physical properties of Low Cement - products
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Gunnable LC-concrete
Monolithicss
Improvement of Dry-gunning Technology
LC-castables, vibrating
Quality of Installation
Shotcasting
Gunning of dense LC – gunning material
Dry gunning
Complexity of
Equipment
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Gunning of dense LC-concretes
optimized wetting
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Comparison of Installation Techniques
Methode Advantage Disadvantage
· Optimum installation properties · Molds & Costs!
- High density & strength · Installation time
Casting/Vibrating - Low porosity & permeability · Delay through bondingtime
· Big range of L/C products and stripping of the formwork
· Little dust, very low material loss
· Fast mechanical installation · Dust & Rebound
· „No“ formwork · Adapted recipies for gunning
Drygunning
· Standard equipment · Lower strength, higher CaO-content
· Access to difficult to reach areas · Lower density, higher porosity
· Very fast, automated installation (> 6 t/h) · Machine complexity
· „Now“ formwork · High investment & maintenance costs
· Access to difficult to reach areas · Size of installtion team manpower
Shotcast · Similar properties as castables · Unefficient for low quantities (< 20 t)
· Optimum installation properties, · Localized machine setup
similar to comparable LC’s
· Low dust, almmost no material loss
· Fast, automated installation · Dust & Rebound
· „No“ moldwork · Special nozzle needed
· Standard equipment · Not as simple as drygunning
LC-Gunning, · Access to difficult to reach areas
Dense Gunning · similar properties as castables
· Clearly improved properties to conv.
gunning material, comparable to LC’s
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· Easier than Shotcasting
Monolithicss
Product range Dense Gunning
Fireclay
DIDURIT DG 160 0-6: dense gunning mix comparable to DIDURIT 160 0-6
Bauxite
DIDURIT DG 170 0-6: dense gunning mix comparable to DIDURIT 170 0-6
Andalusite/SiC
DIDURIT DG 155SIC 0-6 : dense gunning mix based on andalusite and 24%
SiC, comparable to DIDURIT 155SiC 0-6
Fireclay/SiC
DIDURIT DG 121SIC 0-6 : dense gunning mix based on fireclay and 10%
SiC, comparable to DIDURIT 121SiC 0-6
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Curing and Heat up
of Alumina Monolithics
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Curing and Heat Up
• Setting start approx. 6 hours
• Remove templates 10 - 12 hours
• After finishing the job, mixes should dry 24 to 48 hours
• Recommended to cover installed parts with plastic during
curing
• Low Cement Castables may be kept moist
• Keep above + 10°C until heating up
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Heat up
Heat up to drift temperature slowly and gradually to avoid damage
below 600°C
Allow time for Evaporation:
• Free water in pores, up to 50 percent of mixing water still in free state
• Chemical bonded water in reaction with the cement to form hydrates
• Mechanical strength of the concrete has to withstand the escaping steam pressure
• Dry and sufficient air ventilation to allow steam to escape
Avoid sudden Volume Changes:
• On first heat up dimensions of material vary irreversible and non linear
• Compaction through elimination of free water
• Change in crystalline structure of the hydrates
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General drying –
heating curve for conventional castables
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General drying –
heating curve for LC- castables
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Recommended drying curve
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Drying equipment and preparation measures
Professional equipment
Preparation measures
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Anchors
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Impact on metallic anchors - Corrosion
Source of failures
- high temperature chlorin corrosion (550 – 850°C)
- sigma-phase- embrittlement (600 – 800°C)
- condensation of hydrochloric/sulphuric acids (< 250°C)
Suggestions for improvement
- combination of ceramic / metallic anchors (dia. > 10 mm)
- anchor materials (pre-casted blocks, 2.4879, etc.)
- modified lining concepts
- replacement of block insulation
- keep shell temperature above 150°C
- SiC-castables (sealing of surface)
- avoid ‚chimney-effect‘ using ‘foot bridges‘
- expansion allowance
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Details of modified anchor design
CERAMIC ANCHORS
Due to the special design the
anchor bricks can move and
turn in all directions.
The required space for
movements has to be
considered by filling
up with ceramic wool
or wrapping with
blankets!
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Lining design to avoid the
‘Chimney-effect’ by using ‘foot bridges’
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Severe alkali / Chlorine excess
Lining Concept – Inlet Housing – Kiln Hood
COMPAC SHOT 120SIC (10% SiC)
RESISTAL B75ZIS
DIDURIT 155SIC (30% SiC)
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Severe alkali / Chlorine excess
Lining Concept - Cooler
Clinker bed wear lining after 18 months operation
DIDURIT 155SIC (30% SiC)
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Thank you for your attention!
www.rhi-ag.com
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