Alumina based

Refractories

Calcined aluminas

Standard aluminas

Reactive aluminas

Synthetic sintered mullite

Cement free binder

Content
01 Calcined aluminas (NABALOX®)
Refractory applications ...................................................................................................................... 07

02 Standard aluminas (NABALOX®)

NABALOX® milled hard calcined aluminas ............................................................................................. 09
Properties of standard aluminas ...................................................................................................... 10
Shaped refractories ............................................................................................................................ 10
Unshaped refractories ........................................................................................................................ 11

03 Reactive aluminas (NABALOX®)

NABALOX® reactive monomodal aluminas ........................................................................................... 14
NABALOX® super-reactive monomodal aluminas ................................................................................. 15
NABALOX® reactive bimodal aluminas .................................................................................................. 15
Theory and practice of particle packing ........................................................................................... 17
Viscositiy optimized reactive alumina NO 530 ................................................................................. 18

04 Synthetic sintered Mullite (SYMULOX® M 72)

SYMULOX® in unshaped refractories ...................................................................................................... 24
Reactive Mullite SYMULOX® M 672 ........................................................................................................ 25

05 Cement free binder (NABACAST®)

No-cement castables ......................................................................................................................... 27
Binder .................................................................................................................................................. 28
Micro-filler ........................................................................................................................................... 28
Deflocculant ........................................................................................................................................ 28
Practice compatibility ........................................................................................................................ 29
Corrosion-resistance .......................................................................................................................... 31

06 Special application
Viscosity adjustment for gunning mixes ................................................................................................ 34
NABALOX® calcined aluminium oxides
 Calcined aluminas (NABALOX®)

try. These include high performance aluminas

(NABALOX®, NABACAST®) and synthetic sin-
tered Mullite (SYMULOX®).

High class raw materials are selected according

to standardized parameters of quality. By working
within tightly controlled production parameters,
Nabaltec is able to control and tailor the degree
of calcination from very “soft” to very “hard” by
sophisticated temperature regulation of the rota-
ry kilns. This high level of control allows the pro-
duction of aluminas with defined properties such
as α-Al2O3-content, size of primary crystals and

Rotary kiln for calcination of basic NABALOX®- specific surface area. In addition, using our pat-
grades. ent-registered technique we are able to reduce the
Na2O-content to levels below 0.1 %. The high level
Nabaltec is a worldwide leading and large scale and long term experience of our staff members
producer of synthetic raw materials for a wide guarantees a reliable and consistent high quality
range of application areas in the refractory indus- product.

4
 Very soft Soft Hard Very hard

20 μm 20 μm 20 μm 20 μm

Degree of calcination (Calcination temperature)

5 μm 5 μm 5 μm 5 μm

Primary crystal size

~ 0.02 μm ~ 0.2 μm ~ 2 μm ~ 3 μm

Specific surface area (BET)

60 – 80 m2/g 6 – 12 m2/g 0.6 – 0.9 m2/g 0.4 – 0.7 m2/g

Crystal modification

< 5 % α-AI2O3 70 – 90 % α-AI2O3 95 – 98 % α-AI2O3 > 98 % α-AI2O3

Calcination temperature
Size of primary crystals, specific surface areas, α-Al2O3-content of different calcination degrees.

5
 Typical chemical composition of NABALOX® raw properties which provides significant advantag-
materials for refractories. es in their refractory applications (s. table), along
with an excellent price-to-performance ratio.
Typical chemical analysis [%]
These characteristics make NABALOX® aluminas
Al2O3 < 99 and as well SYMULOX® Mullite the ideal raw ma-
SiO2 0.04 terials for the demanding applications and needs
of refractories.
Fe2O3 0.03

Na2O (low soda) 0.1 Typical characteristics of NABALOX® aluminas:

Na2O (standard soda) 0.3 Calcined powders with primary crystal size of < 0.5 µm
to 3 µm result in

These above listed calcined NABALOX® aluminas • reduced sintering temperatures,

are continuously processed by different refining • optimized corrosion resistance,
steps after calcining. The refinement capabilities • low water demand,
of Nabaltec are outstanding and highly sophisti- • high thermal shock resistance,
cated. • excellent high temperature properties,
e.g. high RUL*,
Production include different types of • long life time in applications with high
milling, like: wear exposure…
• continous or discontinous,
• vibration or ball, Typical characteristics of SYMULOX®, the
• wet or dry, synthetic sintered Mullite, are:
• jet, Sintered aggregates in standard refractory grain siz-
• high energy es offer:
and • excellent thermal fatigue and corrosion
resistance,
• air separation
• highest thermal shock resistance,
• excellent high temperature properties,
For refractory applications with demanding or
specific application-needs our products are re- • reliable creep resistance,
producible and use reliable materials with a maxi- • ultimate durability, e.g. in kiln applications.
mum of processing safety.
This provides significant advantages in their re-
Due to their outstanding homogeneity, Nabaltec fractory properties along with providing a maxi-
products are characterized by highly consistent mum processing safety.

*RUL: Refractoriness under load

6
Refractory applications (in excerpts)

1. B
kiln high temperature shaped unshaped gunning
NABALOX® foundry
furniture ceramics products products material
products
NO 105 • •
NO 115-71 • • •
NO 115-25 • • • •
NO 115 G • • • •
NO 115 TC • • • •
NO 125 TC • • • •
NO 135 • • • • •
NO 315 • • • •
NO 325 • • • •
NO 113 • • •
NO 313 • • •
NO 615-10 • • •
NO 625-10 • •
NO 715-10 • • •
NO 725-10 • •
NO 613-10 • • • •
NO 713-10 RF • • •
NO 625-30 • • • • •
NO 645 • •
NO 652 •
NO 660 • •
NO 530 • • •
NABACAST ®
• • • •
SYMULOX® M 72 • • • • • •

7
Standard aluminas (NABALOX®)
NABALOX® milled hard calcined aluminas

The materials are used for a number of different unshaped refractory formulations with a particle
applications (s. table), depending the established fraction “< 45 µm” (s. table). With their high purity
materials of this product group. They are mainly and their defined and adjusted grain size distribu-
used for the production of refractories. tion they are an essential element in high temper-
ature applications. They contribute as a key fac-
NABALOX® milled hard calcined (α-Al2O3 content tor to the main properties of all materials in the
95 - 98 %) standard aluminas (< 325 mesh) are system Al2O3 - SiO2, such as Andalusite, Bauxite,
very common worldwide for use in shaped and Mullite and Corundum.

NABALOX® standard aluminas. Type: < 45 µm (< 325 mesh). Examples of typical refractory applications.

foundry kiln high temperature shaped unshaped gunning

products furniture ceramics products products material
NO 115-25 • • • •
NO 115 TC • • • •
NO 125 TC • • • •
NO 135 • • • • •
NO 315 • • • •
Recommended NABALOX® grades for different groups of refractory materials.

RUL (T05)* Al2O3 content

Raw material shaped refractories unshaped refractories
[°C] [%]

Chamotte 1300 40 NO 115-25 NO 115 TC

NO 115-25
Andalusite 1600 60 NO 115 TC
NO 115 TC
SYMULOX® M 72 NO 115-25
1680 72 NO 135
(synthetic Mullite) NO 135
NO 115-25
Bauxite 1500 80 NO 115 TC
NO 115 TC
NO 135 NO 135
Alumina > 1700 > 95
NO 315 NO 315

*) RUL: Refractoriness under load

9
 Properties of standard aluminas

< 45 µm
D50 BET Degree of
(325 mesh)
• < 45 µm (325 mesh) [µm] [m²/g] calcination
[%]
• Al2O3 ≥ 99.5 %
NO 115-25 5 95 0.9 Hard
• Na2O ≤ 0.3 %
NO 135 5 98 0.8 Very hard
• high degree of calcination
NO 115 TC 4 98 1.0 Hard

NO 315 3 99 1.5 Hard

Main properties of grades of 325 mesh NABALOX® aluminas.

Shaped refractories

In shaped products NABALOX® aluminas are ap- These characteristics make them an approved
plied, e.g. for higher refractoriness. NABALOX ®
and well established raw material.
standard aluminas are an efficient way to fine
tune the Al2O3-content of all refractory materials Low soda types of this product group
in the system Al2O3 - SiO2. With their high degree (325 mesh / < 45 µm) are mainly used in refractory
of calcination they are an appropriate additive to applications for the production of filters and cata-
reduce shrinkage and the high temperature creep lyst carriers.
of refractories.

Kiln furniture: Cassette for roof tiles.

10
Unshaped refractories

The main difference in the group of 325 mesh This results in a lower water demand of “top cut”-
NABALOX® aluminas between NO 115-25 and the types and results thus in better flowability of un-
group of NO 115 TC, NO 135 and their fine variety shaped refractories when > 45 µm particles have
NO 315 is defined in the lower (<) 45 µm-value. In been removed, e.g. at NO 115 TC (s. image).
opposite to NO 115-25 all other NABALOX alu- ®

minas have a special production-accompanying

step, termed “TC” for “top cut”. By a process of
air separating, the lager amount of coarse alumi-
na-agglomerates which are present after the mill-
ing procedure are separated away.

NO 115-25: The amount of alumina < 45 µm is lower

(95 %) compared to the other three products
(98 – 99 %), with the additional production step of
“air separation”.

NO 115-25: Remaining alumina agglomerates,

after milling without air separation.
Distribution [%]

80

60

NO 115 TC
40

NO 115-25
20

0 1 10 100
Grain size [µm]

Grain size distribution of milled hard calcined aluminas with (NO 115 TC,
no agglomerates are left) and without air separation (NO 115-25, remaining
agglomerates between approx. 15 to 40 µm).

11
 These agglomerates exhibit, e.g. when used in utilized in an amount of 10 – 20 % to design casta-
unshaped refractories, a behaviour similar to a bles with the highest packing density and higher
“sponge”. They only absorb water but cannot of- alumina content for a better refractoriness.
fer any flowability effect. Image of the two refrac-
tory castable formulations shows the difference
in wettability/flowability schematically when
an air separated alumina is compared to a “just
milled” type in identical proportions of solids and
water in a castable.

For the highest refractory properties, an opti-

mized particle packing is required for all mix-
tures. Thus, a continuous cumulative particle A B
size distribution is required, in analogy to the the-
ory of Andreassen*.

Identical refractory castable formulation “A” with

NABALOX® standard aluminas represent the air separated alumina, “B” without. Both with iden-
grain spectrum between 1 and 15 µm and are tical water content.
Cumulative percentage pass [vol.-%]

100

THEORY
(Andreassen)

REAL CASTABLE
(example)

10

0 1 10 100 1000
Grain size [µm]
Cumulative particle size distribution curve shows how close the grain size
distribution of the real castable (standard mixture) narrows to the theoretical
optimum (black curve). Red circle: Grain size area for standard aluminas:
2 – 15 µm.

d
* CPP = (–)D
q

d: grain size
D: maximum grain size
Q: Andreassen coefficient
CPP: cumulative percentage pass

12
Reactive NABALOX® aluminas
 Reactive aluminas (NABALOX®)

In shaped and unshaped refractory applications Properties of Reactive NABALOX® aluminas:

the reactive NABALOX® special aluminas are • D50 < 2.5 µm
characterized by an extremely reproducible and • Al2O3 ≥ 99.5 % - 99.8 %
homogeneous processability. NABALOX® reac-
• Na2O ≤ 0.3 % - 0.1 %
tive aluminas enable a wide processing window
• high degree of calcination
and a significant reduction in water demand. This
• high specific surface area, results in high
class of reactive aluminas lowers the production sintering ability (starting from 1100 °C)
costs and raises the efficiency of the refractory
solutions by improving packing density, corrosion
resistance and durability of refractory materials.

NABALOX® reactive monomodal aluminas

Distribution [%]

80

60

40

20

NO 715-10 NO 615-10
0 NO 725-10 NO 625-10

0 1 10 100
Grain size [µm]

Aluminas with a high amount (~ 98 %) of α-Al2O3 vide a reliable base for the production of sophisti-
are milled, partially down to the primary crystal (2 cated refractories with a wide variety of different
μm). These carefully processed raw materials are application areas.
used as foundry products or for refractory mixes.
Al2O3 Na2O D50 BET
The product specific fineness results from the NABALOX®
[%] [%] [µm] [m²/g]
use of a high milling energy. In addition, the grain
NO 615-10 99.6 0.3 2.5 1.6
size distributions of the material are specifically
NO 625-10 99.8 0.1 2.5 1.6
defined and confined within close limits. Material
NO 715-10 99.6 0.3 2.0 2.0
properties of interest include high lifetimes, good
workability, etc. These hard calcined aluminas pro- NO 725-10 99.8 0.1 2.0 2.0

14
NABALOX® super-reactive monomodal aluminas

Nabaltec produces super-reactive, calcined alumi- The hi gh specific surface area (up to 7 m²/g) of these
nas with a monomodal grain size distribution for super-reactive grades is of significant interest for the
a variety of applications. For this purpose, alumi- fabrication of ULC (ultra low cement) and NC (no
nas with a lower content of α-Al2O3, (~ 95 %), so- cement), e.g. chemically bonded, castables or for
called “soft” calcined are milled down close to the producing high performance refractory products.
primary crystal (< 0.5 μm) level. The exceedingly
high reactivity of this product group is based on the Al2O3 Na2O D50 BET
fineness of the alumina as well on the small prima- NABALOX®
[%] [%] [μm] [m2/g]
ry crystals and their high specific surface area. The
NO 613-10 99.7 0.1 1.0 6
low soda-content makes the material suitable for
the production of corrosion resistant refractories NO 713-10 RF 99.7 0.1 0.8 7
e.g. ladle linings or precast shapes. Using these ul-
tra-fine α-Al2O3-raw materials, very low viscosities
can be achieved.
Distribution [%]

80
NO 713-10 RF

60

40

NO 613-10
20

0 1 10 100
Grain size [µm]

NABALOX® reactive bimodal aluminas

Nabaltec produces super-reactive, calcined alu- fine and coarse alumina primary crystals (< 0.5 –
minas with a bimodal grain size distribution for a 2 μm) in precisely balanced proportions. Opti-
variety of applications. mized, long milling and homogenization proce-
dures guarantee a consistent product to achieve
In connection with this application, there is a need the best processability results. For example, for
for a homogeneous mixture (see SEM-image) of the production of free flowing refractory mixes,

15
 the formation of bimodal reactive aluminas with
Al2O3 Na2O D50 BET
coarse grains added by the user, results in an op- NABALOX®
[%] [%] [μm] [m2/g]
timized grain size distribution. This leads to a re-
NO 625-30 99.7 0.1 2.0 3.0
duced water demand combined with an excellent
flowability. NO 645 99.7 0.1 2.0 4.0
NO 652 99.7 0.1 3.0 3.0
NO 660 99.7 0.1 2.0 3.0
Distribution [%]

80

60

40

NO 625-30

20
NO 652

0 1 10 100
Grain size [µm]

PRIMARY CRYSTAL HARD CALCINED 2.0 – 3.0 μm

PRIMARY CRYSTAL SOFT CALCINED 0.2 – 0.5 μm

Fine and coarse aluminas „deeply“ homogenised

• combination of soft and hard calcined aluminas
• interacting of “fine” and „coarse“ grain size distributions
• homogenisation via intensive mixing or milling
• sophisticated grain size distribution for castables

All this result in higher refractoriness

green density
sinter density
porosity
5 μm
water demand
flowability

16
Theory and practice of particle packing

Reactive aluminas are mainly used in unshaped refrac- pores in the microstructure of refractory casta-
tories to represent the particle fraction < 5 µm, and thus, bles, reducing the water content/demand and thus
to act as a micro-filler. They are able to fill the smallest also its viscosity.

SYMULOX®
Coarse
Aggregates

NABALOX®
Reactive
alumina

Theory: Optimized particle packing with continuous grain size distribution.

NABALOX®
Reactive
alumina

SYMULOX®
Coarse
Aggregates

Practice: Real refractory microstructure with reactive alumina particles filling the
gaps between the coarse aggregates.

17
 Water demand of a free flowing castable can be reduced by the use of fine reactive aluminas

Alumina Medium grain size D50 [µm] Water demand for free flowing properties [%]
NO 115 TC 4 5.5

NO 315 3 5.0

NO 615-10 2.5 4.8

NO 715-10 2 4.5
Cumulative percentage pass [vol.-%]

100

Real castable
(expample)

Theory
(Andreassen)
10

1
0 1 10 100 1000
Grain size [µm]

Cumulative particle size distribution curve shows how close the grain size dis-
tribution of the real castable (standard mixture) narrows to the theoretical op-
timum (black curve). Orange circle: Grain size area for super reactive aluminas
(0.2 – 1.5 µm). Red circle: Grain size area for reactive monomodal aluminas
(1 – 5 µm). Blue circle: Grain size area for bimodal reactive aluminas (0.2 – 5 µm).

Viscosity optimized reactive alumina NO 530

In modern refractory applications, niches can be The new generation of NABALOX®, viscosity opti-
found, where highest demand for thermomechani- mized reactive alumina NO 530 allows the combi-
cal properties meets the necessary for easy work- nation of both, lowest water demand and practice
ability. State of the art reactive aluminas common- compatible free flowing consistency.
ly need a compromise between a.m. properties.
So highest refractoriness resp. slag resistance Al2O3 Na2O D50 BET
NABALOX®
can be achieved with lowest water demand, but [%] [%] [μm] [m2/g]
followed by extremely dilatant castable viscosity NO 530 99.7 0.1 1.5 3.5
or the need for vibration.

18
Distribution [%]
100

80
NO 530

60

40

20

0
0 1 10 100
Grain size [µm]

5 µm

NO 530 shows via SEM bimodal grain size distribution.

Test castable formulation

[mm] [%]
Tabular alumina 3–6 24
Tabular alumina 1–3 16
Tabular alumina 0.5 – 1 15
Tabular alumina 0 – 0.5 7
Tabular alumina 0 – 0.3 5
Tabular alumina 0 – 0.045 12
NABALOX NO 315 ®
5
NABALOX® NO 530 (or common bimodal reactive alumina) 13
CAC* 3
PCE** 0.1
Water (deion.) 3.8

* Calcium-aluminate-cement
** Poly-carbonate-ether

19
 Properties of test castable

Flow spread 3.8 % H2O (EN1402-4) [%] 125

Green density (110 °C) [g/cm3] 3.2
CCS (110 °C) [MPa] 66
Setting time (ultrasonic) [h] 10
Power consumption [W]

1800
wet out point
1600
co
1400 m
m
on
re bi
act m
1200 ive od
al al
um
1000 in
a
NO 530
800
fully dispersed
600

400

200
water addition
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Mixing time [s]

“Wet out point” is the state during the mixing process of a castable when all
particles are wettened. At this point the power consumption of the mixer is
very high, due to tough consistency of the mix. Once, this point is passed, dis-
persion starts to improve and viscosity decreases until complete dispersion,
i.e. highest flowability is reached.

Viscosity optimized reactive aluminas can provide:

• Shorter time from “wet out” to “fully dispersed” • Lower power consumption at peak
• Shorter mixing time at the construction place Higher loading of mixer possible
Lower maintenance costs in the steel mill • Lower resistance to mixing tool
• Good workability is achieved quickly in the mixer Higher lifetime of equipment
Lower risk of too high water addition

20
Synthetic sintered Mullite SYMULOX® M 72
 Synthetic sintered Mullite SYMULOX® M 72, a refractory grain

Nabaltec has been manufacturing synthetic sin- with a low thermal expansion, resulting in excel-
tered Mullite for many decades under the brand lent thermal shock resistance. Since there are
name SYMULOX . The adjunct “M 72” stays for
®
only a limited amount of amorphous components
stoichiometric Mullite with 72 % alumina content. (glass formers), its high-temperature creep resist-
ance can exceed that of aluminium oxide ceram-
M 72 and is widely used as a high-quality grade ics. The use of SYMULOX® M 72 at temperatures
raw material, primarily in the refractory industry. of up to 1700 °C, even in an oxidizing atmosphere.

The homogeneous phase constitution of

SYMULOX® M 72 and the extremely low level of
impurities offers considerable advantages over
naturally occurring aluminosilicates.

Products based on sintered Mullite

SYMULOX M 72 also exhibit excellent chemical
®

resistance and high refractory properties. Micro-

crystalline Mullite shows high strength, combined Thermally etched surface of SYMULOX® M 72.
T [°C]

2100
Typical advantages of
liquid
corundum Mullite-refractories
+ liquid
• low uniform thermal
1900 expansion
SiO2 +
liquid • excellent thermal
shock resistance
mullite
• very good chemical
+ liquid
SYMULOX M72

1700 resistance
• high refractoriness
corundum also under load and
+ mullite
a high creep resist-
ance
1500
SiO2 +
mullite
0
SiO2 10 30 50 70 90 AI2O3
Wt - [%] (after Aramaki and Roy)
Phase diagram Al2O3-SiO2 Stable single phase region

Variations of the chemical composition in the ometric Mullite (3 Al2O3: 2 SiO2) consists of ap-
Al2O3 – SiO2 system will influence the mineralog- prox. 72 % Al2O3 and approx. 28 % by weight SiO2.
ical and physical properties of Mullite. Stoichi- Mullite exists as single phase (at atmospheric

22
pressure) only in a narrow stability field (s. green truly stable single phase area in the system Al2O3
zone, in image). SYMULOX M 72 of Nabaltec
® - SiO2. The lower the number of phases in a (sol-
has the exact chemical composition of the only id) phase-system, the higher the refractoriness.

Chemical and physical analysis of SYMULOX® M 72:

M 72 Mineralogical composiition Unit M 72

Analysis
[%]
Mullite [%] 90 – 95
Al2O3 72
Glassy phase [%] 5 – 10
SiO2 26
Corundum [%] ~1
Na2O 0.2
Physical properties* M 72
K2O 0.6
Bulk density [g/cm3] 2.8
CaO 0.05
Specific density [g/cm3] 3.13
MgO 0.1
Water absorption [%] 1
Fe2O3 0.3
Open porosity [%] 1.5
TiO2 0.2
Total porosity [%] 9

* measured on pellets

Standard and fine grain sizes of SYMULOX M 72:

®

ical loading. Defined grain size distributions (coarse

M 72
Analysis and fine) of SYMULOX® M 72 make it of use in all
[mm]
mentioned applications and give the opportunity to
K1 0 – 0.5 adjust the porosities of the final product.

K2 0.5 – 1.5
Due to its relatively low thermal conductivity and
K3 1.5 – 3.0 high corrosion resistance, SYMULOX® M 72 is
used in many different refractory areas (e.g., see
K4 3.0 – 5.0 table):

pellets > 8.0

SYMULOX® M 72 pellets. • foundry products
• kiln furniture

M 72 • thin-walled high-temperature ceramics

Analysis
[µm] • (un)shaped refractories

K0 C 3–5 • gunning mixes

• refractory castables
K0 7 – 15 • precast refractories…

K0 coarse 15 – 30
Examples of common applications of
SYMULOX® M 72:
The low thermal expansion of the material, re-
SYMULOX® M 72 various
sults a high thermal shock resistance. Due to
grain sizes.
that, synthetic Mullite M 72 is widely used in
Synthetic Mullites are excellent for high tempera- shaped refractories, mainly for the glass- and ce-
ture, long term applications, combined with mechan- ment-industries.

23
 ∆L/L 0 /%
1.6
Sintered alumina*
1.4

1.2

1.0
Sintered mullite
0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Temperatur [°C]
*After: Petzold A, Ulbricht J, Aluminiumoxid – Rohstoff-Werkstoff-
Werkstoffkomponente Deutscher Verlag für Grundstoffindustrie, Leipzig.

SYMULOX® in unshaped refractories

Unshaped refractories are widely used in the steel industry due to their better handling capability e.g. quicker lining.
Cumulative percentage pass [vol.-%]

100
Theory
(Andreassen)

10

Real castable
(expample)

0 1 10 100 1000
Grain size [µm]

Cumulative particle size distribution curve shows how close the grain size distri-
bution of the real castable (standard mixture) narrows to the theoretical optimum
(black curve). Blue circle: Grain size area for standard SYMULOX® grain size
(K1 – K4). Orange circle: Grain size area for fine SYMULOX® grain size (K0-types).

24
 Application example: Formulation of Mullite Physical properties of Mullite refractory
refractory concrete concrete recipe

Raw materials [wt.-%] Green strength [MPa]

SYMULOX® M 72 K4 (3.0 – 5.0 mm) 10.0 MOR* 2.7
SYMULOX® M 72 K3 (1.5 – 3.0 mm) 32.0 CCS** 12
SYMULOX M 72 K2 (0.5 – 1.5 mm)
®
8.0 Dried 110 °C / 24h
SYMULOX M 72 K1 (0 – 0.5 mm)
®
15.0
MOR 7.5
SYMULOX M 72 K0 (7 – 15 µm)
®
7.5
CCS 52.9
NABALOX® NO 135 5.0
Fired 600 °C / 24h
NABALOX® NO 325 10.0
MOR 7.2
NABALOX® NO 625-10 4.5
CCS 46.4
Microsilica® 971-U 4.5

SioxX® Zero 3.0 * Modulus of rupture

** Cold crushing strength
Secar® 71 0.5

Reactive Mullite SYMULOX® M 672

In unshaped refractory products reactive Mullite lite, which increases the corrosion resistance of
SYMULOX® M 672 is used as an easily dispersi- these products.
ble micro-filler to improve the flow behavior of free
flowing castables. This product contains a marginal amount of free
alumina (α-corundum) and silica (amorphous). Due
Advantages of SYMULOX® M 672 granules are: to wet milling and subsequent spray drying, the
• high specific surface area product appears granulated. This soft and easily
• highly sinter-able dispersible granulate is ideally suited for all refrac-
• very fine milled tory castables.
• spray dried
• easy to disperse…

Since the mullitization of the raw material is largely

complete, refractory precast shapes that contain
reactive Mullite SYMULOX® M 672 as a micro-filler
do not exhibit subsequent shrinkage, which would
be typical for micro-silica containing materials.

In unshaped refractory products the packing den- Many M 72 primary particles result in one spray
sity can be maximized by the use of reactive Mul- dried granulate M 672.

25
Cement free binder (NABACAST®)
No-cement castables

For the production of a new class of no-ce- have a higher capacity to incorporate CaO from the
ment-castables NABACAST , ®
an innovative slag resulting in a higher corrosion resistance.
cement-free binder, based on reactive alumina,
was developed by Nabaltec. The products of the Highly refractory
NABACAST -group act also as a binder, a
® NABACAST®-bonded refractory materials do not
micro-filler and a deflocculant. form a liquid phase at temperatures up to 1700 °C.
This guarantees excellent properties regarding hot
The reduction of cement content in refractories bending strength and refractoriness under load.
has been undergoing for decades and has led to a
significant increase in the performance of refrac- Cement-free
tory castables. Alternative hydraulic binders on NABACAST® contains only alumina and magne-
the basis of Al2O3 or MgO, allow the formulation of sia. This provides a possibility to produce unshaped
corundum based no cement castables (NCCs) that refractories, containing only the high temperature
even outperform state of the art ultra low cement stable refractory phases Corundum and Spinel.
castables (ULCCs) with cement contents of max. Typical chemical analysis of NABACAST®.
3 %. Corundum based castables free of CaO exhibit
higher hot modulus of rupture and higher refrac- Analysis NABACAST® RM 16 [%]
toriness under load (RUL), than those containing Al2O3 92
CaO, coming from the addition of calcium alumi-
MgO 7
nate cement (CAC). Furthermore, the corrosion of
Na2O < 0.3
Al2O3-based refractories by metallurgical slags can
be understood by the incorporation of CaO into the CaO < 0.3
castables microstructures. CaO-free refractories SiO2 < 0.05

27
 Binder

NABACAST® reacts hydraulically via forming hy-

Analysis Unit RM16
drates (see reaction equation), which causes con-
solidation of the refractory concrete. D10 [µm] 0.5

D50 [µm] 2
Setting mechanism:
Al2O3 + 4 MgO + 10 H2O [Mg4Al2 (OH)12]2+ [2 (OH) 3 H2O]2- D90 [µm] 8

Setting time [h] 5

Cold crushing strength* [MPa] 35

* measured on a test formulation

Micro-Filler

NABACAST® fulfils with particle sizes of < 3 μm NABACAST®-Binder shows a multimodal grain
the same function as reactive aluminas in estab- size distribution for lowest water demand and
lished, cement-containing, formulations. highest packing density.

Al2O3-particles < 0.5 µm

Al2O3-particles ~ 2 – 3 µm
MgO-particles
~ 10 – 20 µm (porous)

Deflocculant

There is no need to add a deflocculant to the

castables.

28
Practice compatibility

Due to difference in particle size, NABACAST®- alumina in the fraction 0 – 45 µm. Result of this
Binder and CAC cannot be exchanged 1 : 1 in the exchange are two castables with equal flowability,
castable formulation. Therefore, for the following water demand and density. Chemical composition
comparison, the decision was taken, to exchange is the important difference: While ULCC contains
NABACAST® by two reactive aluminas with a me- 99 % Al2O3 and 1 % CaO but NCC contains 99 %
dian grain size of 1.7 µm (NO 625-30) and 0.9 µm Al2O3 and 1 % MgO.
(NO 713-10 RF), and to exchange CAC by tabular
Cumulative percentage pass [vol.-%]

100

Real castable
(expample)

Theory
(Andreassen)
10

0 1 10 100 1000
Grain size [µm]
Cumulative particle size distribution curve shows how close the grain size
distribution of the real castable (standard mixture) narrows to the theoretical
optimum (black curve). Red circle: Grain size area for micro fillers, reactive
aluminas and/or NABACAST® (0.2 – 5 µm).

29
 Formulation example of NABACAST®-refractory concrete K99

Analysis Unit K99 NCC K99 ULCC

Tabular alumina 3 - 6 mm [%] 30 30

Tabular alumina 1 - 3 mm [%] 17 17

Tabular alumina 0.5 - 1 mm [%] 10 10

Tabular alumina 0 - 0.5 mm [%] 6 6

Tabular alumina 0 - 0.3 mm [%] 6 6

Tabular alumina 0 - 45 µm [%] 11.35 9.75

Calcined alumina NO 135 [%] 3.25 3.25

Reactive alumin NO 625-30 [%] 0 7.5

Reactive alumina NO 713-10 RF [%] 0 7.5

NABACAST® [%] 16.49 0

Aluminate cement [%] 0 3

Deflocculant (PCE) [g/100g] 0.09

H2O [ml/100g] 4.4 4.4

Setting kinetics
The setting process was monitored by a continuous reach a sound velocity of 1500 m/s was defined as
measurement of sound velocity in the castable sam- the setting time. As setting time is the central issue
ples during the setting process. The sound velocity of this paper, a statistical analysis on data quality
was measured with an IPS-measurement system was done by the evaluation of 14 repetitions of the
(Ultratest GmbH) at a ping rate of 1 min .The time to
-1
formulation without any additive addition.
c [10³ m/s]

K99 ULCC
4

K99 NCC
3

0
0 500 1000 1500
t [min]
Development of sound velocity (c) during the setting process of castables
bonded with NC-Binder or CAC. Comparison of setting kinetics of K99 NCC
vs. K99 ULCC.

30
 Physical main properties of NABACAST®-refractory concrete K99 NCC in comparison to K99 ULCC

Unit K99 NCC K99 ULCC

Spreading [%] 100 100 Same consistency

CCS*25 °C [MPa] 7 17.2 Slower strength evolution

CCS*110 °C [MPa] 31.5 20.8 Similar dried strength

Bulk density110 °C [g/cm³] 3.04 3.08 Same bulk density

Corrosion resistance

Based on its completely CaO-free phase constitu- By using NABACAST® life time expectancy of re-
tion, NABACAST® exhibits also an optimal chem- fractory parts, exposed to corrosive slag attack,
ical resistance. can be improved significantly.

A B

Slag test:
A: Crucible with K99 ULCC;
B: With K99 NCC (NABACAST®)

31
 Mode of action:
After a few millimeters, the infiltration stops and a fractory material that could cause a retardation of
slag bath remains in the crucibles. It is obviousely infiltration. In contrast, infiltration of slag into the
that slag is penetrating through the microstruc- CaO-free castable is retarded at a very early stage
ture of the CaO-containing castable quickly and and stops after a few mm.
without a significant reaction between slag and re-

CAC NABACAST®

Slag front of erosion

infiltrated castable
front of infiltration

un-infiltrated castable

CaO content of the matrix: Higher CaO-absorption

~2.5 % capacity

Castable Matrix:
Al2O3 + CaO

Slag:
CaO + SiO2 + MexOy
--> Increased slag viscosity
--> Slowdown of further infiltration

MexOy:
Unspecified metal oxides of slag

32
Special applications
 Viscosity adjustment for gunning mixes

NABALOX® milled soft calcined aluminas:

By comparison with the hard calcined aluminas, The use of other additives for plasticizing is often
the soft calcined exhibit a high specific surface not necessary. A number of foundry products, e.g.
area, based on their typically small primary crys- coatings are influenced positively regarding their
tals (< 0.5 μm). As a result, they are an ideal raw refractoriness and stability.
material to adjust the viscosity of plastic materials
or e.g. refractory gunning mixes.

Application recommendations NO 113 NO 313 NO 183 NO 283

Foundry products • •
Shaped refractories • • • •
Gunning mixes • • • •
Typical chemical and physical analysis of NABALOX® for viscosity adjustment

Analysis Unit NO 113 NO 313 NO 183 NO 283

Al2O3 [%] 99.6 99.6 99.7 99.7

Na2O [%] 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

SiO2 [%] 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03

Fe2O2 [%] 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03

Spec. surface area (BET) [m2/g] 9 10 10 10

α-Al2O3 content [%] 95 95 95 95

D10 [µm] 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.7

D50 [µm] 3 2 10 5

D90 [µm] 31.5 16.2 50 25

Primary crystal size [µm] <1 <1 0.2 0.2

34
Service for our customers
 Service
for our customers

Technical service development / production Laboratory services

Nabaltec AG develops new products and refines Our analysis centre is responsible for independent
innovative products in close cooperation with our production control and quality offers laboratory
customers and raw material suppliers. services for customers intending to use our large
analytical equipment.
Here we use our own lab facilities as well as our
excellent contacts to external test institutes and With this excellent equipment we are able to exe-
laboratories to offer our customers a wide range cute analytic tests in the area of inorganic solids,
of service to support them in formulation develop- trace elements and water quality.
ment and test procedures.
The certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO
The successful implementation of this develop- 17025 confirms the high service standards of
ment and the intensive customer consultations our lab.
enable Nabaltec AG an interaction with our cus-
tomers in a cooperative, responsible and innova- We will gladly inform you about our capabilities.
tive manner. This culminates in the development
of high performance products at the customer as
well as in our facility.

Additionally, we have the capacity to fashion tailor

made products for special customer requirements
and their highly sophisticated and demanding
markets.

36
Nabaltec
product portfolio

NABALOX® APYRAL®

Aluminium oxides, for the production Aluminium hydroxides, as flame

of ceramic, refractory and polishing retardant and functional filler
products

APYRAL® AOH GRANALOX®

Boehmite, as flame retardant filler Ceramic bodies, for the production

and functional filler of engineering ceramics

NABACAST® SYMULOX®

Hydraulic, cement-free binder, Synthetic sintered Mullite, for the pro-

based on α-alumina duction of e.g. refractory products

ACTILOX®

Boehmite, as flame retardant filler

and catalyst carrier

37
 Nabaltec
worldwide

Visit us at our website www.nabaltec.de where you will find the latest company updates and
recent versions of all available certificates free for download as PDF-documents.

Naprotec LLC
Chattanooga, TN, USA

Nabaltec AG
Schwandorf, Germany

Nabaltec USA Corporation

Corpus Christi, TX, USA

Nashtec LLC
Corpus Christi, TX, USA

Locations Agencies

38
 Nabaltec Asia Pacific K.K.
Tokyo, Japan

Further information:

Nabaltec AG
P.O. Box 1860 · 92409 Schwandorf
Phone +49 9431 53-0
www.nabaltec.de
[email protected]

Customer Service
Phone +49 9431 53 910
[email protected]

Nabaltec (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd.

Shanghai, China Technical Service
Phone +49 9431 53 920
[email protected]

39
Nabaltec AG
P.O. Box 1860 · 92409 Schwandorf

Tel +49 9431 53-0

Fax +49 9431 61 557

www.nabaltec.de
[email protected]

All data listed in this brochure are reference values and subject to production tolerance. These values are exclusive to the prod-
uct description and no guarantee is placed on the properties. It remains the responsibility of the users to test the suitability of
the product for their application.

02 / 2020