Overview of Refractory Materials

A. Bhatia, B.E.

Course Outline

Manufacturing processing involving high temperatures whether melting, refining, sintering, heating and soaking or heat treatment needs refractories to withstand service conditions at the desired operating temperatures. Use of the right type of refractories in furnaces and kilns, increase their efficiency and result in substantial fuel savings.

This 3 hour online course covers the type of refractories, their properties and applications, and how they may be applied to give better fuel efficiency and service life. The course is aimed at students, profession engineers, energy auditors, operational & maintenance engineers and loss prevention engineers.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be aware of:

• The function and application of refractories
• The characteristics and properties of refractories
• The classification and types of refractories
• The potential benefits of refractories
• The forms and shapes of refractories
• The typical refractories used in industrial use
• The selection aspects of right refractory material
• The potential heat losses and conservation of energy
• The refractory use in metallurgical furnaces, kilns and miscellaneous equipment
  
  

Intended Audience

This course is aimed at individuals, professional engineers, energy auditors, HSE personnel, O&M professionals and loss prevention engineers who are responsible for the design, selection, installation and inspection of refractory systems in iron and steel industries, cement, glass, non-ferrous metals, petro-chemicals and fertilizer industry, chemicals, ceramics and even thermal power stations and incinerators.

Course Introduction

Refractories are the backbone of industry because they are essential for all thermal and chemical processing worldwide.

Refractories are inorganic, nonmetallic and heat resistant materials that can withstand high temperature without rapid physical & chemical deterioration.

Refractories are expensive, and any failure in the refractories results in a great loss of production time, equipment, and sometimes the product itself. The various type of refractories influence energy consumption and product quality. Therefore, the problem of obtaining refractories best suited to each application is of supreme importance. Refractories are also vital for the safe operation of the processes and must not expose personnel to hazardous conditions during their manufacture, installation, and use or during disposal following their use.

This course reviews the above criteria together with the types, characteristics and properties of various refractories. There is an outline of energy conservation and therefore the cost savings.

Course Content

The course content is in a PDF file Overview of Refractory Materials . You need to open or download this document to study this course.

Course Summary

Refractories are heat resistant materials that can withstand high temperature without rapid physical & chemical deterioration.

Most often, the refractory must withstand temperatures greater than 815°C (~1500°F). A refractory can be chemically basic, such as the mineral, dolomite, or acidic, such as silica.

Continuous improvement of refractories materials have improved service life and has decreased consumption rate significantly.

It is important that due regard to required levels of refractory lining be given at the initial design stages of process plant. With the advent of technology in refractory materials, many upgraded alternatives are available to engineers for application in industry. Economics greatly influence the appropriate selection and the refractory best suited for an application is not necessarily the one that lasts the longest, but rather the one which provides the best balance between initial installed cost and service performance.

Related Reading

Insulation Audit and the Economic Thickness of Insulation

Refractories are used for very high temperature applications usually exceeding 1500°F. For temperatures below 1500°F, insulation is used to prevent heat loss, to maintain process conditions and for operation safety. The course "Process Plant Insulation & Fuel Efficiency" provides an overview of insulating materials, various types, properties and installation aspects. The second part of the course titled "Insulation Audit and the Economic Thickness of Insulation" discusses the assessment of heat losses and economics of using the optimum thickness of insulation. This is a suggested reading.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.com or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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