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Technical Paper
SAINT-GOBAIN’S CERAMIC CUP: AN UPDATE
Boumahdi N1 , Roulet F1 , Jourdan A2 , Micollier M2 1 Saint-Gobain CREE 550 avenue Alphonse Jauffret, Cavaillon, France, 84 306 Phone: +(33) 4 32 50 09 00
Email:
najih.boumahdi@
saint-gobain.com 2
Saint-Gobain Savoie Réfractaires 4 Rue de l’Industrie, Vénissieux, France, 69 200 Phone: +(33) 4 78 78 13 96 Email:
rory.mcnally@
saint-gobain.com
Keywords: Sialon bonded corundum, wear profile, ceramic cup, blast furnace lining, lifetime campaign, erosion.
Glossary of definitions and abbreviations: BF = Blast Furnace; CC = Ceramic Cup which includes hearth wall and pad linings; GRW = Global Refractory Wall which includes carbon and ceramic linings; CW = Ceramic Wall made of Coranit or Coranit Al materials.
ABSTRACT
Saint-Gobain has pioneered and developed innovative refractory solutions for the blast-furnace for many years. From the first Ceramic Cup in the early 1980’s to date, new materials have been designed and developed and still today new products are being created. For the hearth, the Ceramic Cup in Coranit Al bricks has become globally accepted.
However, a large number of alternative Ceramic Cup solutions, supplied by other companies, have emerged over the years with often reduced performance. Saint-Gobain’s name is still closely linked with the one of Ceramic Cup. As a consequence, after several years of operation, where possible, data has been gathered and analysed to evaluate the wear profile evolution of the Saint-Gobain Sialon bonded Ceramic Cup.
INTRODUCTION
Saint-Gobain High Performance Refractories design, manufacture and supply refractory lining solutions and services used in several applications for the iron and steel industry. The Ceramic Cup concept was created and promoted by Saint-Gobain in the 80’s to protect the carbon lining
inside BF crucible (Figure 2). The ceramic wall plays a major role in this philosophy, forming the stable layer that protects the carbon lining [1, 2]. Saint-Gobain’s Ceramic Cup has been supplied and installed in almost 100 blast furnaces worldwide making the company become the reference for this technology. To withstand the severe conditions existing inside BF hearth, refractory solutions moved originally from large pre-cast blocks in Chrome-Alumina to Brown-fused alumina then finally today to small Sialon- bonded corundum brick. Two generations of Sialon bonded material were developed consecutively: Coranit and Coranit Al.
The following advantages are generally admitted to Sialon bonded wall in front of carbon lining:
- No dissolution by carbon unsaturated iron.
- Very good corrosion resistance to slag and melting iron at high temperature (1400°C – 1600°C).
- Very good stability to chemical attack especially alkali and zinc attack. - Very good oxidation resistance in case of water leakage. - Excellent thermo-mechanical properties. - Low thermal conductivity leading to heat/energy and coke savings.
The wear of hearth refractories is widely recognized as the main limitation for a long BF campaign. As a result, the choice of the following three pillars respectively ceramic cup design, refractory materials and their installation is being recognized as the critical decision for customers during reline [3].
Wear mechanisms involved in the blast furnace hearth are mainly: , McNally R2
Figure 1: Some characteristics of BF designs studied in the paper July 2017 Issue ENGINEER THE REFRACTORIES 19
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