Carbon refractory materials
Carbon refractory materials are refractory materials that contain carbon compounds. These materials exhibit high chemical and temperature resistance, making them suitable for high temperature applications in a variety of industries including steelmaking, non-ferrous metallurgy, electric power, cement, glass production, and petrochemical processing.
Carbon refractory materials are classified into two broad types depending on their chemical composition: the carbon-containing oxides and the carbon-free oxides. Carbon-containing oxides are the most commercially available type of carbon refractories. They consist of compounds such as carbon monoxide, graphite, or carbon dioxide mixed with a variety of other oxides to form a dense matrix. This matrix provides a strong barrier against thermal shock and other physical damage. Carbon-free oxides are commonly used in applications where temperature resistance is required along with improved resistance to chemical attack. Examples of carbon-free refractories include calcite and magnesite.
Carbon refractory materials are available in a variety of forms such as bricks, castables, welded-on shapes, and preforms. Different types of carbon refractory materials are used for various applications. Carbon bricks are commonly used in tool and foundry applications due to their excellent thermal shock resistance. Carbon castables are used to make permanent fixtures such as ovens and furnaces, while welded-on shapes are commonly used in maintenance and repair work. The preform technology involves forming molten carbon into a predetermined shape that is then placed into the application.
Carbon refractory materials have a wide variety of applications. Carbon bricks and castables are used in industrial furnaces, kilns, and boilers, for lining or for insulation. They are also used for furnace linings and insulation in a variety of metallurgical and chemical processing applications, such as smelting, refining, and heat-treating applications involving ferrous alloys. Carbon castables, bricks, and welded-on shapes are also used in the manufacture of exhaust systems for automobiles, heat exchangers for power plants, and containment vessels for high-temperature molten salts, such as sodium and potassium.
Carbon refractory materials offer numerous advantages over other types of refractory materials including excellent thermal shock resistance, high durability, and high resistance to chemical attack. Moreover, they are non-toxic, easy to install, and cost-effective. They can also be used in applications where other refractory materials cannot, such as extremely high temperatures or certain chemical environments. As such, they are increasingly being used in a variety of industries and applications.
