Present trend on refractory uses for

reheating furnaces
D. N. Nandi Et G. D. Singh
Kumardhubi Fireclay & Silica Works Ltd.,
Kumardhubi.
The Reheating Furnaces play an im-

The function and service conditions

portant role in processing steel and its

of reheating furnaces have been des-

alloys for the production of finished

products. The steel ingots, slabs or
bars are heated in these furnaces to an
even temperature throughout their

cribed in a nut shell. The operating

body so that they can be properly

parameters to be withstood by the

refractories are also given. Besides
the temperature, the attack due to

rolled or pressed into strip, plate, rod,

furnace atmosphere, slag or mill scale,

abrasion and thermal shock are the

angle or any other shape as required.

main important factors. The types of

The temperature generally varies from

1130 to 1425C, depending upon the

refractories in common use for reheat-

quality of the steel, size of the product, etc Although the consumption
of refractories per tonne of steel for

ing furnaces have been mentioned

along with their typical properties.
Lastly the present trend of the use of
monolithic refractories has been poin-

the reheating furnaces Is not much, the

object for the consumers is to have

ted out. The speck characteristics of

such monolithics to be used in dif-

better and better refractories for gett-

ferent parts of the reheating furnaces

ing longer life with less number of

have also been illustrated.

shutdowns for intermediate repairs.

This will ultimately lead to reduced
cost for refractories.

reheating furnaces such as Walking

beam furnace, Continuous pusher fur-

The Reheating Furnaces may be

nace and so on. The size and shape

broadly divided into batch and continu-

of the reheating furnaces are different

ous type. Although soaking pit is a

for different products depending upon

type of reheating furnace, it is not

normally considered under reheating

its design with an ultimate object of

getting uniform temperature in the

furnaces. The batch type reheating

stock without much surface defect and

furnaces generally consist of bogie or

maximum heat efficiency. There may

carbottom type of furnaces. There are

be both electrically heated as well as

various designs of continuous type

fuel fired furnaces.

70

The service conditions" for the re-

The refractories used for the cons-

fractories are the operating tempera-

truction of reheating furnaces are more

ture, furnace atmosphere, abrasion re-

or less similar to those required for the

sistance, thermal shock resistance and

soaking pits. In this paper, mostly the

the attack by the slag or mill-scale.

refractories for reheating furnace would

The temperature as already mentioned

be dealt with, The most important

may be as high as 1425'C, with rarely

portions of the reheating furnaces are

exceeding 1500C. Generally, the roof

the hearth and roof. The hearth is

temperature of the reheating furnaces

are about

,
10.50C higher than the

temperatu; n required for heating up

the stock. The desirable furnace at-

the only portion in contact with the

stock or charge and the roof is affected
by the atmosphere and iron oxide in
particular.

mosphere is slightly on the oxidising

The hearth Is constructed with high

side, but sometimes, reducing atmos-

alumina refractories containing about

phere occur as a result of poor com-

85% alumina as given in table I. it

bustion air distribution or failure of

may be pointed out that in our country

automatic, control. The slag attack in

excepting the skids, the hearth is not

the reheating furnace is actually due to

generally constructed with such a high

mill-scale or iron oxide fumes.

The

alumina content refractory. High

hearth of the furnace and the lower

alumina plastics with and without phos-

portion of the side walls are normally

phate bond have also been recommen-

attacked by the mill-scale and the roof

ded for use in the hearth. Skids are

is attacked by iron oxide dust or fumes.

often made of electrocast high alumina

The hearth, the lower portion of the

refractory. Besides high alumina,

wall and particularly the refractory

chrome plastic has also been used suc-

skids are to withstand high resistance

cessfully in the hearth construction.

to abrasion at the operating tempera-

In case of chrome plastic, special care

ture. The resistance to thermal shock

is necessary to avoid lime in chrome

Is important for the batch type fur-

plastic, because even a small percentage

naces. The spalling is, however, pre-

of lime produces low fusable tom-

sent In all ahe types of furnaces due

pound.

to reaction with mill-scale and iron

oxide. The strain developed at the

The side wall does not pose any

interface of the reacted portion and

problem except in the lower portion

the unreacted portion, produces cracks

where sometimes the wall touches the

leading to spalling.

charge. This lower portion is cons-

The Important factors' for the choice

of proper refractories are

tructed of high alumina products,

either brick or plastics but the upper

I) Operating temperature

portion of the wall Is normally made

2)

Heating cycle

from 35.40% alumina firebricks. This

3)

Impingement of flame

firebrick wall Is being backed by insu-

4)

Contact with the stock

lating bricks for reducing the heat los

71

ses through the wall. The properties

Lion as well as repair. which

of the firebricks are given In table /.

means less downtime.

5)

The refractories containing 35 65%

Has less thermal conductivity

compared to bricks, which also

alumina have been used in the roofs

depending on the condition of the fur-

adds to fuel efficiency.

6)

nace. The main problem is the reheat

Reduces inventory for the consumers.

shrinkage and spalling resistance. This

spalling resistance must be both due
to pure thermal effect and also due to
chemical reaction with Iron oxide.

Plastic refractories containing 50 to

90% alumina have been reported to be

Use of castables and plastics has also

used in almost all the parts of the

come Into vogue for roof construction.

reheating furnaces. The side walls and

Properties of the refractories used In

roofs consumed mostly plastic refrac-

roof are also given in table I.

tories containing lower alumina content in the range of 50 to 60% alumina

giving a life of 4 to 8 years. The burner ports are made from 70 to 80%

Properties of some of the indigenous

refractories used for reheating furnaces
are stated in table II.

alumina plastic refractories whereas the

hearth of the furnaces is made out of
higher alumina content plastics even

The recuperator chamber. flue and

upto 90%. Even then the life of the

stack are being made of plastics, casta-

hearth is not more than 18 months.

bles and firebricks. The recuperator

tubes are either silicon carbide or sllli-

This high alumina plastic was specially

used to resist the reaction with mill-

manite In order to have high thermal

scale and iron oxide. The plastic re-

conductivity. The life of these areas

fractory for hearth construction was

is fairly long and many extend upto

15 years.

sometimes made with phosphate

bonding for higher strength. As
Mentioned earlier, chrome plastic was

The monolithic refractories parti-

also used for hearth construction

cularly plastics are coming Into use in

with better performances. Some of the

characteristics of the plastic refractories

place of bricks for various advantages

as noted below

have been shown In table III.

1)

Provides flexibility of design for

maximum fuel efficiency.

It may be pointed out at the end

that the bricks or monolithic refrac-

2)

Gives Jointless construction

tories required for hearth should be

which is desirable for lower heat

such that the reaction with the mill-

loss through the construction.

scale and iron oxide should be mini-

3)

Reported to give longer life.

mum. Similarly, the roof bricks should

4)

Takes shorter time for construc.

also have good thermal shock as well

72

as resistance to reaction with iron

oxide. In order to achieve this characteristic it has been observed that the
refractories used for hearth and roof

References
J. H. CH ESTERS--Refractories for iron and
Steel Making" The Metal Society, London,
1974.

are comparatively of higher alumina

G. M. VORKMAN"High-alumina bricks in
the roofs of continuous slab reheating furnaces" Trans Brit Ceram Soc., 61, 11, .753772, 1962.

content with low Fe203. No such

special care Is required for wide wall
construction

TABLE-1
Properties of Refractories for Reheating Furnaces12

Properties

Medium to
HI-ID Fire-

Super Duty
Firebrick

Sillimanite
Brick

Mullite
Brick

80.90

1.0-1.5

1.0-1.5

2.5-3.0

20-25

16-20

20-24

14-18

17-21

1,95-1.98

2.0-2.2

2.2-2.4

2.45.2.55

2.8-3.0

300-350

500.700

600-800

500-600

-0.5
1500C,
2 hrs

.0.5
1500C,
2 hrs

-1.0
17002C,

-0.7
1500C,

Good

Excellent

-0.5

1450C,
2 hrs
Thermal
Shock

70-74

40

1,5-2.0

CCS, Kg/cm2 200.250

PLC, %

38

1.5-2.4

Fe 202, %

BD, gm/cc

36
58-60

35-38

33-35
42.45

A1203, %

AP,

Alumina
Brick

, brick

PCE (Orton) 3I-3If

High

Good

73

5 hrs

2 hrs

Excellent

Excellent

TABLEIl
Properties of some Indigenous Refractories in use
for Reheating Furnaces

Properties

HHD
Firebrick

Super Duty Firebrick

I

ii

Sillimanite
Brick

High Alumina Brick

!I
36

36

40

42-45 '

58.60

61.63

80-85

1.5.2.0

1,5-2.0

0.5-1.0

0.5-1.0

0.5-1

23.26

18-23

18-20

22-25

22-25

14-16

BD, gm/cc

2.0.2.1

2.1.2.15

2.1-2.2

2.2-2.4

2.3-2.4

3.0-36

CCS, kg/cma

170.230

200-250

250.300

300-400

220.270

800-1000

PLC, %

-0.5

-0.5

.0.5

-0.5

-0.5

.0.5

1400C,

1450C,

1450C

1500C,

1500C,

1600C

2 hrs

2 hrs

2 hrs

2 hrs

2 hrs

2 hrs

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

PCE (Orten)

3II-32

32/-33

33.34

A1203, %

38-40

40-43

Fe203, %

2.0-2.5

AP;

Thermal
Shock
Resistance

Good

Excellent

Excellent

74

'TABLEIll
Properties of some Monolithic Refractories, in use
for Reheating Furnaces

Properties Super Duty

Castables
Plastic
Mullite Corundum
bails
base

PCE (Orton) 35.36

38

40

indigenous
Plastic Plastic Castable Castable
CorunSuper High
Super
dum base
Duty
Alumina Duty

32.33

55-60

68.72

85-90

Fe2O3. %

1-2

0.5-1.0

02-0.5

0.7.1.5

BD. gm/cc
after drying

2.2.2.3

2.3-2.4

2.7-2.8

2 3-2.4

30-40

40-50

Service
1650
Temperature

1700

1800

75

28-30

38

45-50

92-94

1-5-2.5

0.5-0.8

2.8-2.9 2.0-2.2

2.7-2.8

43-45 79.81

A1203. %

MOR. kg/cmi 4-6

after drying

38

1.5-2,0

20-30

4 6

50-100 40-50

1500

1700

1600

1800