Large Furnaces Shaping Refractory Future

Large Furnaces Shaping Refractory Future

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The refractory industry in India is undergoing changes. And the reasons for the transition in demand are three-fold – increase in the capacity of furnaces; shift in technology or operational philosophy and demand for new grades and improved quality of steel.

Nowadays, to gain from economies of scale, user industries of refractories, mainly the steel industry, which commands a leading 70-75 percent share of the demand, are opting for larger capacity furnaces. Today, blast furnaces in steel plants with a working volume of more than 4,000 m3 and basic oxygen furnaces of 300 tons are the order of the day. And to support these kinds of hugely productive furnaces, there is a need for technically improved refractory materials, which is being met by the industry, resulting in a gradually reducing demand for the conventional refractory.

Innovations

 Refractory materials are used in providing refractory lining in furnaces, kilns, incinerators, and reactors. These materials have a high melting point (greater than 1,520 degree Celsius) and they are subjected to various conditions such as extremely high temperature, abrasions and chemical corrosions, slag attacks and chemical reactions when they are used in refractory linings. Hence, these materials must be able to endure these conditions with less wear and tear and high reliability.

In a bid to satisfy the demand for highly efficient refractory requirements of the steel industry, the refractory makers are resorting to innovations.