WO1979000214A1

WO1979000214A1 - Refractory ramming mix containing aluminum powder for metal melting furnaces

Info

Publication number: WO1979000214A1
Application number: PCT/US1978/000114
Authority: WO
Inventors: R Alliegro; R Stark
Original assignee: Norton Co
Priority date: 1977-10-14
Filing date: 1978-10-13
Publication date: 1979-04-19
Also published as: AU4073178A; IT1160860B; GB2023568A; ES474219A1; GB2023568B; AU520517B2; DE2857083A1; JPS54500010A; SE7904659L; IT7869374A0; DE2857083C1; FR2405909A1; SE419637B

Abstract

A refractory ramming mix for forming linings for containers of molten metal which contains graded refractory grains sized to minimize porosity, sintering aids or fluxes, and aluminium powder in the amount of 1 to 15 percent by volume.

Description

REFRACTORY RAMMING MIX CONTAINING ALUMINUM POWDER FOR METAL MELTING FURNACES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dry vibrated or rammed-in-place refractory cements for linings for molten metal furnaces or containers have been known in the literature since at least as early as British Patent 226,801 to Rohn. Such mixes are typically rammed in place between the coil of a coreless induction furnace and a form such as a steel shell (where steel or iron is being melted). The steel shell and added charge is inductively heated and melted to "fire" the refractory lining. Such linings fail by penetration of the melt through the lining by cracking, erosion and too much porosity.

Typically, in ferrous metal melting, such linings may last for less than one week of production.

The use of aluminum metal in refractory mixes, for forming bricks is known. However, no use of fine aluminum in dry vibratory ramming mixes, to oxidize to form alumina, is known, prior to the present invention. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resides in the addition of fine aluminum powder to dry vibratory or ramming mix consisting of a graded refractory grain mixture with or without one or more sintering or bonding aids. The aluminum should be present in the calculated amount of from 1 to 15% by volume of the total solids. For alumina mixtures from 1 to 10% by weight is satisfactory. For denser zirconia mixes, less aluminum powder will be required to provide the same volume % in the mix. Oxides of boron, particularly boric acid, are useful additions and are believed to provide a source of oxygen to promote the combustion of the aluminum powder. Other sources of oxygen are the water from boric acid, ambient atmosphere, and metal oxides, e.g., iron oxide in the contained molten metal.

The aluminum should be in the form of an impalpable powder, 10 microns or less in particle diameter, preferably 5 microns or less.

Preferred refractory grains are alumina, magnesia, magnesia-chromia, and spinel. Mixtures of these materials may be used. When fused spinel (MgO·Al₂O₃) grain is employed, it is desirable to include reactive fines of alumina and magnesia in the mix, which form spinel in situ upon firing, as is well known in the art, to help form a dense lining. The aluminum, in use conditions in the furnace (or upon preliminary heating), oxidizes to form gamma type alumina, and increases in volume. This results in decreased porosity, and it is believed the heat of combustion of the metal also aids in the sintering. In any event improved linings, in terms of increased life and decreased porosity are the result, when linings formed from mixes of this invention are compared to similar mixes which do not contain aluminum powder. The maximum amount of aluminum powder which is useful in the invention is determined by the pore volume of the cement and the ex¬

OΛ-P

Λy ^WiP pansion of the aluminum when it oxidizes. For alumina mixes, 10% is about the maximum weight percent allowable, and, in general, 15% by volume is the upper limit.

The most useful refractory grains for metal melting furnace linings of this invention are alumina, magnesia, magnesia-chromia, magnesia-alumina spinel, and alumina-chromia. Of less general utility are linings of silica grains, silicon carbide grains, mullite grains, zircon grains, and zirconia grains. SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following examples "mesh size" refers to the U.S. Standards mesh sieve screens. A preferred example of the invention is composed as follows (all percentages by weight): fused alumina, through 4 on 16 mesh; 38% fused alumina, through 16 on 325 mesh; 25% fused alumina coated with about 4 weight % glass (as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,793,040), the coated particles being through 24 on 90 mesh; 20% raw kyanite through 170 on 200 mesh; 20% aluminum powder through 200 mesh; 5% silicon carbide powder through 200 mesh; 5% aluminum metal powder, 4.5 micrometer diameter; 3% boric acid 1%

To characterize and test come of its properties, a mix of the above compositions was formed into a lining in a steel melting furnace, and pieces of the lining were examined. The heat formed cement had an apparent porosity (volume of open pores) of 17%, and a bulk density of 200 pounds per cubic foot (3.2 gms/cc). Without the aluminum additions, the cement after forming in a steel melting furnace had an apparent porosity of 20%, and a density of

185 pounds per cubic foot (3.0 gms/cc).

The cement containing aluminum powder was used in a test in a coreless furnace melting recycled steel. Previously no cement, including those based on silica, zircon, magnesia, and alumina, had lasted a week in this environment.

All failed by severe erosion, metal penetration.

Erosion and chemical attack were low. An example of a spinel mix is as follows: fused spinel 4 mm and finer

(5 mesh and finer) 86% fused MgO, 100 mesh and finer 4% fused Al₂O₃ 200 mesh and finer 4% fine calcined Bayer aluminum 2%

4.5 micrometer aluminum powder 3% boric acid, finely divided 1% An example of a fused MgO mix is: fused MgO through 6 on 90 mesh 63% fused MgO 100 mesh and finer 17% fused MgO 200 mesh and finer 15% fused alumina 200 mesh and finer 2% aluminum powder 4 micrometers and finer 3% boric acid (finely divided) 0.5%

As can be seen from the above examples the low temperature flux may be present in an amount as small as 1/2% by weight. Normally not more than 5% of such flux would be employed, and, as indicated below, the low temperature flux can be omitted entirely.

An example of how to make and use a formulation which does not employ any low temperature flux is presented below. Formulation:

Material Size Wt. %

Al₂O₃ aggregate 94.5% pure 6F 60

Al₂O₃ aggregate 99.5% pure 24F 30

Al₂O₃ finely crushed 99.8% pure 200F 4

SiO₂ aggregate 99.0% pure 100F 3

Aluminum Powder 4 micron 3

Use:

Installation Vibrated into place using forms, Firing Schedule 1. Bring temperature to 400ºF. at 100ºF./hour.

2. Hold at 400ºF. for one hour.

3. Bring to 1000ºF. at 300ºF/- hour.

4. Hold at 1000°F. for one hour,

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A dry refractory ramming or vibration cement for forming monolithic linings in situ in metal furnaces consisting of coarse, intermediate, and fine particles of a crystallin refractory selected from the group consisting of alumina, alumina-chrcmia, zirconia, spinel, silica, silicon carbide, magnesia-chromia, zircon, mullite, magnesia, and combinations thereof, up to 5% of an intermediate temperature flux, and finely particulate aluminum having a particle size of 10 microns or less sufficiently finely divided to oxidize to alumina in situ during the operation of the furnace, said aluminum being present in an amount insufficient to produce a direct electrical path through the rammed refractory mix, and insufficient to completely fill the pores of the rammed mix upon oxidation to alumina, but being present in an amount at least equal to.1% and not more than 15%, by volume, of the mixture solids.

2. A cement as in claim 1, containing at least one fluxing aid selected from the group consisting of glass, clay, and boric acid in the amount of up to 5% by weight.

3. A cement as in claim 1, in which the crystalline refractory is selected from the group consisting of alumina, magnesia, and spinel.