Exploring Dry-out Behaviour and Explosion Resistance of Microsilica-gel Bonded No-cement Castables

doi:10.19691/j.cnki.1004-4493.2024.03.003

China's Refractories ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3): 15-21.DOI: 10.19691/j.cnki.1004-4493.2024.03.003

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Exploring Dry-out Behaviour and Explosion Resistance of Microsilica-gel Bonded No-cement Castables

Hong PENG^*

Elkem Silicon Products Development, Kristiansand 4621, Norway

Online:2024-09-15 Published:2024-10-30
Contact: *e-mail: hong.peng@elkem.com
About author:Dr. Hong Peng is a senior research scientist and project manager at Elkem Silicon Products Development, Kristiansand in Norway. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Department of Material Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University in China, and her Ph.D. from Stockholm University in Sweden. Her master’s research focused on developing new fiber-reinforced composites for high-temperature applications, and her doctoral project utilized spark plasma sintering techniques for Si3N4-based ceramics. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive knowledge and expertise in ceramics and refractory research through various roles, including lecturer and researcher at Zhejiang University, guest researcher/teaching assistant at Stockholm University, and postdoctoral researcher at the Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research in Germany. She has published over 100 papers in well-established scientific journals and conferences, such as Nature, the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, and the Journal of Materials Research. Additionally, she holds a patent for a calcium aluminate cement slurry designed for oil field applications. She is also a member of the American Ceramic Society and a steering member of the education board of FIRE. She received several prestigious awards, including the Outstanding Teacher Award from Zhejiang University in China, and the 3rd Prize of ALAFAR Award 2012 (Mexico) and 1st Prize of ALAFAR Award 2014 (Chile, Best paper/presentation). Currently, she is responsible for monolithic refractory technology and new product development for refractory as a senior research scientist and project manager at Elkem Silicon Product Innovation Department. She has been a mentor for exchange students at Elkem for many years, and her background and experience have allowed her to make significant contributions to the field of materials science and engineering.

Abstract

Abstract: Cement-free castables have attracted significant attention due to their superior thermal-mechanical properties and rapid dry-out in comparison to cement-bonded refractory castables. However, drying industrial-scale specimens can pose more challenges than lab-scale samples. In this study, the dry-out behavior and explosion resistance of microsilica-gel bonded no-cement castables (NCCs) were investigated on both lab- and industrial-scale specimens, employing various drying agents. First, the fast dry-out mechanism was assessed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on lab-scale small samples. Then, the drying behavior of industrial-scale large samples (300 mm×300 mm×300 mm cubes, approximately 80 kg) was studied using a unique macro-thermo-balance (macro-TGA). The results showed that EMSIL-DRY^® reduced the temperature level for maximum dewatering rate and effectively prevented explosions during heat-up, compared to other polymer fibres. The use of a specialty drying agent (EMSIL-DRY^®) significantly improved the explosion resistance, as demonstrated by the production of a perfect 400 kg block fired to 850 °C at a rate of 50 °C · h^-1. This research contributes to the understanding and application of cement-free castables in industrial settings.

Key words: rapid dry-out, microsilica-gel bond, no-cement castable (NCC), EMSIL-DRY^®

Hong PENG. Exploring Dry-out Behaviour and Explosion Resistance of Microsilica-gel Bonded No-cement Castables[J]. China's Refractories, 2024, 33(3): 15-21.

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Exploring Dry-out Behaviour and Explosion Resistance of Microsilica-gel Bonded No-cement Castables

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