What is the Difference between Low Cement Castable and Ordinary Refractory Castable?

The low cement series refractory castables are developed on the basis of clay-combined refractory castables. According to their content characteristics, they are mainly divided into low cement refractory castables, ultra-low cement refractory castables, and cement-free refractory castables.

The main characteristics of low cement series refractory castables are high volume density, low porosity, high compressive strength, good wear resistance, good thermal shock resistance and strong erosion resistance. In terms of construction, the advantages of low cement refractory castables are strong volume stability and low water consumption in construction. Because of these, low cement refractory castables are widely used.

Rongsheng Low Cement Castable
Rongsheng Low Cement Castable

Classification of Low-Cement Series Refractory Castables

There is no national standard or industry standard for this product in the industry. Therefore, manufacturers have many names for this type of product, some are called dense high-strength refractory castables, some are called low-porosity refractory castables, and some are called low-moisture refractory castables based on the characteristic of low water addition during construction. In foreign countries, the United States classifies low-cement series products according to the calcium oxide content in the castable. Traditional cement castables (calcium oxide content greater than 2.5), low-cement castables (calcium oxide content between 1.0 and 2.5), ultra-low cement castables (calcium oxide content between 0.2 and 1.0), cement-free or ultra-fine powder castables (calcium oxide content less than 0.2).

According to the material of its main raw materials, it is divided into mullite low cement castable, corundum low cement castable, spinel low cement castable, aluminum silicate low cement castable, high aluminum low cement castable, etc.

According to its scope of use, it is divided into ladle refractory castable, iron ditch refractory castable, etc. Different parts of use can directly name the low cement refractory castable.

Compared with traditional aluminate cement castables, low cement refractory castables have a lower cement content. Generally, the cement content of low cement series products is less than 4%, and the water content is less than 11%.

Low-Cement Steel Fiber Reinforced Castable
Low-Cement Steel Fiber Reinforced Castable

What are the Differences between Low-Cement Castables and Ordinary Refractory Castables?

Low-cement castables have the characteristics of high density, low porosity, high strength, low wear, thermal shock resistance and erosion resistance. They are mainly used in metallurgy, electric power, petroleum, chemical industry and various silicate kilns. Such as some components of off-furnace refining devices, off-furnace refining bag covers, electric furnace top linings, heating furnace soaking furnace linings, annealing furnace linings, tundish linings, steel tapping troughs, high-temperature burners and blast furnace iron tapping ditch covers, iron ladle linings, etc.

Low-cement castables have high fluidity. They are used as industrial furnace linings. On-site pouring, smearing and ramming construction methods can be used.

Low cement castables are similar to ordinary refractory castables. They are all composed of refractory aggregates, refractory fine powders and binders. The difference is that in the matrix composed of refractory fine powders and binders, fine powders are used to replace part or all of the alumina cement. A small amount of dispersant is added to evenly disperse the fine powders between the aggregate particles and fill them in the submicron-level gaps, thus forming a uniform and dense organizational structure. The key to this type of castable is the introduction of fine powders and their dispersion technology. In the field of amorphous refractory materials, ordinary cement castables have low medium-temperature strength and poor spalling resistance. The clay-bonded castables introduced in the early 1970s, although the medium-temperature strength has been improved, the room-temperature strength is much lower than that of ordinary cement castables. They cannot meet the needs of industrial furnaces and thermal equipment for refractory materials. In order to change this situation, low-cement high-strength refractory castables have been developed at home and abroad in recent years.

The main uses and advantages of low-cement castables. The use temperature of low cement castables and ultra-low cement castables is higher than that of ordinary refractory castables of the same material. The use temperature of low cement castables and ultra-low cement castables is higher than that of ordinary refractory castables of the same material.

Rongsheng Refractory Material Factory, environmentally friendly fully automatic monolithic refractory material production line, specializes in providing high-quality monolithic refractory material lining for high-temperature industrial furnace lining. Low cement castables, ultra-low or no cement castables, use micro powders with the same or similar chemical composition as the main material to replace most or all cement. Scientifically optimize factors such as particle grading, micro powder, particle morphology, etc., and add a small amount of dispersant (water reducer) and appropriate amount of retarder and other composite admixtures. Contact Rongsheng for free samples and quotes.

Low-Cement Castable Refractory Factory
RS Low-Cement Castable Refractory Factory

Physical and Chemical Properties of Ultra-Low Cement Castables

Ultra-low cement castables are a common category of refractory castables for cement kilns. Due to the continuous updating of technology in recent years, the problems of slow setting, hardening and low dry strength have been solved, and the problem of excessive strength after burning has been solved. Ultra-low cement refractory castables with excellent performance have been developed. The physical and chemical performance indicators of ultra-low cement castables made with the introduction of 0.5% CaO are as follows.

The flexural strength of ultra-low cement refractory castables after drying at 110°C is 9.8MPa and the compressive strength is 78MPa. After sintering at 1100°C, the flexural strength is 21MPa and the compressive strength is 155MPa. After sintering at 1500°C, the flexural strength is 18MPa, the compressive strength is 149MPa, and the line change after burning is 0.02%. These properties fully meet the requirements of cement companies. This ultra-low cement refractory castable is made of active calcium aluminate cement. If ordinary pure calcium aluminate cement is used with silica sol or diluted chain sol as an auxiliary binder, ultra-low cement refractory castables with similar properties can also be produced.

What is the Mullite Refractory Castable Formula?

Mullite refractory castable is generally a kind of medium and low-temperature thermal insulation refractory material configured by using mullite aggregate as raw material. It is generally used in petrochemical industry tubular heating furnaces, light diesel oil, ethane cracking furnace linings, atmospheric and vacuum furnaces, sulfur recovery units, and steam boilers. Tortoiseshell net heat insulation layer, two tanks, and pipe heat insulation single layer. Other industrial furnace doors, fire viewing holes, the lining of observation hole doors, etc.

Mullite castable is a refractory castable made of high-quality porous mullite aggregate as raw material, plus fine powder and additives. The critical particle size of mullite aggregate is 12mm, and the long-term use temperature is 1350 degrees. The advantage of mullite refractory castable is that its refractory temperature is higher than other thermal insulation castables, and it can directly contact the flame and be directly used as the lining of the kiln.

Rongsheng Mullite Refractory Castable
Rongsheng Mullite Refractory Castable

The Formula of Mullite Refractory Castable

The type and quality of aggregate have a significant impact on a series of properties of lightweight castables, such as bulk density, strength, heat insulation, maximum service temperature, etc. The aggregate is artificially synthesized from selected natural raw materials at a high temperature of 1680°C. The mullite reaction of the aggregate is good, the main crystal phase reaches more than 70%, and the composition is uniform and stable. The mullite crystals are needle-like interlaced to form a network structure, which is very beneficial to the strength and high-temperature index of lightweight castables.

In order to meet the high-temperature environment, the cement adopts pure calcium aluminate cement with Al2O3 content greater than 75%, and the micro powder is mainly mullite micro powder and aluminum micro powder. Adding a proper amount of silicon micro powder and dispersant can reduce the amount of castable water and improve fluidity. A variety of micro-powder composite addition methods can ensure the construction and use performance of lightweight castables.

In view of the high water absorption rate of the lightweight aggregate itself, the line shrinkage after burning is relatively large, which is likely to cause shrinkage cracks in the entire masonry. While selecting a variety of fine powders to improve the performance, a part of aluminum-containing fine powder and high-quality kyanite imported from the United States are appropriately added. Promote the continuous expansion of castables in high-temperature use, and ensure the volume stability of lightweight castables at different temperatures.

Mullite Refractory Castable in Rongsheng
Mullite Refractory Castable in Rongsheng

Lightweight Mullite Castable’s Performance

①Applicable to the working lining or thermal insulation lining of various flame furnaces and other industrial kilns to achieve high temperature and energy saving.

② High strength, small unit density. Used as industrial kiln roof, wall, door, and other parts. Compared with ordinary low-cement castables, the structural weight is reduced by more than 30%. Eliminate hidden dangers such as broken bricks and collapses.

③Using high-quality porous mullite as aggregate, combined with various micro-powders and dispersants, it has low thermal conductivity and a good heat preservation effect. Compared with ordinary castables, the heat loss of the kiln can be reduced by 25% to 35%, and the fuel can be saved by about 10%.

④The construction is simple, and it can be poured as a whole on-site. It can also be combined and installed with prefabricated parts of any shape.

There is also a corundum mullite refractory castable. The corundum mullite castable is a refractory castable made of corundum as aggregate and powder plus some binders. It has higher mechanical strength and abrasion resistance than high alumina refractory castables and mullite refractory castables, but its thermal shock resistance is slightly worse. It is mainly used as the lining material of boilers, blast furnaces hot blast stoves, heating furnaces, ceramic kilns, and other kilns.

The difference between corundum mullite refractory castable and mullite refractory castable is that. One is refractory and wear-resistant (corundum mullite refractory castable). One is thermal insulation (mullite insulation castable). And their prices are also different. The price of corundum mullite refractory castable is generally around 4000~6000 per ton. The price of mullite refractory castable is much lower, about 3000~4000 per ton.

Rongsheng Global Refractory Factory is a refractory castable manufacturer with rich experience in the production and sales of refractory castables. Our fully automatic, environmentally friendly monolithic refractory castable production line has an annual output of tons. Provide high-quality refractory and wear-resistant linings and thermal insulation refractory linings for various high-temperature industrial furnaces. We can customize refractory lining solutions for you according to your production needs. Contact us for a free quote.

Refractory Castable for Waste Heat Boiler Lining

Working principle of waste heat boiler. Fuel, gas, and coal are burned to generate high-temperature flue gas to release heat. The high-temperature flue gas first enters the furnace, then enters the waste heat recovery device of the front smoke box, and then enters the pyrotechnic tube. Finally, it enters the waste heat recovery device in the flue of the rear smoke box, and the high-temperature flue gas becomes low-temperature flue gas and is discharged into the atmosphere through the chimney. Because the waste heat boiler greatly improves the utilization rate of the heat released by fuel combustion, this kind of boiler is very energy-saving. The refractory castable for waste heat boiler lining is a mixed powdery granule composed of various aggregates or aggregates and one or more binders. When used, it needs to be mixed with one or more liquids and stirred evenly, and has strong fluidity and plasticity. Refractory castables for waste heat boiler lining usually use unshaped refractories such as high-strength wear-resistant castable, self-flowing corundum castable products, lightweight thermal insulation castable, and thermal shock-resistant refractory products.

Corundum Self-Flowing Refractory Castable
Corundum Self-Flowing Refractory Castable

Corundum self-flowing castable

Rongsheng self-flowing refractory castable products have good fluidity, reasonable setting time, labor-saving, fast and convenient. High strength and long life. It has good thermal insulation performance, high temperature resistance, good thermal shock stability, corrosion resistance and erosion resistance. And it can pump mechanized construction, shorten the time of building the furnace, and can bake quickly and shorten the time of the furnace. It is a substitute for low-cement, ultra-low-cement, and no-cement castables. Especially used for heating furnace roof, furnace wall, water-cooled pipe wrapping system and other thin-walled linings and thermal repair of various kilns.

Lightweight Insulation Castable
Lightweight Insulation Castable

Lightweight thermal insulation castable

Lightweight thermal insulation castables are light in volume, high in compressive strength, and resistant to acid and acid gas corrosion. Heat insulation, heat preservation, low water absorption and other characteristics. The construction is simple, and it is an ideal product for the construction of parts with alkali corrosion resistance at high temperatures. Lightweight thermal insulation castables have the characteristics of low bulk density, low thermal conductivity, lightweight, high compressive strength, acid resistance, and acid gas corrosion resistance. Thereby, the thermal energy consumption of the industrial kiln can be reduced, and the weight of the furnace lining can also be reduced.

Wear Resistant Castable
Wear Resistant Castable

High-strength wear-resistant castable

Rongsheng high-strength wear-resistant castable, refractory products can be used by adding water and stirring on site. It has high bonding strength with basic concrete (steel silo), strong impact resistance, compressive strength and good workability. A certain thickness of anti-wear layer is formed on the surface of the silo or mine by manual plastering. It can meet the technical requirements after normal maintenance, and has the characteristics of high wear resistance, good durability and long service life.

Selection of refractory materials for lining of waste heat boiler cooling chamber

When refractory materials are required for the lining of the cooling chamber, these requirements must be followed. In the cooling room without water wall, when the temperature of the inner wall of the furnace wall is below 1300 ℃, the vault and the firewall directly scoured by the flue gas can be made of clay refractory materials for boilers with an Al2O3 content of not less than 40%. For the inner wall of the furnace wall with a wide tube water wall, because of the cooling effect of the water wall tube on the flue gas, a general clay refractory material with an Al2O3 content of less than 40% can be selected. When there is a water wall composed of finned tubes, because the finned tubes have a good shielding effect on the flue gas radiation, the lining of the furnace wall directly laid with refractory materials can be sintered clay water glass refractory concrete or sintered Portland cement refractory concrete. When there is a membrane-type water-cooling wall, because the membrane-type water-cooling wall can completely block the flue gas radiation, it is only necessary to directly lay the thermal insulation material and the thermal-insulation material on the membrane-type water-cooling wall.

RS Global Refractory Manufacturer

Rongsheng refractory material manufacturers provide high-quality refractory lining materials for various industrial furnaces. Our unshaped refractory castable workshop has an annual output of tons. Our products have been sold to more than 70 countries around the world. If you need to buy high-quality refractory castable products and refractory castables for waste heat boiler lining, or other refractory materials, please contact us.