Refractory ceramics are materials designed to withstand very high temperatures, often above 1,000°F (538°C). They resist decomposition by heat, pressure or chemical attack and retain their strength and shape at high temperatures. Refractory ceramics are polycrystalline, multiphase, inorganic, non-metallic, porous and heterogeneous, and are often composed of oxides or carbides, nitrides, etc. of elements such as silicon, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, boron, chromium and zirconium.
Refractory ceramics types
Refractory products typically fall into one of two main categories:
- Preformed shapes or unformed components, often called special or monolithic refractories. Bricks and refractories are the most traditional form of refractories and account for the majority of refractory production. Refractory materials come in all shapes and sizes and can be pressed or molded for use on floors and walls, manufactured as interlocking shapes and wedges, or bent to fit inside pots. steam and ladle. Refractory ceramic fiber, which resembles residential insulation but insulates at much higher temperatures, is also a type of refractory material.
- Different refractories offer different properties, such as low dielectric strength, high tensile or compressive strength, low thermal expansion, low or high thermal conductivity, low density or high, etc. Highly refined alumina oxide and zirconia oxide are super refractory substances. Aluminosilicate fiber, commonly known as refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) in the United States, is an amorphous fiber belonging to a class of materials called refractory ceramics.
Refractory ceramics applications
Refractory ceramics have many applications in various industries due to their ability to withstand high temperatures and resist physical abrasion and corrosion caused by chemical agents. Some common applications of refractory ceramics include:
- Coating of furnaces, furnaces and reactors in the metallurgical industry
- Manufacture of crucibles, glass and metal molds
- Surface flame deflection system for rocket launch structures
- Contains heat and protects process equipment from high temperatures, such as in petrochemical production and gasoline refining
- Construction and arrangement of kilns for the ceramic industry
- Refractory bricks, monolithic bricks and fiber insulation used in the production of scientific, aerospace and military equipment
- Refractory ceramics are also used in many other applications, from simple chimney brick linings to complex re-entry heat shields for space shuttles.
