Refractories

Refractory materials are designed and delivered with diverse mineral and chemical characteristics and in different formats: castables, prefabricated pieces and shaped products. The latter, which this article examines, are refractory materials delivered as pieces of different sizes and shapes.

Refractory materials are designed and delivered based on diverse mineral and chemical characteristics and in different formats: castables, shaped products and prefabricated parts. The latter, which is the subject of this article, describe refractory materials delivered in prefabricated parts or precast components for direct installation in functional parts of furnaces and kilns. 

Refractory materials are designed and delivered with various mineral and chemical characteristics and in different formats: prefabricated parts, shaped products and castables (also referred to as monolithics). 

Silica fume is a co-product of silicon or ferrosilicon production, consisting of ultrafine (sub-micron), amorphous, non-porous, perfectly spherical silicon dioxide (SiO₂) particles, with purity levels of 85 to 99 %. The main effect of these ultra-fine particles is to greatly improve particle packing and produce a highly pozzolanic reaction in concrete and other cementitious bond systems where the silicon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide, improving the strength development and durability of these materials.

Metallurgical silicon is typically produced in a size of 0-100 mm, but for most applications further size reduction is required. The optimum particle size depends strongly on the final application. This means that, in many cases, some optimization work is required to find the most cost competitive solution.

Our strategy is to develop specialty products and offer complementary products that will further advance the refractories technology and create value for our customers. These products include SIOXX™ Specialties, EMSIL-DRY™ and ALOXX™-Spheres.