NEW CERAMICS FOR INNOVATIVE PURGING PLUGS

摘要

The reliability with maximum opening rate and life time of purging plugs in secondary steelmaking becomes more and more essential. All efforts to optimize the application technology for purging plugs in a close partnership between user and supplier have a positive influence on the performance of the plugs. The right choice of the quality of these ceramic inserts and refractory castables play a key role in the performance and the life time of purging plugs. Field trials with segments from 1st generation alumina-chromia-zirconia segment plugs were successfully performed and showed a significantly reduced wear rate compared to standard alumina-mullite segments. Field trials with 2nd generation alumina-chromia-zirconia segments are in preparation for further improvement due to the unique characteristics of these new segments: They possess an extremely high refractoriness as they are free of SiO_2 compared to the standard segment. Whereas the porosity is in the same low range the density could be significantly increased. The hot modulus of rupture at 1500℃ as an indicator for the refractoriness has almost doubled. Results from the field trials concerning both qualities will be published later.