New Refractories and Nanotechnology: Challenges of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for Steelmaking

摘要

Primary and secondary steelmaking refining is one of the most aggressive and important application of refractories materials. New technologies based on environmental friendly bonding systems (low volatile organic compounds), new antioxidants, low carbon refractories and now nanotech refractories can help the steel productivity, decrease energy loss, increase the equipment campaign and decrease the amount of non-renewable raw materials. New carbons such as carbon nanotubes, nanocarbon black, nanographite and graphene have high potential to change thermomechanical properties and chemical resistance of refractories. Nanocarbon based refractories have some important points to become a wide technology including, raw material price, safety handling and storage of nanocarbons, dispersion during mixing step, oxidation at high temperature and recycling of nanotech spent refractories. Nowadays new technological approaches and the development of new forms of carbons integrated on old refractories systems have a great potential to change the refractories industry in the next decades.