Refractory

[edit] Refractory materials Refractory materials must be chemically and physically stable at high temperatures. Depending on the operating environment, they need to be resistant to thermal shock, be chemically inert, and/or have specific values of thermal conductivity and of the coefficient of thermal expansion. The oxides of aluminium (alumina), silicon (silica) and magnesium (magnesia) are the most important materials used in the manufacturing of refractories. Another oxide usually found in refractories is the oxide of calcium (lime). Fireclays are also widely used in the manufacture of refractories. Refractories must be chosen according to the conditions they will face. Some applications require special refractory materials. Zirconia is used when the material must withstand extremely high temperatures. Silicon carbide and carbon are two other refractory materials used in some very severe temperature conditions, but they cannot be used in contact with oxygen, as they will oxidize and burn.

[edit] Types of refractories Acidic refractories cannot be used in a basic environment and basic refractories cannot be used in an acidic environment because they will be corroded. Zircon, fireclay and silica are acidic, dolomite and magnesite are basic and alumina, chromite, silicon carbide, carbon and mullite are neutral. Refractory metals are also frequently used. Refractory materials are used extensively in the metal industries, along with glass melting and other heat treatment operations. There are two common forms of refractories, bricks and monolithics. Bricks (also known as firebrick) are pre-sintered forms which can hold their shape. Monolithics are loose material which can be formed into complex shapes, or sprayed into place, and have to be sintered before use. Castable refractory cement is also commonly used.

[edit] Refractory anchorage Anti-abrasion refractory attached to pipes, chambers, etc, will require anchorage systems such as wire formed anchors or hexmetal to support the refractory linings.

[edit] Refractory heat-up Usually, refractories require special heat-up techniques to insure that their performance will be attained as designed, and to avoid thermal shock and drying stresses until the operational status is achieved.

Fire clay is a specific kind of clay used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick. The fire attribution is given for its refractory characteristics. There are two types of fire clay: flint clay and plastic fire clay. It is resistant to high temperatures, has a fusion point higher than 1,600°C, and therefore it is suitable for lining furnaces, as fire brick, and manufacture of utensils used in the metalworking industries, such as crucibles, saggars, retorts, and glassware. Because of its stability during firing in the kiln, it can be used to make complex items of pottery such as pipes and sanitary ware. Its chemical composition consists of a high percentage of silicon and aluminium oxides, and a low percentage of the oxides of sodium, potassium, and calcium. Unlike conventional brick-making clay, it is mined at depth, usually found as a seatearth associated with coal measures.

[edit] Ceramic and engineering properties Zirconium dioxide is one of the most studied ceramic materials. Pure ZrO2 has a monoclinic crystal structure at room temperature and transitions to tetragonal and cubic at increasing temperatures. The volume expansion caused by the cubic to tetragonal to monoclinic transformation induces very large stresses, and will cause pure ZrO2 to crack upon cooling from high temperatures. Several different oxides are added to zirconia to stabilize the tetragonal and/or cubic phases: magnesium oxide (MgO), yttrium oxide, (Y2O3), calcium oxide (CaO), and cerium(III) oxide (Ce2O3), amongst others. Zirconia is very useful in its 'stabilized' state. In some cases, the tetragonal phase can be metastable. If sufficient quantities of the metastable tetragonal phase is present, then an applied stress, magnified by the stress concentration at a crack tip, can cause the tetragonal phase to convert to monoclinic, with the associated volume expansion. This phase transformation can then put the crack into compression, retarding its growth, and enhancing the fracture toughness. This mechanism is known as transformation toughening, and significantly extends the reliability and lifetime of products made with stabilized zirconia. A special case of zirconia is that of tetragonal zirconia polycrystaline or TZP, which is indicative of polycrystalline zirconia composed of only the metastable tetragonal phase. The cubic phase of zirconia also has a very low thermal conductivity, which has led to its use as a thermal barrier coating or TBC in jet turbine and diesel engines to allow operation at higher temperatures. Thermodynamically the higher the operation temperature of an engine, the greater the possible efficiency (see Carnot heat engine). As of 2004, a great deal of research is ongoing to improve the quality and durability of these coatings. It is used as a refractory material, in insulation, abrasives, enamels and ceramic glazes. Stabilized zirconia is used in oxygen sensors and fuel cell membranes because it has the ability to allow oxygen ions to move freely through the crystal structure at high temperatures. This high ionic conductivity (and a low electronic conductivity) makes it one of the most useful electroceramics.

The ZrO2 bandgap is dependent on the phase (cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or amorphous) and preparation methods, with typical estimates from 5-7 eV.[1] This material is also used in the manufacture of subframes for the construction of dental restorations such as crowns and bridges which are then veneered with a conventional feldspathic porcelain. Zirconium dioxide can occur as a white powder which possesses both acidic and basic properties. On account of its infusibility and brilliant luminosity when incandescent, it was used as an ingredient of sticks for limelight. Zirconia is also an important high-k dielectric material that is being investigated for potential applications as an insulator in transistors in future nanoelectronic devices.

[edit] Diamond substitute Single crystals of the cubic phase of zirconia are commonly used as a substitute for diamond (diamond simulant) in jewellery. Like diamond, cubic zirconia has a cubic crystal structure and a high index of refraction. Discerning a good quality cubic zirconia gem from a diamond is difficult, and most jewellers will have a thermal conductivity tester to identify cubic zircona by its low thermal conductivity (diamond is a very good thermal conductor). This state of zirconia is commonly called "cubic zirconia," "CZ," or "zircon" by jewellers, but the last name is not chemically accurate. Zircon is actually the mineral name for naturally occurring zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4). Its transparent form is also used as a gemstone, and its opaque form as a refractory.