Ironmaking
General Areas Served
Crude steel production begins with the reduction process, whereby iron ore reacts with carbon sources inside the blast furnace. It is imperative that refractory products used inside the blast furnace are resistant to these thermomechanical and thermochemical reactions.
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories designs, engineers and supplies a comprehensive range of high quality refractory products and solutions, specifically developed for blast furnaces.
An extensive range of refractories ideal for use downstream of the blast furnace is also available, including:
- High quality tap hole mixes, customized to meet customer requirements
- Concretes with excellent performance characteristics, ideal for troughs and runners
- Alumina silicon carbide carbon bricks for torpedo ladles
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories is also focused on developing materials for the evolving needs of DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) processes. Refractory requirements increase in line with H2 usage.
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories’ extensive experience in related industries (for example, pure H2 atmosphere) makes it uniquely suited to providing optimal solutions to meet this challenge.
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories is currently working to become carbon neutral by 2050 – a goal shared across much of the ironmaking industry.
Solution By Application
Click on your application to find more:
- Blast Furnaces for Ironmaking
- Blast Furnace Repairs
- Tap Hole Clay
- Torpedo Car (Torpedo Ladle)
Blast Furnace Repairs
Solutions to extend Blast Furnace life-time
With blast furnace service lives typically extending to 20 years or more, it is essential that effective intermediate refractory repairs are performed to address advancing wear in areas such as the stack, tap holes, hearth walls and pads.
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories offers a number of castable and shotcrete solutions, ideal for various furnace areas:
- Sialfrax™ 18 Cast (colloidal silica bonded) for reprofiling and tap hole repairs in the hearth.
- Sialfrax™ 18 Shot for lower stack repairs.
Conventional coke and charcoal blast furnace require specific types of refractories to ensure smooth operation.
Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories provides a comprehensive range of products for conventional coke and charcoal blast furnace, many of which can be customized according to customers’ requirements and operating conditions.
Products for Blast Furnace Repair
| Area | Main wear mechanism | Suitable Product |
| Hearth | Molten Iron/Slag Erosion | Sialfrax™ 18 Shot+ Sialfrax™ 18 Cast+ |
| Lower Stack | Abrasion / Strong Alkali Attack | Sialfrax™ 18 Shot+ |
| Middle and Upper Stack | Abrasion at < 1,000°C | Sialfrax™ 18 Shot+ |
FAQ
What are the benefits of utilizing colloidal silica materials in the lower stack, belly and bosh?
Sialfrax™ 18 Shot demonstrates high mechanical strength at high temperature, while its SiC content ensures high alkali and abrasion resistance.
What is the benefit of performing regular hearth repairs?
Regular repairs will not mitigate the eventual need for a complete blast furnace reline, but these will help to reduce downtime and extend the period before the blast furnace requires fully relining.
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