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1. INTRODUCTION
We have been producing all kinds of refractories raging from fireclay, high alumina, basic refractories
to monolithic refractories since the day of the establishment in 1918. We supply high quality products
to industries such as cement, lime, steel, nonferrous metal, ceramics, chemical paper & pulp and
environmental sanitation. In the cement industry, we pioneered the development and commercial
production of basic bricks. Our developed magnesia-spinel bricks called MIC have been installed
mostly in the transition zone and cooling zone of cement rotary kilns in Japan and have shown
excellent durability due to their superior resistance to deterioration. Furthermore, MgO-CaZrO3 bricks
called ECOS-C have been developed in consideration of the environmental risks caused by used
magnesia-chrome bricks. They have been installed in the burning zone and have shown excellent
corrosion resistance to cement clinker melt.
In this paper, we summarize the damage of refractory bricks lined in cement rotary kilns and how to
improve the performance from these damages. Additionally, influence of waste used in cement
production on refractory linings is presented.
2. WEARING MECHANISM OF REFRACTORIES IN A CEMENT ROTARY KILN
Fig.1 shows a typical precalciner kiln and its zoning in a rotary kiln. Pulverized cement raw materials
are charged from the top of preheater and charged into a rotary kiln after heat-exchanged with
combustion gas. In the rotary kiln, raw materials react with each other under high temperature
conditions and forms cement clinker that is discharged to the cooler.
Cement containing around 65 mass% CaO is a basic material. Basic bricks that show superior
chemical stability to cement raw material are used for the high temperature area in the rotary kiln, such
as burning zone where the material reaches around 1450oC, transition zone and cooling zone, which
are located before and after the burning zone respectively. Temperatures in transition zone and cooling
zone are lower than that in burning zone and the amount of formed liquid phase is a little in cement
raw material. Accordingly, cement coating frequently repeats sticking or dropping off on the basic
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bricks in transition zone and cooling zone. On the other hand, cement coating is stably adhered on the
basic bricks in burning zone, where the amount of formed liquid phase is sufficient. Thus, atmosphere
and thermal conditions vary with the position in a rotary kiln and wearing mechanism of refractory
bricks also varies according to the lined position.
Refractory bricks lined in a rotary kiln are worn by the synergistic effect of thermal, chemical and
mechanical actions. These stresses are complicated and it is difficult to distinguish the wearing causes
in actual conditions. Hereafter, we simplify the wearing mechanism as much as possible for
understanding easily.
Thermal shock during heating-up and coating off
Unstable coating caused by fluctuation of operation and mechanical
stress from shell
Expose to the flame without coating
Infiltration and reaction with foreign elements like SOx, cement materials
Observed phenomena
Cracking caused by thermal shock
Erosion of bricks
Cracking caused by structural change
Countermeasures
Kiln Operation
Slow heating-up schedule
Stable operation
Brick properties
Increase flexibility to deter crack propagation
Increase resistance to thermal load
Strengthen the bonding
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K2SO42CaSO4 and low melting components. These moved to the low temperature side from the hot
face. The movement of K2SO42CaSO4
Temperature deviation and mechanical action caused by on and coating
ff and
Deposit of alkali salts such asKCl, K2SO4, etc. change the structure
weaken
bonding
th by fatigued shellovality, shellrunout, etc.)
Mechanical stresst caused
(l
Utilization of solid fuel
Reducing
Severe SOxinfiltration
h
(locally) t
Joint steel plate loss due
toreaction with SOx
High SOxatmosphere
Observed phenomena
Deterioration of bonding
t
th
Severe spallingcaused by structural change, mechanical stress
and/or tensile stress caused by joint plate
l
Countermeasures
Kiln Operation
Exchange kiln shell
Lower shell ovality
Brick properties
Strengthen
the
di
Maintain the bflexibility
to prevent the crack
ti
Lower the porosity to minimize the
i filt ti
Introduce
0.2
mm
thick
joint
steel
l t
could destroy the bonding and causes texture deterioration around the hot face. Furthermore, when
steel plates are used as a joint material for basic bricks, the plates are not oxidized sufficiently and
form FeO-FeS eutectic under these conditions. The eutectic is liquefied near the hot face and infiltrates
the bricks. This leads to open spaces being generated in the infiltrated areas of steel plates. Cracks
begin to form at the edge of the remaining steel plate and spread to the bricks. This phenomenon also
wears the bricks. These are summarized in Fig. 3.
3. APPEARANCES OF USED BRICKS CAUSED BY DIFFERENT WEARING CAUSES AND
THEIR COUNTERMEASURES
3.1. Wearing Caused by Thermal Shock
Fig.4 shows the relationship between the service period and the wear amount of magnesia-chrome
bricks in burning zone. The wear progresses with the service period, of which wear rate is about
50mm/1000h in Fig.4, but the graph presents the linear line does not start from the zero point, that is,
approximately 70mm of wearing takes place initially without correlation with service period. The
initial wearing is usually around 30mm, but 70mm in Fig.4 is quite big. This type of wearing could
occur during heating-up after shutdown. Basic bricks in the burning zone are exposed to the direct
flame during initial heating-up and cracks may generate by spalling in the brick (Fig. 5). Coating is
hard to stick on the smooth surface of new bricks and cracks easily generate in new bricks as Fig.5 in
rapid heating-up schedule. Thus, heating-up plan and starting-up procedure is important for the basic
bricks in burning zone to form coating promptly for decelerating wearing.rate of magnesia-chrome
brick used in burning zone
3.1.1. Countermeasures
In order to prevent the cracking and spalling at the beginning stage of operation, we think that bricks
need to have sufficient flexibility. We introduce the idea of damage resistance parameter to
assessquantitatively the flexibility. Our developed procedure is measure damage resistance parameter
simply so as to compare the resistance to crack propagation, namely, how the sample brick resist the
damage by cracking. The concept of damage resistance stands on the idea that elastic distortion
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energy, stored in the sample until fracture caused by stresses take place, is shifted to fracture energy
consumed by crack propagation.
150
100
50
1000
2000
3000
Fig. 4. Relation between service period and wear rate of magnesia-chrome brick used in burning zone
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519
3.2.1. Countermeasures
In order to prevent the erosion of basic bricks, it is very important for the bricks to form coating
promptly. We studied the mechanism of erosion and developed MgO-CaZrO3 bricks ECOS-C having
good corrosion resistance.
Mag-chro
ECOS-C
Fig. 9. Appearance of used mag-chro brick and ECOS-C bricks
Fig. 9 shows the appearance of magnesia-chrome bricks and developed ECOS-C bricks lined in
adjacent rings in burning zone. Hot face of magnesia-chrome brick was eroded by the cement liquid
phase and the remaining thickness was 120mm. ECOS-C bricks, however, showed smooth surface and
the remaining thickness was 170mm. According to postmortem analysis, hot face of magnesia-chrome
brick became very dense, the cement minerals and reacted minerals were identified in the dense layer.
These results indicate the bricks were worn by corrosion. In the ECOS-C bricks, the cement minerals
and reacted minerals were not identified over the whole region. The bricks could be worn by peeling
phenomenon. Thus, developed ECOS-C bricks showed no erosion and were able to achieve the lining
life improvement.
3.3. Wearing Caused by Spalling
In the transition zone, basic bricks are worn by spalling as Fig. 10. The causes of spalling are various,
such as mechanical stress caused by shell ovality, joint plate loss, and deterioration of the bonding by
the reaction between bricks and sulfur oxides.
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Countermeasures
The maintenance of tire ovality within the acceptable range by replacing filler bars under tire has the
positive effect on brick wearing.
3.3.2. Spalling Caused by Joint Steel Plates Loss
1.0-1.6mm thick steel plates are inserted as joint steel plates between basic bricks lined in cement
rotary kilns in Japan. Joint steel plates are oxidized and bonded to the bricks by the reaction with the
brick materials. Then, the individual brick ring becomes one-piece structure and the lateral movement
of the bricks as lining displacements will be minimized. Recently, due to the increased use of high
sulfur content solid fuels, the atmosphere in the kilns has become locally reducing. Under these
conditions and especially when in the presence of sulfur, steel plates are not oxidized sufficiently and
form Fe-FeS eutectic. The lowest melting point of Fe-FeS eutectic is 940oC. The eutectic is liquefied
and infiltrates into the bricks and leads to open spaces being generated in the filtrated area of steel
plates. A cross-section of used bricks taken from transition zone is shown in Fig. 12 [6]. Cracks begin
to form at the edge of remaining steel plate by the shear stress and spread to the bricks. Then, the
brick life is shortened by spalling.
Countermeasures
We could prevent cracking caused by this phenomenon by introducing 0.2mm joint steel plates. The
use of 0.2mm plates does not cause cracking when the plate is lost, because of the less opening
between the bricks.
3.3.3. Spalling Caused by Deterioration of the Bonding
Brick texture deteriorated near the hot face and cracks were generated below the deteriorated layer.
Densification was observed from the crack to the shell side. PbS that had to be exposed under the
reducing atmosphere was identified in the dense layer. K2SO42CaSO4 and KCl were identified in the
dense layer. Hot modulus of rupture at 1200oC of the specimen obtained from the different position
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Fig. 11. Relation between kiln jovialities and brick wearing speeds
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So as to prevent the deterioration, minimize the infiltration of foreign materials by lower the porosity.
Then, bonding strength is strengthened to resist the deterioration. However, flexibility of the brick is
from the hot face was measured. All specimens showed lower HMOR value than the original. HMOR
value at 0-120mm from the hot face were noticeably lowered.
Countermeasures
necessary for using rotary kilns. Thus, dense magnesia-spinel brick MIC-FD, which was able to
achieve the lining life improvement, was developed.
Typical properties of the basic bricks are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Typical properties of basic bricks
ECOS-C
MIC-FD
Brand
Material base
TTX-P
Apparent porosity
[%]
15.4
13.8
16.9
3.11
3.04
3.04
46
47
52
at 1000 C
8.3
5.4
at 1400 oC
3.6
4.7
3.2
2.6
3.3
0.3
0.2
1.8
17.5
7.2
81.8
74.2
Bulk density
[g/cm ]
[MPa]
o
82.3
CaO
5.8
ZrO2
11.3
Cr2O3 11.3
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1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Purpose of usage
263
276
318
338
359
353
352
Waste tires
259
258
282
286
323
284
253
Fuel
21
29
58
102
171
211
Fuel
13,892
12,684
11,353
11,449
12,162
11,915
10,474
1,246
1,207
1,061
882
795
935
803
Raw meal
1,430
1,671
1,161
1,256
1,500
1,236
1,039
Raw meal
1,772
1,772
1,104
902
675
574
522
441
543
531
625
734
943
874
Raw meal
3,402
3,517
3,779
4,551
5,145
5,822
6,320
Raw meal
Sludge
930
1,189
1,394
1,744
1,906
2,235
2,286
Others
3,351
3,462
3,359
3,493
3,658
3,593
4,104
Total
26,986
26,600
24,371
25,584
27,359
28,061
27,238
Cement Production
99,267
92,558
82,569
82,181
82,373
79,119
75,479
272
287
295
311
332
355
361
Waste plastic
(Kg/ton)
5. CONCLUSION
The damages of refractory bricks lined in cement rotary kilns and the countermeasures of each damage
are discussed. Further investigations on the brick wearing and its countermeasures in a rotary cement
kiln are still underway to continually improve the performance.
REFERENCES
1. Y. Kajita, S. Kariya, H. Kozuka, T. Honda and S. Ota Development a method for quantitative
assessment of flexibility and its application for evaluating Mg-CaZrO3 bricks, Proceedings of
UNITECR'97 [1] 337-345, 1997.
2. Y. Tsuchiya, E. Nakajima, H. Takenouchi, and T. Honda, Lining service life and kiln ovality,
WORLD CEMENT 27[4] 28-31, 1996.
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