Refractory castables Al₂O₃-MgO advanced boron-containing

Alumina-magnesia refractory castables present high corrosion resistance mainly due to the in situ spinel (MgAl₂O₄) formation. For the steel industry, the earlier its generation the best would be the castable's working performance. Taking this aspect into account, alternatives to replace silica fume, which is the most traditional liquid former inducer in this system, were evaluated in this study, by adding boron-containing compounds. Faster spinel and calcium hexaaluminate (CA₆) formation was attained through a transient liquid, ensuring remarkable castable's creep resistance and hot modulus of rupture. In this context, a novel route to design in situ spinel forming castable is presented, with great potential to increase the performance of this class of refractory. (author)