Porous silica from rice husk ash for tundish lining

Type of materials as well as its compressive strength and degree of porosity are the determinal parameters for deciding the suitability of its usage as lining for tundish in continuous casting of steel. Silica is one of the materials suitable for such application. High porosity degree with high compressive strength of its compacts is special demands for increasing its efficiency. The suitability of producing porous silica compacts from the combustion of rice husk ash (RHA) appropriate for this application is the objective of the present work. Experimental design technique was used to evaluate the effect of different parameters (i.e. firing temperature, time and compaction pressure) controlling both porosity degree and compressive strength of rice husk ash compacts. The results revealed that while the porosity degree of the compacts decreased with increasing the entire studied parameters, its compressive strength exhibits another trend especially at lower soaking time. At lower soaking time, increasing firing temperature leads to a slight decrease in the compressive strength and then increased thereafter. Porous silica compacts having 30% porosity and > 25 kg/cm/sup 2/ compressive strength suitable for tundish lining could obtain from the combustion of rice husk ash compacts. (author)