Refractory alumina plates used in the sliding gate valve system in steelmaking ladle: evaluation and case study

Refractories used in plates of the sliding gate valve system for control of steel flow are sophisticate devices. They are very important from a technical and economical point of view because of the idle time for replacement after few runs, in addition to the intrinsic cost of the piece. In the present work, it was carried out the technical and microstructural characterization of refractory. Subsequently, a comparison was made between different types of commercial refractories, including different closing systems, based on their performance in the industry. They were also investigated by post mortem refractory characterization and failure analysis. It was verified that the main phenomenon that controls the lifetime of refractory plate is the mechanical wear. However, it can also be influenced by thermal shock damage and even chemical corrosion due to contact with slag or other process material. The use of tabular alumina extends the lifetime of parts, similarly, high-purity alumina also improves the performance in service. (author)