Application of industrial x-ray computerized tomography to refractories

In the refractory industry, devices using X-rays as well as ultrasonic waves are in use for nondestructive testing purposes. Since they are unsatisfactory for detecting hidden defects in refractory products or for quantitative analysis of internal conditions, however, the need for high performance devices which would permit nondestructive testing of refractories for their shapes, dimensions, density distributions, etc. became apparent. Under such a situation, we have studied the application of industrial X-ray computerized tomography to refractories using a CT-scanner, developed by Toshiba Corporation for the first time in Japan and we report the results centering on its use for examining submerged nozzles for steel casting. A refractory product for continuous casting was examined using an industrial tomography apparatus. As the result, it has become clear that condition of damage given to the product, conditions of materials sticking to it, conditions of density distribution of the structure and so on can be quickly analyzed. We expect that the use of industrial tomography apparatus will expand to various industrial fields. (author)