A comparative study between Direct Spinel Addition and In-Situ Spinelisation in a Low Cement High Alumina based Refractory Castable

Abstract

Spinel containing castables are becoming widely popular due to their high slag resistance, spalling resistance, drying behavior and hot strength. Most of the steel plants today use Magnesia-Alumina spinel system (MgAl2O4). Spinel containing castables can be prepared by two methods: direct spinel addition and in-situ spinel formation. The latter option is cheaper but has a drawback of volume expansion during spinel formation, which may lead to cracking. On the other hand, the pre reacted spinel system is expected to show a better hot strength and mechanical behavior. This project is an attempt to study the properties of both such types and present a contrast between them. Also, the effect of two different types of cement, having different alumina composition, was observed.