THERMAL ENGINEERING

INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FIRING OF KAOLIN INTO CHAMOTTE

IN ROTARY KILNS

V. G. Abbakumov, V. L. Novikov, UDC 666.762.1.046.4.041~75

L. Ya. Osipova, D. N. Surikov,
A. D. Efimenko, R. N. Ishchenko,
and N. M. Kobzar'

In the USSR kaolin is fired into chamotte in 60- and 75-mm rotary kilns. The method
of firing in effect at present has a number of significant disadvantages. Among the primary
disadvantages must be included the high specific fuel consumption and the low specific pro-
ductivity of the equipment as the result of significant heat losses with the stack gases
leaving the kiln and also the increased dust burden and large quantity of fine fractions in
the chamotte as the result of significant breakage in the preheat zone of the kiln.
The disadvantages are illustrated by operating figures of a 3.6~ 75-m-long~
rotary kiln of Velikoanadol Refractory Combine shown in Tables i-3 and Fig. i. The material
and heat balances of the kiln (without a cooler) and the temperature conditions of the kiln
were obtained from the results of investigation of operation of the 75-m rotary kilns of
Velikoanadol Refractory Combine. During the period of the investigation grades 2 and 3
kaolin of Vladimirovka deposit was fired in the kilns and the production of the kilns was
19-21 tons/h. From the data presented it follows that the losses of heat with the stack
gases from the kiln in firing of kaolin into chamotte are 30% of the heat balance of the
kiln, the dust burden is more than 15%, and the quantity of finer than 0.5 mm fraction in
the chamotte is about 25%. It should be noted that the finer than 0.5 mm fraction is poorly
sintering material with a reduced alumina content.
These disadvantages are caused primarily by thermal engineering ineffective utilization
of a large portion of the rotary kiln length (Fig. i) and an irrational method of preparation
of the raw material for firing, which at present includes only processing on a clay cutting
machine.
The disadvantages may be eliminated by the use of a briquette method of firing with pre-
heating of the briquetted raw material in a layer heat exchanger using the heat of the stack
gases from the kiln. Heating of the raw material in a layer heat exchanger occurs signfi-
cantly more intensely than in the preheating zone of the rotary kiln. As the result of this
there is a decrease in the kiln in the heat losses with the stack gases, an increase in the
length of the high temperature zone, a reduction in fuel consumption, and an increase in kiln
productivity and firing quality. Apparently the use of a high-temperature heat exchanger for
drying and dehydration of the kaolin before charging into the rotary kiln will be especially
effective in firing of kaolin into chamotte.
This is related to the following. In normal firing in a rotary kiln the primary break-
age of kaolin and formation of dust occurs in the zone located between the end of the drying
zone and the start of the dehydration zone, that is, where the material is weak and abrades
intensely. With dehydration the kaolin becomes stronger [i, 2] and formation of the fine
fraction with dust practically stops. As the result of the fact that with the use of a high-
temperature layer heat exchanger the zone of primary breakage and abrasion of the material is
moved from the rotary kiln into the layer heat exchanger, in which the mechanical action on
the material is significantly less, a significant reduction in the degree of dust forma-
tion and breakage of raw material in the kiln is possible. Therefore the dust burden must
be decreased and the grain distribution becomes coarser.
First the 75-m rotary kilns of Velikoanadol Refractory Combine were equipped with roll
presses for briquetting and layer heat exchangers, the operation of which was described in
[3]. A single pass method of movement of gas through the layer was used in the heat exchang-
ers. For this reason the heat exchangers were low temperature ones~ only partial drying of
All-Union Refractory Institute. Velikoanadol Refractory Combine. Translated from
Ogneupory, No. i0, pp. 39-44, October, 1989.

638 0034'3102/89/0910-0638512.50 9 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation

 TABLE I. Material Balance of a Velikoanadol Refractory Combine
Rotary Kiln
Ikg/kg t kJ/kg
Inputs [of cha-[ % Outputs of cha- t %
I m~ ~/ motte
Supply of f u e l 0,11 2,7 Output of chamotte 1,00 24,9
Charge of raw mat. 1,65 41,1 Output of moisture in 0,30 7,5
Supply of a i r 2,255 56,2 drying
Moisture output in dehydr. 0,135 3,4
Dust burden 0,215 5,4
Output of stack gases 2,355 58,6
Discrepancy in balance 0,01 0,2
Total 4,015 100 4,015 I00

TABLE 2. Heat Balance of a Velikoanadol Refractory Combine Rotary

Kiln
kJ/kg %
Inputs of cha- % Outputs
motte
Chemical heat of Theoretical fuel consumptione 615 12,1
the fuel 5100 100
Heat content of 0 0 Fuel consumptioff for evaporation 75O 14,7
fuel of moisture
Losses of fuel with the stack 1515 29,7
gases from the kiln
Losses of fuel with the chamotte 1310 25,7
Fuel consumption for dehydration 180 3,5
of the dust burden
Losses of heat with dust burden I05 2,0
Losses of heat to the atmosDhere 485 9,5
Fuel for heating raw material to O~ % 120 2,4
Fuel for heating the air to O~ 25 0,5
Discrepancy in balance --5 0,I
Total 5100 I00 5100 I00

*Quantity of fuel which must be consumed to obtain 1 kg of clinker

from dry raw material without material and heat losses [6].
%Raw material was charged into the furnace at -II~

7600

~ 7200

~ooo

I I , L
0 75 JO 45 60 5,M
Fig. i. Temperature conditions of operation of a 75-m
rotary kiln of Velikoanaldol Refractory Combine: i)
temperature of the gas flow; 2) of the material; 3) of
the furnace housing; S) distance from the hot end of
the kiln.
the raw material occurred, and there was significant nonuniformity of heat treatment in the
output cross sections. Therefore they fulfilled primarily a utilization function in relation
to the stack gas heat but did not provide a significant increase in kiln productivity or a
reduction in dust burden. Subsequently, after discarding of the briquetting method as the
result of the poorly developed design of the roll presses, the use of layer heat exchangers
was also eliminated since loading of a heat exchanger with unbriquetted kaolin led to the
formation of a layer of material with high gas dynamic resistance.
For development of a rational method of preparation of the raw material the Experimental
Technology Section of the All-Union Refractory Institute conducted semiproduction tests on
firing in a rotary kiln of kaolin with different methods of preparation of it.

639
 TABLE 3. Characteristics of the Raw Material Charged into a Rotat -~
ing Kiln of Velikoanadol Refractory Combine and of the Chamotte
Obtained*
|
Grain =distribution %
Material I '
>,amm__[ >~o=
-

[ >~. [ >Jm I >2= _L > ' = I >o,5=

67 75 78 81 89 92 94
Kaolin 60--75 67--83 70--85 73--88 88--94 88--97 90--98
5,9 14,7 22,9 32,7 57,5 69,6 76,2
Chamotte 1,6-- 11,4 7,2--21,9 14,2--27,2 24,2--43,0 48,0--66,2 "62,2--80,4 71,2--79,2

The original raw material was Vladimirovka Deposit kaolin with a chemical analysis of
(wt.%) 51.64 Si02, 32.73 AI=O3, 1.00 Fe=O 3, 0.36 Na=O + K20, and 13.6 &mcalc. Preparation
of the raw material for firing included processing of the raw material on a clay cutter with
production of the finer than 60 mm fraction, partial screening of the finer than 20 mm frac-
tion on a screen, briquetting of the finer than 20 mm fraction and of the finer than 60-mm
fraction obtained after the clay cutter, and dehydration of a portion of the briquetted
kaolin.
The material was briquetted on a roll press designed by the All-Union Refractory Insti-
tute with toothed groove rolls under a pressure of about 20 N/mm =. Kaolin with an average
moisture content of 17.8 briquetted normally, and sticking of the briquette to the working sur-
face was not observed. The average density of the briquette obtained was 2.03 g/cm s and the
briquette size 36 • 36 • 24 mm.
A portion of the briquetted kaolin (about 3 tons) was calcined at 700~ for 16 h in a
kiln with a volume of 7 m s . The average change in weight in calcining of kaolin in this kiln
was 7.45%.
Therefore for firing in the rotary kiln four forms of kaolin raw material were prepared:
1 - lump kaolin of the 0-60 mm fraction; 2 - lump kaolin of the 20-60 mm fraction; 3 - raw
briquetted kaolin; 4 - partially dehydrated briquetted kaolin.
The kaolin was fired in the 1 m diam 15 m long rotary kiln of the Experimental Technology
Section of All-Union Refractory Institute, which was fired with natural gas. The loading of
the furnace was 200-300 kg/h and the gas consumption 120-140 m3/h. In the tests the loading
of the furnace, the moisture content of the raw material charged, the grain distribution of
the raw material in firing of the 0-60 mm fraction, the change in weight in calcining of the
raw material in firing of partially dehydrated briquettes, the firing temperature (measured
with an optical pyrometer on the material), unloading, and the quality of the chamotte (grain
distribution, density, porosity, water absorption) were measured. The lump kaolin was fired
at 1350~ With an increase in temperature adhesions were formed. In firing of the briquet-
ted kaolin this did not occur.
The basic results of the investigations are shown in Tables 4-6, from which the following
conclusions may be drawn:
with all forms of preparation of the charge, chamotte with a water absorption of less
than 5% was obtained;
the change in grain distribution by sifting of the finer than 20-n~n fraction does not
lead to significant changes in the grain distribution of the chamotte or in dust burden;
switching of the rotary kiln to firing of partially calcined kaolin briquettes leads to
substantial enlargement of the chamotte and a reduction in dust burden. Of the investigated
variations of firing this method is the optimum.

Therefore a significant improvement in the indices of firing of kaolin into chamotte

must be obtained with the use of the briquetting method of preparation of the raw material
and the use of a high-temperature layer heat exchanger. In addition, significant enlargement
of the chamotte makes it possible to use a grate cooler for cooling of it, which permits a
significant reduction in heat loss to the atmosphere during cooling and an increase in the
temperature of the air supplied for combustion.

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 TABLE 3 (continued)

g/cm a content, % AI~O~ I Fe~O~ sorption,%

1,23 17,8 10,4 32,5 1,48
1,21--1,26 17,0--19,2 9,4--10,8 28,4--33,9 1,26--1,68
1,46 31,9 1,34 5,9
1,41 - - 1,50 28, t --35,5 1,99--2,16 5,0--8,0

*The upper figure is the average values and the lower the recorded
limits.

The basic parameters of the high-temperature heat exchanger for drying and dehydration
of the kaolin were determined by calculations on the basis of the model of heat and mass
transfer in a layer presented in [4]. The design of a shaft layer heat exchanger with trans-
verse movement of the component was considered. Such designs possess definite advantages.
Uniform distribution of the gas flow in the layer in them makes it possible to obtain a high
thermal effectiveness [5]. However, as the result of a specific disadvantage of it - nonuni-
form heat treatment in the outgoing cross section - a heat exchanger of such a design must
be at least a two-pass one in order to provide the necessary level of heat treatment of the
raw material.

As the result of calculations of a two-pass design of heat exchanger for drying and de-
hydration of kaolin, for Grade 3 Vladimirovka kaolin it was established that the temperature
of the stack gases supplied to the heat exchanger must exceed 1000~ and the supply of stack
gases must be 1.45 kg/kg of kaolin.
The optimum parameters of the heat exchanger (providing the maximum thermal effective-
ness) are obtained with a briquette size of 30-50 mm, a thickness of the layer in the heat
exchanger equal to approximately eight briquette diameters, and a temperature of the stack
gases leaving the heat exchanger of 150~

An analysis of the thermal operation of a rotary kiln with a high-temperature heat ex-
changer was made for a 75-m rotary kiln of Velikoanadol Refractory Combine with the use of
the method of [6]. In the calculations it was assumed that: completely dried and dehydrated
raw material with a temperature of 750~ is supplied to the kiln; the dust burden (relative
to the calcined charge) is 40% less than the existing dust burden of the kiln;
the temperature of the gases leaving the kiln is I000-1200~
the losses of heat to the atmosphere per unit of kiln length for the zone of heating the
material from 750 to 1300=C and for the sintering and cooling zone are the same as in the
existing kiln;
the productivity of the kiln is 27 tons/h.

In the calculations the temperature of the air supplied for combustion was assumed to
be equal to 0, 300, and 800~ which corresponds to three cases:
the chamotte is cooled in a drum cooler which air is not drawn through (existing operat-
ing conditions of the coolers of the 75-m rotary kilns of Velikoanadol Refractory Combine);
the chamotte is cooled in a drum cooler through which air is drawn and supplied to the
kiln for combustion;
the chamotte is cooled in a grate cooler and the air after passing through the layer
of material is supplied for combustion.

In all three variations the calorimetric temperature of combustion of the fuel is main-
tained at the same level by changing the coefficient of consumption of air.

The calculated variations are shown in Table 7. The variations given provide the neces-
sary temperature level of heat treatment of the raw material, and the temperature of the out-
going gases is within limits of I000-1200~ However, the quantity of stack gases leaving
the kiln is insufficient to provide drying and dehydration of the kaolin in the heat exchanger.

641
O~

TABLE 4. Grain Distribution of Chamotte Fired in the Rotary Kiln of All-Union Refractory Institute

Weight % of the fraction, ram*

Raw
mater-
ial I I I <0,5

0,6 7.2 7, I I 0.3 23.8 16,3 16, I 13,5 4,9

1
0,0--1,8 2,5--12,8 4,3~-9,4 6,5-- 14,5 20,0--29.6 12,9--21,0 12,0-'21,0 8,6--17,0 2,2--6,1
7,85 10,2 7,95 9,4 25.46 15,3 14.6 7,35 1.92
2
0,0 --18,8 7,1--20,2 3,7-- 14,5 7.1--12,8 20.8--34,'2- 9,8--22,2 8,7--22.5 4.0--10.3 0,6-- 3,2-
24.3 26,8 I1,8 10,1 i2.I 5,8 4,9 3.2 l,O
3
12.2 --48.9 20,2--38,3 9,0- 13,6 6,3-.- 15.3 3,3-- 16,7 0,5--9,4 0,2--6,6 O,2-- 6.6 0,3 ~- 1,9
4 5 t ,8 28,36 5,8 4,2 6,18 3,85 3,03 1,4 0,32
2,1,6-65,6 16,7 ,;7,(i 3,2--8,4 3,5--6,6 2,7--10,4 1,4- 8,() 1,3--4,0 0,2--4,4 0,2 0,6

*The upper figure is the average values and the lower the recorded limits~
 TABLE 5. Properties of Chamotte" Fired in the Rotary Kiln of
All-Union Refractory Institute

Raw temp.,~ the fraction, m~:': of the fraction, mm [ of the fraction, mm

l 1350 7,6 _ 2,36 __ 3,2

5,9--9,7 2,31--2,44 2,4--4,2
2 1350 8,6 __ 2,33 __ 3,7
6,4--11,4 2,27--2,4 2,7--5,0
11,7 14,7 2,29 5,1 6,4
3 1400 2,28
11,0--12,3 14,5--15,0 2,26--2,31 4,8--5,4 6,3--6,6
1430 8,8 _ 2,32 _ 4,2
9,0-- 11,4 2,20--2,37 3,8--5,0
12,9 14,3 2,24 2,26 5,8 6,3
4 1350
11,1--14,4 9,9--16,9 2,22--2,26 2,17--2,36 5,0--6,4 4,2--7,8
10,7 13,5 2,29 2,28 4,7 .6,0
1400
10,6--10,9 12,2--15,0 2,27--2,31 2,23--2,32 4,6--4,8 5,3--6,7
10,3 9,9 2,30 2,34 4,5 4,2
1430
9,5-- l 1,0 8,7-- 10,5 2,27--2,35 2,33--2,38 4,2--4,8 3,7--4,5

*The upper figure is the average and the lower the recorded limits.
T A B L E 6. Material Balance in
Firing of Kaolin in the Rotary
Kiln of All-Union Refractory
Institute

"e 0 "~ e" ~

1 5,40 0,70 0,65 4,05 3,10 0,95 23,5

2 7,40 1,10 0,85 5,45 4,24 1,20 22,0
3 I0,I 1,55 1,15 7,40 6,15 1,25 17,0
4 2,40 - - 0,20 2,20 1,90 0,30 13,5

TABLE 7. Operation of the Rotary Kiln with a Heat Exchanger

q , t I . . . . . . . . I I I
~ = I~ ,~
o=~ lbalance., kJ/kg of == ~ ~ o Stacl~gas temp., Specific fuel Total fuel
=
o - ~=-~-~ I u ~.~ I chamotte I~ o o S I ~C consumption consumption,
.~ ~u o~ ~. o ~~ | ~1 heat heat =o =~='~.,~
~0~
~ u ~ at " at lof separate Ikg/kg of
I'~3 ~ ' ~ ~ c ~.~I losses ] losses ~.~ ~ ~o entry e x i t heat genera- ichamotte
~= - . ~ o- >_~_.~I _ ~ ]wlth dust tor, kg/kg
mo =~a~ ~ ~ ~ ~=I stack --- ~ ~ -~ ~ ~ I heatingl from of chamotte
u-~u~o~._~,ol gases I Duraen ~=~ ~Jzone ~ kiln
1 0 0,06 1,31 1730 200 20 1385 1185 0,028 0,088
0,05 1,09 1285 170 36 1350 1075 0,038 0,088
2 300 0,05 1,34 1655 190 20 1385 1160 0,027 0,077
0,04 1,08 1140 155 38 1335 1020 0,038 0,078
3 800 0,03 1,25 1375 175 34 1355 1095 0,032 0,062

*For all of the variations the theoretical heat consumption is -210

kJ/kg of chamotte and the heat losses with the chamotte and into
the atmoshere are 1,460 and 660 kJ/kg of chamotte, respectively.
Consequently, the high-temperature heat exchanger for the kaolin must be equipped with a
separate heat generator providing an additional supply of hot stack gases to the heat ex-
changer. Therefore the total fuel consumption will be made up of the fuel consumption in
the kiln and the fuel consumption of the heat generator.
In calculations of the specific fuel consumption in the s e p a r a t e heat generator the
following values of the parameters were assumed: pyrometric coefficient 0.85; combustion
temperature 1200~ total consumption coefficient of the raw material 1.55. The gas tempera-

643
ture at the entry to the heat exchanger and its specific consumption correspond to that cal-
culated for the high temperature heat exchanger (Table 7).
From the calculations given for operation of a 75-m rotary kiln with a high-temperature
heat exchanger it follows that the high-temperature layer heat exchanger must be equiped with
a separate heat generator, the use of a high-temperature heat exchanger makes it possible to
reduce the specific fuel consumption by 15-25%, and replacement of the drum cooler by a grate
cooler together with the high-temperature heat exchanger makes it possible to reduce the
specific fuel consumption by 40%. It should be noted that even higher results may be ob-
tained with a change in kiln length. The given rotary kiln length is not the optimum in
operation with a high-temperature heat exchanger.
In conducting the investigations a calculated evaluation was made of the maximum kiln
productivity. The calculations were made with a specific fuel consumption of 0.06 kg/kg of
chamotte and a temperature of the air supplied for combustion of 0~ It was found that with
an increase in kiln productivity from 27 to 44 tons/h the length of the heating zone increases
from 20 to 44 m. Consequently in equipping a rotating kiln with an external high-temperature
heat exchanger fulfilling the function of the preparation zone of the kiln, the kiln acquires
a significant reserve of productivity.
In all probability in this case the productiviity is limited primarily by the dust bur-
den, which increases sharply with an increase in fuel consumption and also in the throughput
capacity of the heat exchanger, the cooling system, and the portion for penetration of the
raw material.
CONCLUSIONS
By calculation and semiproduction investigations it was established that in firing of
kaolin into chamotte in a rotary kiln a significant increase in productivity, a reduction in
fuel consumption, a decrease in dust burden, and an improvement in chamotte quality are ob-
tained with briquetting of the raw material and heating of it to temperatures of occurrence
of the dehydration reaction in a high-temperature layer heat exchanger using the heat of the
outgoing stack gases.
LITERATURE CITED
I. N . V . Pitak and R. S. Shulyak, Ogneupory, No. 5, 40-47 (1971).
2. V . E . Vernikovskii, S. A. Klass, and G. P. ll'mer, Refractories - Technology and Prop-
erties [in Russian], Min. Cher. Met., Metallurgiya, Moscow (1985), pp. 4-9.
3. A . V . Sevrikov, Ogneupory, No. ii, 14-17 (1976).
4. V . A . Novikov and V. G. Abbakumov, Ogneupory, No. 6, 37-42 (1987).
5. Z . R . Gorbis and V. A. Kalendar'yan, Heat Exchangers with Flow-Through Dispersed Heat
Carriers [in Russian], ~nergiya, Moscow (1975).
6. Kh. S. Vorob'ev and D. Ya. Mazurov, Thermal Engineering Calculations of Cement Kilns
and Apparatus [in Russian], Vysshaya Shkola, Moscow (1962).
7. E . I . Khodorov and I. S. Shmorgunenko, The Technology of Sintering of Alumina Industry
Charges [in Russian], Metallurgiya, Moscow (1971).

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