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Challenges of Blast Furnace Casthouse: Failure Analysis of Main Runner

Refractory Castable

Chapter · March 2014

DOI: 10.1002/9781118837009.ch95

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 CHALLENGES OF BLAST FURNACE CASTHOUSE: FAILURE ANALYSIS OF
MAIN RUNNER REFRACTORY CASTABLE
V.G. Domiciano*, A.R. Ollmann, E.I. Clemente, A.K. Duarte and M.A.M. Brito
Magnesita Refractories, BRAZIL
ABSTRACT
The Brazilian Ironmaking scenario has
experienced major changes in recent years as a
result of the huge competition in the global
steel market. In Blast Furnace, the use of
economically competitive raw materials has
allowed a reduction of production costs of hot
metal. At the same time, frequent oscillations
in the Blast Furnaces operating conditions has
been noticed, which has shown a direct impact
on the refractories’ performance used in the
casthouse. The need to adjust the products to
increasingly severe operational conditions has
been a major challenge for refractory suppliers
in order to guarantee the runner’s safety and
its availability for operation. This paper
presents the results of a post-mortem study
carried out with a main runner Al2O3-SiC-
SiO2-C refractory castable, which showed a
remarkable wear in the metal line. The
characterization identified unusual findings in
the samples: the presence of significant
amount of K2O dissolved in the slag-metal
interface and infiltrated slag which suggests a
synergy of wear mechanisms and illustrates
the severe conditions to which the main
runner’s working lining could be subjected in
today's Blast Furnace casthouse operation.
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the main runner’s operation
in Blast Furnaces, the refractory castable used
as working lining undergoes extreme
operating conditions: high temperatures
(1490~1550°C) due to the contact with hot
metal and slag, enduring erosion, thermal
shock, oxidation and corrosion by slag and
FeO. The main runner campaign is determined
by the region of highest wear on the refractory
lining, which occurs between 3 to 6 m from
the taphole, called turbulence zone (or critical
zone) due to the incidence of the slag and hot
metal stream drained from Blast Furnace
causing intense liquid movement. Besides this,
two specific wear regions are observed on the
main runner side wall: the slag line (slag-
refractory-air interface) and the metal line
(slag-metal-refractory interface).
The wear mechanisms related to the slag
line and metal line have been described in the
literature, which points out different factors
that influence the refractory wear [1-9] such as
the Blast Furnace operating conditions
(productivity, tapping temperature, slag-rate,
hot metal and slag composition), main runner
design, type of refractory and maintenance
practices, etc. The post-mortem studies of
main runner refractories are fundamental in
this work, once they enable to identify the
failure mechanisms, which may suggest
improvements to be done in the refractories’
formulation, in the refractory maintenance’s
practices and also in the runner’s design,
which the ultimate goal is to improve the
performance of the main runner and provide
higher safety for casthouse operation.
In the last years, the Brazilian
Ironmaking scenario has experienced major
changes as a result of the huge competition in
the global steel market. In Blast Furnace, the
use of economically competitive raw materials
(iron ore, coke, alternative fuels, etc) has
allowed a reduction of production costs of hot
metal. At the same time, frequent oscillations
in the Blast Furnaces operating conditions
(production, tapping temperature, slag-rate,
slag composition, etc) has been noticed, which
has shown a direct impact on the refractories’
performance (castables, ramming mixes,
taphole clays, etc) used in the casthouse. The
need to adjust the products to increasingly in some regions by means of Energy
severe operational conditions has been a major Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS).
challenge for refractory’s suppliers in order to
guarantee the runner’s safety and availability
for operation. This paper presents the results
of a post-mortem study carried out with a
main runner Al2O3-SiC-SiO2-C refractory
castable, which showed a remarkable wear in
the metal line. The physico-chemical
characterization, optical and scanning electron
microscopy have identified unusual findings
in the samples: the presence of significant
amount of K2O dissolved in the slag-metal Fig. 1: Sampling’s view in the main runner:
interface and infiltrated slag which suggests a Critical (CZ) and Non-Critical Zone (NCZ).
synergy of wear mechanisms and illustrates
the severe conditions to which the main RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
runner’s working lining could be subjected in Figure 2 shows the main runner working
today's Blast Furnace casthouse operation. lining which exhibited a deep wear in the
metal line (ML) compared to slag line (SL).
EXPERIMENTAL
The study consisted in determining the (b)
characteristics and properties of an ultra-low (a) SL
cement content Al2O3-SiC-SiO2-C refractory
castable post use (at the end of main runner
campaign). Samples of two regions of the ML
Blast Furnace main runner were selected:
Critical Zone (CZ) and Non-Critical Zone
(NCZ). Initially, a visual inspection of the (b)
samples was carried out. Measurements of SL
apparent porosity (AP), bulk density (BD),
cold modulus of rupture (CMOR) and cold
crushing strength (CCS) were performed on 3 ML
test specimens (160x40x40mm) obtained by
cutting samples located in the hot face (HF) Fig. 2: Main runner working lininig: (a)
and cold face (CF) of the working lining. taphole side view, (b) skimmer side view.
Residual fractions of the test specimens after
mechanical testing were used for chemical Figure 3 shows the cutting surface of CZ
analysis (X-Ray Fluorescence). The average and NCZ samples taken from ML. Visual
of two chemical analysis results were inspection identified some evidences of
considered in determining a percent value oxidation only near to the hot face. Moreover,
which reference results to the same refractory no evidences of aggregates and fine particles
castable mixed in the laboratory (Reference) segregation were observed in different cutting
and heat treated (1500°C/5h–cooke breeze) for surfaces of the samples. However, thin cracks
comparative results. Additionally, samples were observed in a few sites of NCZ sample
were selected for optical and scanning electron which suggest some castable lamination.
microscopy and microanalysis was performed Nevertheless, “metallic resonance” was
detected which indicates that refractory
experienced sintering during operation.
Fig. 3: Cutting surface of the castable samples
(metal line):: (a) CZ and (b) NCZ.
The results of chemical analysis (Table
I) showed a decrease in the SiC content in i
both hot face samples (CZ and NCZ) when
compared to the cold face and reference
samples, what was followed by an increase in
the SiO2 and C contents. This behavior
appeared most in the NCZ sample and is
related to the SiC oxidation mechanism which
occurs throughout the main runners operation,
generating SiO2 and C, as described below.
Table I – Physico-chemical properties.
SiC(refractory) + ½O2(g)
SiO(g) + C(g) (1)
SiC(refractory) + 2CO(g)
SiO2(s)
(s) + 3C(s) (2)
Al2O3 and CaO contents showed no
significant differences among all the samples
and other oxides such as Fe2O3, TiO2, P2O5
and MnO – not shown in the table - did not
show significant variations. However, unusual
alkali content (Na2O and K2O) has been
identified. The results of physical properties
(Table I) presented a narrow variation range in
the density values (BD)) for all CZ and NCZ
samples when compared to the Reference. The
apparent porosity (AP) indicates that the
working lining’s hot face experienced
sintering, since a decrease in porosity was
observed when compared to the th cold face. The
results of mechanical strength also detected an
a
increase in CCS in the CZ hot face sample,
what confirms sintering. However, such
behavior was not observed in NCZ samples
that experienced a slight decrease in CCS.
Finally, the results of CMOR did not change
significantly, except in the results of NCZ hot
face sample which showed lower values.
The optical microscopy identified some
microstructural
uctural features in the samples.
sam Micro-
cracks and pores filled with liquid phase were
observed in the castable matrix of both
samples CZ and NCZ (Figure 4).
FC
FP
Fig. 4: Optical microscopy of sample CZ: pore
(FP) and crack (FC) filled with liquid phase.
phase
Figure 5 is a set of images that shows
the CZ hot face sample in contact with the
Blast Furnace slag, where it is possible to
identify an infiltrating slag pathway and pores
filled with liquid phase.. Figure 6 reveals a
continuous phase in the castable matrix which
surrounds fine particles near to the hot face of
both samples. These observations suggest that
slag infiltration and/or extensive diffusion of
the liquid in the hot face lining promoted an
over-sintering of the castable’s matrix what
could affect the thermo-mechanical
mechanical properties.
Fig. 5: Castable’s hot face in contact with slag.
Fig. 6: Optical microscopy of castable samples
near to the hot face: (a) CZ and (b) NCZ.
NCZ
Figure 7 shows the SEM of a rounded
pore partially filled with liquid phase in the
form of small spheres adhered to the pore’s
inner surface. This image apparently illustrates
the early stages of pores filling with liquid.
The results of microanalysis (Table II) related
to the spots indicatedd in Figure 7 show the
concentration of alkalis (Na2O and K2O) in the
small spheres (spots ❶ and ❷) compared to
the pore’s inner surface (spot ❸).
Fig. 7: SEM micrograph of a rounded pore
partially
ially filled with liquid phase (CZ sample).
Table II - Microanalysis of CZ (Figure 7)
7 and
NCZ samples (Figure 8).
8
Figure 8 shows a region of NCZ sample
where rounded pores and micro-cracks
micro are
completely filled with liquid phase. The
microanalysis results (Table II) revealed once
again the presence of significant
signi amounts of
K2O and Na2O. Finally, EDS was performed
(Figure 9) in a region of CZ sample similar to
that showed in Figure 6. The results indicate
the presence of potassium (K) widely spread
in the castables matrix.
Considering all these
the results, the next
step in this investigation was to characterize
the material adhered to the CZ sample’s hot
face in the ML near the main runner point that
presented the most intense wear. wear Figure 10
shows the material’s microstructure in which
three distinct phases were identified. Results
from microanalyses (Table III) revealed that
the major phase (spot ❶, Figure 10) is
composed mainly by FeO and C. One of the
secondary phases (spot ❷) is composed by a
combination of FeO, O, SiO2 and C, suggesting
to be Fayalite (FeO·SiO2), a low melting point
phase (1205°C) related to the corrosion
mechanism that takes place at the ML [3-7]. In
this case, the presence of K2O was detected.
Finally, the phase with the lowest proportion
(spot ❸) is composed by SiO2, FeO, CaO and
Al2O3, what suggest being the Blast Furnace
slag in which K2O was also found. These
evidences indicate that this sample is a
residual fraction of the slag-metal
slag interface
material, which comprises of a mixture of
different oxides and carbon. The presence of
significant amounts of K2O in the Blast
Furnace slag (Table IV) and in the material
adhered to ML suggests that the film formed Table III: Microanalysis of the slag adhered to
refractory interface [5,6] has
at the slag-metal-refractory the refractory castable hot face (Fig. 10).
experienced a decrease in its viscosity,
vis what
favors slag infiltration and promotes an
increase in the mass transfer rate enhancing
the refractory lining wear rate.

Table IV: Chemical analysis of the blast

furnace slag and ground charcoal (ashes).

The drainage of significant amounts

amount of
alkalis through the slag in the main runners is
Fig. 8: SEM of rounded
ounded pores and micro-
micro considered something unusual by most Blast
cracks filled with liquid phase (NCZ
( sample). Furnace (BF) operators. Alkalis are commonly
present as contaminants in the BF charge and
present a volatile nature inside the reactor
being partially eliminated during operation.
However, it is known that a fraction of these
O C
alkalis re-circulates
circulates inside BF through
evaporation/condensation cycles which might
contribute to its discharge to the main runner.
One of the possible reasons to explain the
Al Si K
presence of K2O dissolved in the slag-metal
slag
Fig. 9: EDS results of the CZ sample. interface could be the use of alternative fuels
(charcoal
oal fines, ground charcoal, etc)
etc injected
[10]
through the tuyeres located close to the
taphole. The analysis of the ground charcoal
❷ injected in the BF revealed a considerable
❶
amount of volatiles (19%) and K2O was found
in the ashes (Table IV). The presence of K2O
❸ in the main runner’s slag--metal interface could
trigger a synergy of wear mechanisms in the
ML related to the oxidation of SiC by FeO [3-9]
as described below.

SiO2 (slag) + 2Fe
Si + FeO (3)

Fig. 10: SEM micrograph of the slag adhered slag/metal)
SiO2+2Fe+C (4)
SiC(refractory) + 2FeO(slag/metal
to the CZ sample’s surface in the ML. SiO2 + 2FeO
2FeO·SiO
2FeO 2 (Fayalite) (5)
 The K2O promotes an increase in the
slag’s oxygen potential, which can shift the
balance of the redox reaction by decreasing
the Fe+3/Fe+2 ratio favoring the formation of
FeO in the slag-metal interface. Geochemical
studies with potassium rich slags (K2O-FeO-
Fe2O3-SiO2) support this phenomena [11] and
reveals that the diffusion of potassium into the
molten slag occurs faster than its elimination
through the gas phase. The authors considered
that the results and evidences showed in this
post-mortem study contribute to explain the
intense wear observed in the main runner ML.
FINAL REMARKS:
The post-mortem study performed with
refractory castable samples used as Blast
Furnace main runner working lining identified
significant infiltration of slag and diffusion of
liquid phase in the hot face. Microanalysis
carried out in different infiltration spots, filled
pores and micro-cracks detected the presence
of considerable amount of K2O dissolved in
the slag. The presence of K2O in the Blast
Furnace slag has a strong impact on the
refractory castables’ performance, since the
slag experiences a decrease in its softening
point and viscosity, which favors infiltration
and promotes an increase in the mass transfer
rate enhancing the working lining wear rate.
The remarkable wear observed in the main
runner ML was related to a synergy of wear
mechanisms in which K2O promotes an
increase in slag’s oxygen potential favoring
the formation of FeO in the slag-metal
interface enhancing the attack of SiC in the
refractory castable.
REFERENCES:
[1] M. Iida, K. Suzuki, “Influence of BF
production on corrosion rate of main trough”,
Shinagawa Tech. Rep., vol. 54, 25-34 (2011).
[2] M. Iida, “Effect of temperature on the
dissolution of Al2O3-SiC-C castables in BF
slag”, Journal of the Technical Association of
Refractories, Japan, 32 [4] 271-276 (2012).
View publication stats
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