Resistance parameters and water quench test as criteria of thermal shock behaviour of alumina based refractories

Abstract

The materials investigated were five alumina based commercial refractories with different contents of Al2O3 + TiO2 from 28 to 78%. Thermal (k thermal conductivity, alpha coefficient of thermal expansion) and mechanical (E Young's modulus of elasticity, v Poisson's ratio, sigma(m) flexural strength, sigma(m) mean strength, gamma fracture surface energy) properties of the chosen materials were measured. The thermal shock stability of specimens was determined using a water quench test (JUS B. D.8.319). Fracture and damage resistance parameters were calculated using average values of the measured ther mal and mechanical properties. Calculated resistance parameter values were compared with the results of water quench testing. Linear regression analysis showed that fracture (R and R') and damage (R''') parameters could be correlated with the results of the water quench test, with high values of the correlation coefficient.