Abstract:
The current trend to replace shaped refractory with monolithic ones is due to many technical aspects, as lack of expansion joint, free shape, etc. Although, since liquid is added to the material for mixing and reaction of the binding agents, it is necessary to have a careful procedure during the first heating, so the generated vapor can be slowly released, instead of pressurizing inside the material. Because of this, conservative heating profiles are applied during this stage, yielding higher energy costs and maintenance time. Based in this context and considering the recent advances in numerical simulations, this work discusses the implications of the use of different heating rates during the drying of the monolithic lining of a steel ladle. Moreover, a novel parameter is introduced to correlate the maximum vapor pressure and the material’s mechanical resistance. The results point that higher values of pressure and a displacement of the position of this pressure peak are obtained in higher heating rates or larger lining thickness, moving the peak towards the hot face, where fracture is commonly observed. Although the results are preliminary, they show that this is a tool with high applicability to the industry and high technological value.