Refractories and Industrial Ceramics Vol. 49, No.

2, 2008

ROTARY KILN CORROSION-EROSION-RESISTANT LININGS

V. V. Slovikovskii1

Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 4, pp. 13 – 17, April 2008.

Original article submitted October 30, 2007.

The properties of magnesia refractories are studied with the aim of determining the possibility of their use for
lining rotary kilns. Periclase-chromite refractory PKhPP has been developed with an increased Cr2O3 content,
whose use combined with a laying cement, operating by the principle of self-propagating high-temperature
synthesis, in a developed “slotted” single-layer lay-up of the furnace reaction zone, made it possible to
increase the lining life of industrial rotary kilns by a factor of 1.5 – 1.8.

The most worn lining of a rotary furnace is that of the
Waelz kiln due to the severe operating conditions: high tem-
perature (1400 – 1500°C), corrosive charge (considerable
amount of FeÎ, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, SiO2, Pb, Zn, etc.), low
viscosity of the liquid melt, presence of gas-phase Pb, Zn;
there is a liquid phase in the reaction zone during furnace
operation. Therefore use of linings that operate satisfactorily
in rotary cement furnaces, as practice has shown, is
undesirable in Waelz kilns. In Waelz kilns it is necessary to
use refractory components of metallurgical grades: PKhS,
KhPT, PKhP, etc.
The lining of any Waelz kiln is the most critical part of
its construction. The duration of a campaign and the main
technical and economic indices of processing depend on
lining quality. Currently the duration of a campaign is from
one to three months, as a result of which it is necessary to
carry out partial repair using a considerable amount of
expensive refractory materials and a considerable proportion
of manual labor for highly qualified masons.
The main reasons for the short life of linings of Waelz
kilns are:
– corrosive wear as a result of chemical reaction of
charge reagents with refractory materials during operation;
– abrasive wear caused by the considerable amount of
charge being processed;
– breakdown of the working layer of the lining due to its
small thickness (230 mm), a small throw of articles (3 – 4
mm) as a result of which a refractory component falls from
the lining after wear of about 30 – 40%;
– wear of the heat insulating chamotte layer of a lining as
a result of its rotation with respect to the working layer and
the body of the furnace due to the small weight of the lining,
and also comparatively low mechanical strength of chamotte
components;
1
GOUVPO UGTU–UPI, Russia.
– shear of refractory components due to variable thermal
loads and the considerable heating and cooling rate of the
lining, and also occurrence of the zonality of refractory com-
ponents as a result of impregnation of them with molten
reagents of the charge to a depth of 150 mm. At the boundary
of the zone cracks form, parallel to the surface of the lining,
due to the different linear thermal expansion coefficients of
the refractory;
– formation in the reaction zone of crusts weighing up to
1500 kg as a result of impregnation of the lining with readily
melting components of the charge followed by separation of
crusts from the lining which leads to failure of the output area
of a kiln and sometimes failure of the loading pouring devices;
– use of oxygen in burner devices.
In order to increase lining life it will be necessary to
study the behavior of different highly resistant refractory
components applied to service conditions in rotary furnaces,
to develop compositions and manufacturing technology of
special refractories for Waelz kilns, and also to select diffe-
rent combinations of refractories for lining and creation of
lining structures for Waelz kilns of different sizes. The pro-
perties of a number of refractories were studied that are fun-
damental in operating the lining of rotary kilns (see Table 1).
Analysis of the thermomechanical properties of refrac-
tory materials in the range 20 – 1300°C has shown that
refractory composition, its structure and heating rate have a
marked effect on properties (Figs. 1 and 2). The elasticity
modulus of refractories based on fuzed granular material is
much higher (by a factor of 1.5 – 2) compared with this
index for sintered refractories of similar composition, and
this points to the possibility of low heat resistance during
service of refractories based on fuzed material (type PKhP
modifications PKhPP and PKhPU).
The dependence has been established of deformation for
refractories of magnesia composition on stress before and
after service in a kiln (Fig. 3). Analysis of the dependence

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1083-4877/08/4902-0099 © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
100 V. V. Slovikovskii

TABLE 1. Properties of Refractory Components

Ultimate strength Heat resistance Linear thermal Elasticity
Open porosity, Wear resistance, Refractory wear
Component in compression, 1300 – 20°C, water expansion coefficient modulus E,
% g/cm2 rate v, 10–2 m/h
MPa thermal cycles aav, 10–6 °C–1 103 MPa
KhP 20 – 23 25 – 26 3–5 6.9 19.3 0.36 – 0.68 0.029
MKhS 21 – 22 26 – 28 3–5 8.9 17.2 0.38 – 0.51 0.015
PKhS 16 – 20 30 – 34 4–6 9.5 12.5 0.4 – 0.9 0.012
KhPT 18 – 20 25 – 30 6–8 9.1 14.6 0.2 – 0.29 0.011
PKhPP 14 – 15 39 – 42 3–4 10.0 11.4 0.18 – 0.20 0.010
MPM 14 – 17 50 – 60 1–3 12.1 46.2 0.44 – 0.48 0.031

Fig. 1. Change in elasticity modulus E of chromite-magnesite re- Fig. 2. Change in elasticity modulus E of periclase-chromite re-
fractory in relation to test temperature t and its heating rate m. fractory made from fuzed materials in relation to t and m.

showed that an area of refractories impregnated with molten
reagents, at below 800°C, is converted into a rigid monolith
having increased elastomechanical properties. It has also
been revealed that with one-sided action of temperature on
refractory components the temperature gradient formed
causes thermal stresses within them. The zone of greatest
microcracking for a component is placed at a distance of
1/3 – 1/5 of its length from the working surface. The higher
the heating rate for a component, the greater is the change in
its uniformity (Fig. 4).
The author of this article have performed studies of slag
and abrasion resistance for different forms of refractory com-
ponents over a wide temperature range (see Table 1). It has
been revealed that the best indices of these properties with
respect to processed product in Waelz kilns is exhibited by
periclase-chromite components based on fuzed material with
an increased Cr2O3 content (up to 25%). The refractories
have been developed by the author in performing work in
OAO Kombinat Magnezit.
Melting of periclase-chromite was carried out by a spe-
cial regime using special additions (MgCO3 instead of
MgSO4, Al2O3, etc.) with the aim of increasing the content of
Cr2O3 in a grain to 25% instead of 16 – 18% [1]. The in-
creased Cr2O3 content raises the heat resistance of PKhPP
components to 7 – 8 thermal cycles, which is very marked
during operation in Waelz kilns in which there is formation
of a considerable temperature drop with each kiln rotation.
There is also a reduction in impregnation of the lining by
molten reagents from 100 – 150 mm for PKhS to 5.6 mm for
PKhPP, that excludes crust formation.
In OAO Kombinat Magnezit an industrial batch of
magnesia components (600 tons) has been produced that has
been used for lining melting furnaces Waelz kilns of the
Ust-Kamenogorsk Lead-Zinc Combine. With respect to
component life it is possible to arrange them in the following
order: PKhPP – KhPT – PKhS – MKhS – KhP – MPM. The
most resistant to processing products in Waelz kilns are
periclase-chromite components based on fuzed material
(PKhPP, PKhPU).
These studies have made it possible to develop a number
of improved lining schemes for rotary kilns using highly
efficient refractory materials. Use of single-layer linings
Rotary Kiln Corrosion-Erosion-Resistant Linings
Fig. 3. Dependence of relative elongation e and stress s in chro-
mite-magnesia refractory in copper melting converters at different
temperatures (shown on curves, °C): I) refractory before service;
II) least change zone of refractory; III) working and transitional
zone of refractory.
instead of two-layer linings provides increased structural and
operating life. In order to increase lining life a single-layer
lining scheme was developed from periclase-chromite
sintered refractories PKhS instead of the traditional
two-layer lining of magnesia-chromite MKhTs and chamotte
ShTsU refractories (Fig. 5) [2]. The main advantages of this
lining are absence of a mechanically weak heat insulating
chamotte layer, increased structural strength of the lining,
reduction in lining weight (by 10 – 20%), and a reduction in
laying time (by 10 – 15%). Replacement of MKhTs refrac-
tories by the more resistant PKhS refractory increases the
chemical resistance of the lining. As a result of these measures
the life of linings of rotary Waelz kilns of the Leningrad
Polymetallurcal Combine increased by 30 – 40% [2] (see Fig. 5).
Disadvantages of the lining developed may relate to the
increased furnace casing temperature (up to 350°C) and
Fig. 4. Change in uniformity of the structure for refractory of chromite-magnesia composition with different heating rates m and thickness of
the protective layer d at a refractory service temperature of 1200°C.
101
formation of crusts of fired material. In order to overcome
these disadvantages a “slotted” single-layer lining was
developed (Fig. 6). The essence of the lining is the fact that
different areas of the furnace with respect to thickness as a
result of different thermal conductivity exhibit a different
capacity to grow a slag lining. There is a sharp reduction in
lining chipping as a result of the slots providing interruption
of the working surface of the lining in the most critical areas
(at a distance of 1/3 – 1/5 of the length of the refractory
component) that markedly reduces the thermal stress in the
lining during furnace operation (see Fig. 6) [3], particularly
when refractories PKhPP are used.
In order to eliminate crusts and increase lining resistance
of rotary Waelz kilns a lining scheme was developed in
which there was use of refractories different in chemical and
mineral composition, structure, elastomechanical properties,
such as sintered PKhS, KhPT and fuzed granular periclase-
chromite composition PKhPP, having a different capacity to
grow and hold crust formations (Fig. 7). Refractories PKhPP
have a fuzed grain size of 800 – 950 mm, whereas the size of
grains of sintered refractories PKhS and PKhP is 6 – 50 mm.
The increased number of direct bonds (up to 70%) and
reduced content of silicates in the finely ground part (7%
SiO2, 2% CaO) combined with low component porosity (12%)
sharply reduces the wetting capacity of PKhPP refractories,
their impregnation with molten reagents does not exceed
6 mm, whereas sintered refractories PKhS and KhPT are
impregnated to a depth up to 150 mm. As a result of this with
use of PKhPP refractories there is a reduction in the amount
of crust and increased lining chemical life [4]; its life
increased by 25 – 30%.
The laying schemes developed were tested and intro-
duced in the Leninogorsk Polymetallurgical Combine, the
Ust-Kamenogorsk Lead-Zinc Combine, the Chelyabinsk
Elecrtozinc Plant, the Almalysk Mining and Metallurgical
Combine. The life of Waelz kilns increased as a result of this
by a factor 1.5 – 1.8, and a significant economic effect was
achieved.
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Fig. 5. Single-layer lining of a large diameter Waelz kiln: ShTsU is
chamotte component for the cement industry, compacted; PKhS is a
periclase roof component.
Fig. 6. Lining of rotary furnaces (slotted): 1) section of periclase-
chromite composition refractories prepared on the basis of fuzed
grains of PKhP with a thickness of 300 mm; 2) area of chromite-
periclase heat-resistant refractories KhPT with a thickness of 230 mm;
3) furnace casing.
Fig. 7. Lining of a Waelz kiln of fuzed and sintered refractories made
using a laying solution operating according to the SHS principle:
1) fuzed periclase-chromite components PKhPP; 2) periclase-chromite
of sintered roof PKhS; 3) chamotte components for cement furnaces
compacted with ShTsU; 4) furnace casing; 5) laying solution.
V. V. Slovikovskii
Dynamics for the increase in service life of the lining of a
rotary furnace of the Leninogorsk Polymetallurgical Combine
are provided below*:
Lining service Type of lining and refractory
life, day components used
30 – 40 . . . . Two-layer lining using chamotte heat insulating layer
120 mm thick and magnesia-chromite refractory
MKhU in the working layer 230 mm thick (basic
version)
94 – 97 . . . . Use of single-layer lining 300 mm thick of
periclase-chromite refractory PKhS
104 – 110 . . . Single-layer lining 230 – 300 mm thick of PKhS
refractories made by “slotted” lining scheme
118 – 120 . . . Use of “slotted” single-layer lining 300 – 380 mm
thick of refractories KhPT and PKhP respectively
for lining areas
* The data provided are confirmed by reports of instruction.
CONCLUSION
Analysis of the results of extensive testing and intro-
duction of improved linings for rotary furnaces makes it
possible to recommend for introduction:
– in the preparation zone a chamotte brick by a laying
scheme of single lining layer using highly effective
shrinkage-free solution based on corundum filler and
aluminochromium phosphate binder;
– in the reaction zone a single-layer lining of the
“slotted” type using refractory components KhPT and PKhP
380 – 300 mm thick respectively with use of laying solution
operating according to the SHS principle;
– in the cooling zone a single-layer lining of refractory
PKhS based on a SHS solution that makes it possible to remove
metal rings over the length of the furnace intended for resis-
tance to penetration of the lining cone of the cooling zone [5].
Introduction of this lining scheme for a Waelz kiln makes
it possible to increase its life by a factor of 1.5 – 1.8 with
minimum expenditure.
REFERENCES
1. V. V. Slovikovskii, P. N. Babich, Ya. G. Gaponov, et al.,
Inventor’s Cert. 1052500 USSR. Method for preparing fuzed
periclase materials, Byul. No. 2 (1990).
2. V. V. Slovikovskii, N. F. Lebedef, V. B. Birkle, et al., Moderniza-
tion of Waelz Kilns of the Leninogorsk Polymetallurgical
Combine [in Russian], Center for Sci.-Tech. Information and
Propaganda. Information List No. 608 – 86, Sverdlovsk.
3. V. V. Slovikovskii, A. D. Pilipchatin, N. F. Lebedev, et al.,
Inventor’s Cert. 1635680 USSR, Lining for rotary furnace,
Claim. No. 4162069, Priority 09.25.81; Byul. No. 10 (1991).
4. V. V. Slovikovskii, N. F. Lebedev, B. V. Ponomarev, et al.,
Inventor’s Cert. 1623353 USSR, Lining for a large-diameter
Waelz kiln, Claim. No. 4296686; Priority 09.22.87, Byul. No. 3
(1991).
5. V. V. Slovikovskii, N. N. Chistopolova, V. K. Lyalin, et al., RF
Patent 2001035. Refractory mix for preparing refractory
components, Claim. No. 4948394, Registered in the State
Register 10.15.93.