Utilization of Fly Ash in the Synthesis of Refractory Forsterite-Spinel Ceramics

Abstract

Forsterite refractory ceramics is utilized in the metallurgical and cement industries as a lining of metallurgical furnaces and rotary kilns for its high refractoriness up to 1850°C and refractoriness under load above 1600°C. Another significant property of forsterite is its coefficient of linear thermal expansion utilized in the electrotechnical industry for ceramic-metal joints. Addition of aluminium oxide into the raw material mixture results in creation of magnesium-alumina spinel (MgO·Al2O3) which improves sintering, thermal shock resistance and mechanical properties in comparison with pure forsterite ceramics. Inexpensive source of aluminium oxide is fly ash. Utilization of fly ash, secondary energetic product of coal-burning power plants, is important for the environment and sustainable development. This paper evaluated properties of fly ash-based forsterite-spinel ceramics in comparison with alumina-based forsterite-spinel ceramics. Forsterite-spinel ceramics was synthesized from olivine, calcined magnesite and fly ash/alumina powders. XRD analysis was used to determine mineralogical composition, thermal analyses were used to determine the behaviour during firing and scanning electron microscopy to determine the morphology of crystal phases. Refractoriness of pyrometric cones, refractoriness under load, thermal shock resistance, coefficient of linear thermal expansion, water absorption, porosity and modulus of rupture were also determined on fired test samples.