Investigation on the influence of quartz-containing additives type on the properties of castable samples from a low-cement alumina-silica castable before and after thermal treatment

Ensuring compliance of the physical and mechanical properties of castable products with differentiated operating requirements is achieved by optimizing the grain size composition of the fireclay aggregate, using a microfiller with an increased content of aluminum oxide and reactive additives in the matrix component, choosing effective deflocculants and plasticizers additives, etc. The influence of aggregate type, its grain size composition, quartzcontaining additives (quartz-containing additive FS or a mixture of combined grinding of ɑ-form alumina and quartz-containing additive S), amount of cement grade of “VGTs-73” on water demand, flowability of freshly prepared mass and properties of castable samples from low-cement alumina-silica castable after thermal treatment at temperatures of 110, 800 and 1400 °C. It was found that, with a partial replacement of fireclay in the castable with brown alumina, an addition introduction of ɑ-form alumina and a quartzcontaining component, an increase in the amount of high-alumina cement grade of “VGTs-73” from 5 to 8 %, the water demand decreases and the castable flowability increases, the strength of castable samples increases before and after thermal treatment. As a result of the carried out research, a technology for the manufacture of low-cement alumina-silica castable with Al2O3 content 52—56 % has been developed and mastered in JSC “URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy”.