Symposium CO
Refractories: Developments in Raw Material, Production and Installation, Modelling, and Testing/Performance

This symposium will focus on advances in refractories used as high temperature insulation and/or containment materials for severe service environments, with emphasis on the following areas: refractory raw materials and product formulations; mixing, installation, drying, firing and/or property development in monolithic refractory materials; refractory performance issues/needs of industry; standardized or specialized testing; environmental or energy conservation issues/needs related to refractory processing/use; the use of quality control and/or analytical tools to improve refractory performance; modelling refractory wear or user systems to improve refractory performance; and the use of post mortem failure analysis to resolve refractory issues or service life. Improvement in refractory materials are often driven by changes in energy and raw material cost/availability, changes in refractory technology, changes in user system demands, the need for rapid and reliable technology to remove/install refractories that minimize production downtime and costs, and the constant need by refractory users for lower production/material costs and maximized performance.
This symposium will cover research and development advances related to prefired shaped and unshaped monolithic refractories composed of oxide and nonoxide components and their combinations; including additives to refractory mixtures that include binders, cements, carbon, flow modifiers, antioxidants, and set time modifiers. Contributed papers will cover achievements and challenges from the perspective of either the refractory user, installer, or producer.