Why Zirconia Refractories for Steelmaking?
In continuous casting, the refractory component is part of the flow-control system. Innovacera’s Zirconia refractories are used in these critical areas because of their resistance to corrosion, erosion and thermal degradation, such as slide gate plates, submerged entry nozzles, ladle shrouds, nozzles, and tundish linings, among the steelmaking applications for its stabilized zirconia materials. And three of the main problems encountered by steelmaking refractories are thermal shock and fatigue, slag and metal corrosion, and erosion and clogging. These mechanisms often occur together rather than separately. For nozzles, erosion can gradually enlarge or change the shape of the bore. Either situation can affect the stability of the casting process. The Tundish metering nozzles control the amount of molten steel entering the mold, maintain steel purity and prevent oxidation during transfer between ladle and tundish. But the nozzle has to maintain a stable bore while exposed to...