Thermomechanical evaluation and thermodynamic simulation via FactSage of NCCs and ULCCs with different MgO content

Thermomechanical properties are the most important for refractories and these give an idea about the bonding strength between the fine-grained matrix and the aggregates in the refractory body. Mentioned properties characterize the deformation of the refractories at high temperature, mainly due to the formation of the liquid phases of different quantity and viscosity. The objective of this study is to elucidate the role of the Mg-Al spinel content, stoichiometry and synthesis method on structural, microstructural, thermomechanical and other properties NCCs and ULCCs. The results show that the differences in thermomechanical performance of the ULCCs can be related to the CA6, Al2O3 and both pre-formed and in situ Al-excess Mg-Al spinel contents, whereas NCCs exhibit the best performance decreasing with an increasing the Al-rich spinel content. The thermodynamic simulation via FactSage 8.2 showed consistent results managing to indicate the effect of liquid phase on the thermomechanical properties of castables.