Heat-resistant solutions for the iron and steel industry
Blast furnace brick linings
STEULER-KCH offers a wide range of materials for lining steel furnaces depending on the specific installation conditions and loads. Fired at temperatures of up to 1,700°C, alumina bricks are characterised by their high resistance to abrasion and changing thermal conditions, thus withstanding the mechanical stresses in the most heavily loaded upper part of the furnace. In the reduction zones, we use special moulds made of chamotte and andalusite, which provide exceptional resistance to the reduction environment.
The high temperature and pressure generated by the charge are a tremendous strain on the furnace melting zone. For areas subjected to considerable stress, STEULER-KCH has developed ring elements made of chemically/ceramically bonded andalusite. Both the furnace bottom and the furnace hearth are covered with multiple layers of carbon bricks.
By using andalusite and chamotte grades with low iron content and good heat resistance, which are combined with high-quality sintered mullite (with exceptional corrosion resistance), STEULER-KCH protects the ‘ceramic cup’ of the furnace from the effects of pig iron.
Innovative fireproofing techniques for direct reduction
STEULER-KCH carries out individual designs of the components involved in direct reduction, starting with the air and process gas preheaters, through the reformer, up to the most important component of the system – the reduction furnace.
Refractory products in the foundry industry
In modern foundries, the ingot mould channels are lined with the highest quality refractory products. This is because the steel produced must be free of non-metallic inclusions and have a stable composition and homogeneous structure.
For high-quality high-alloy steels such as manganese steels, STEULER-KCH uses material B 80UG, characterised by a reaction-bonded mullite matrix with a SiO2 content of less than 1.5 %. The use of this type of material prevents channel widening and alumina inclusions.