Nano-bonded refractory castables

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) contents higher than 3 wt% in refractory castables can have some drawbacks in the various processing steps (mainly drying) and also in their refractoriness when in contact with SiO2. The use of colloidal silica as an alternative binder has been studied by many researchers in recent years and recently reports have also explored the use of colloidal alumina for the same purpose. This article reviews the recent developments in nano-bonded refractory castables focusing on the use of colloidal silica or alumina. In the first part of the paper, a comparison of different binding systems for refractory castables is shown. The benefits of replacing CAC or hydratable alumina by colloidal binders are discussed. In the second part, the advantages of colloidal silica/alumina as a refractory binder are highlighted. Meanwhile, the characterization techniques and functional mechanisms of these binders are presented in order to understand the behavior of these systems. Finally, in the last section, the challenges for suitable use of colloidal binders are discussed and the future direction of nano-structured refractory castables is outlined. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.