During steel casting, well blocks are used to hold the bottom end of the stopper. when casting is finished, well blocks will ensure the stopper slide to the nozzle along the cambered surface to stop steel liquid mainstream. By material composition, Steel Ladle Well Block can be divided into fireclay well block, high alumina well block, and unburned high alumina well block.
Well blocks, also called pocket blocks, are the masonry of refractory bricks at the bottom of a steel ladle, which is used to fix nozzle bricks. The Steel Ladle Well Blocks are square in shape, so are also called square bricks. The main function of Steel Ladle Well Blocks is to fix the nozzle, making the detachment and installment of nozzle bricks easier.
In the modern metallurgical process, the air blowing smelting technique is adopted, and steel ladle purging plug pocket blocks are an important functional component for this step, steel ladle purging plug pocket blocks should have the following characteristics.
High-temperature erosion resistance
Refinery steel ladle requires very strict standards on smelting temperature and time, the max. temperature can reach more than 1750℃. During the refinery process, molten slag alkalinity has a great influence on refractory materials’ service life. Steel ladle refinery slag’s alkalinity varies between 0.6~0.4, so refractory material will suffer the erosion of acid slag and basic slag which have high permeability at high temperature, and has a quick damage speed.
High temperature abrasion resistance
All kinds of steel ladle refinery methods all adopt compulsory stirring, which will cause severe high-temperature abrasion to pocket bricks.
Spalling resistance
Because of intermittent operation, temperature fluctuation is very large, which easily generate thermal spalling and structural spalling, and working condition is very harsh. So currently used steel ladle purging plug pocket bricks’ performance such as high-temperature erosion resistance and spalling resistance should be improved.
Steel ladle purging plug can be divided into built-in type integral purging plug and externally fitted purging plug combination type. To prolong the purging plug’s service life, enhance it’s safety coefficient and ensure no steel leaking and permeation, no matter for an externally fitted purging plug or a built-in purging plug, pocket bricks play an important role and should be carefully chosen.
Steel ladle well bricks are mainly used for continuous casting tundish and matched with nozzle bricks. Pocket bricks have high etching resistance, and won’t distort or crack when coupled with a zirconia metering nozzle. Contact Rongsheng for a free quote and competitive pricing on the Steel Ladle Well Blocks and the other refractory lining materials for the steelmaking furnaces.
