Splicing of Glass Kiln Lip Bricks

Glass Kiln Lid Bricks used in rolled glass forming can be made from a single piece or from several bricks joined together. The choice between a single brick and several bricks depends on many subjective and objective factors, such as brick quality, brick cost, production cycle, glass specifications, and operator skill level. The basic principle is to ensure product quality, prevent defects during use, and guarantee durability.

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Solid Lid Brick

The length of the solid lip brick is determined by the length of the calendering roll. The advantages of using a solid lip brick are:

1. Not limited by glass specifications, meeting the cutting needs of various glass sizes;
2. Good stability during operation, with virtually no displacement or tilting;
3. Compact, stable, and robust assembly with the support structure.

The disadvantages are: It is prone to breakage, with severe cases showing 4-5 cracks. The brick is relatively long and heavy, and assembly and transportation are inconvenient due to space constraints.

Two Lip Bricks Joined Together

A set of lip bricks consists of two pieces joined together, each piece being half the length of the calendering roll.

The advantages of using two pieces are:

1. It distributes the various forces acting on the lip brick, reducing the probability of cracking;
2. Each brick is lighter, making assembly, transportation, and movement easier.

However, using two pieces together has many disadvantages, including:

1. It is difficult to guarantee the quality of the assembly, mainly due to larger joints between the bricks and the tendency for misalignment to occur on the upper surface of the lip brick, resulting in overall unevenness;
2. During operation, the brick joints often widen, tilt, shift, or even misalign;
3. The assembly process is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

There are three methods for splicing two lip bricks together:

• Method 1: Make semi-circular grooves downwards on both sides of the splicing surface of the lip bricks, 10mm from the top plane of the lip. After splicing the two bricks, the semi-circular grooves on both sides will form a circular hole. Fill the hole with mortar, ensuring it is completely filled. After fixing both sides, place it near the kiln and bake at high temperature for a period of time. At this point, the refractory mortar inside the hole will have dried and solidified. If the bricks expand when heated, the resulting cylindrical refractory material will not fall off, sealing the joint between the two bricks. Therefore, no air enters, reducing the release of air bubbles and minimizing the impact on the temperature of the surrounding molten glass.
• Method 2: Soak ceramic fiber paper (<1mm thick) in molten glass, then apply it to one side of the lip brick, and then align them together. After completion, bake it near the kiln.
• Method 3: Dry splicing. Join two well-fitting lip bricks together, ensuring the gap between them is less than 1mm, and then tighten them with screws on both sides before use.

Three-Piece Lip Brick Assembly

A set of lip bricks consists of three pieces joined together. The middle piece is 2-2.2m long, and each of the two ends has a lip brick joint of 250-350mm.

Advantages:

1. The two joints release more of the compressive force generated by the expansion of the lip bricks, reducing the probability of cracking.
2. The length of the middle brick can meet the production needs of various glass sizes.

Disadvantages:

1. The structure is unstable, making it difficult to guarantee the quality of the splicing. Misalignment on the upper surface of the lip bricks at the joints can make expansion and contraction of the glass difficult.
2. There is a possibility of tilting or displacement during operation.
3. More fastener installation work is required during online assembly, resulting in a longer cycle time.

Whether used as a single piece or in combination of multiple lip bricks, the lip bricks must be assembled, installed, and fixed to a support frame. Production lines using brick-making calenders initially employed online assembly. However, after a period of trial and error, it was found that online assembly was neither convenient nor guaranteed in terms of quality. Therefore, many companies now use offline assembly, where the assembled bricks are transported to the overflow port by a mobile trolley and installed at the outlet. Production lines using integrated brick-making calenders also use offline assembly, where the lip bricks are assembled and fixed to a support frame outside the production line, and then hoisted and installed as a whole onto the calender frame.

When assembling lip bricks, the upper flat working surface serves as the reference horizontal plane. By processing the brick material or adding leveling shims at the bottom, the lip brick is ensured to be horizontal, with its contact surface with the tail brick perpendicular to the horizontal surface. The joint between lip bricks must be straight and as small as possible, less than 1mm after assembly. There should be no misalignment of the lip brick tips; the tips should be kept in a straight line along the tangent direction. The curved surfaces of the assembled bricks must be on the same plane, without any misalignment or stepped formations. Mullite fiber paper must be used to separate the lip brick from the tail brick, the lip brick from the edge brick, and the lip brick from the support. The center longitudinal direction of the lip brick should be aligned with the production line, the tangent direction parallel to the edge, and the normal direction perpendicular to the top plane of the lip brick.

Online assembly of lip bricks involves high-temperature operation in a confined area. Besides the long operation time (approximately 1-2 hours), the assembly quality of the lip bricks and supports, and the supports and calenders, is inferior to offline assembly. It also negatively impacts the kiln temperature regime.

Offline assembly offers a better working environment, lower labor intensity for workers, and doesn’t interfere with brick-changing time. It allows ample time and space for assembly, enabling precise positioning of the lip brick’s front-to-back and left-to-right spacing with the rollers. If bricks or steel components are unsuitable, they can be processed offline, ensuring the assembly quality of the lip bricks and supports, and the supports and calenders, saving brick loading time. Brick changing can be completed quickly with minimal kiln temperature changes, facilitating rapid production recovery. However, once the integrated brick-making calender is positioned, the relative position of the tail brick cannot be moved, lacking a means to handle defects. In actual production, damage can occur on both sides during the lead-in operation, especially for those accustomed to using a pull-in lead-in system. Once the edge is damaged, the machine must be replaced, and the tail brick must be replaced along with the lead-in brick. Separating the lip brick and tail brick involves long working hours, a poor working environment, and high labor intensity. The heat-resistant steel lip brick support integrated with the brick machine has poor deformation resistance, is prone to bending at high temperatures, and is difficult to restore for reuse after deformation, resulting in waste.

Lip Bricks for Rolled Glass Production

Lid bricks used in rolled glass production are classified into various types based on their material, including low-porosity clay, zircon mullite, α-β corundum, sillimanite, and fused silica. Currently, most solar rolled glass production lines use lip bricks made of zircon mullite, sillimanite, and α-β corundum.

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Zircon-Mullite Lip Bricks

The main components of zircon-mullite lip bricks are ZrO₂≥6%, Al₂O₃≥75%, SiO₂≤18%, and Fe₂O₃≤0.5%. They are made from industrial alumina (or high-alumina bauxite) and zircon as raw materials, mixed, shaped, dried, and then fired at high temperatures in a shuttle kiln using a reaction sintering process. Zircon-mullite lip bricks possess a dense crystal structure, high mechanical strength at high temperatures, good wear resistance, good thermal shock stability, low reheat shrinkage and high-temperature creep, and extremely high chemical stability and resistance to alkaline media erosion. Their room temperature compressive strength is ≥100MPa, load softening start temperature is ≥1670℃, bulk density is 2.8g/cm³, and air cooling performance is ≥10 cycles. Due to their good wear resistance, long service life, short debubbling time, and minimal impact on the forming after lip wear, zircon-mullite lip bricks offer high cost-effectiveness. Therefore, it is increasingly used in solar rolled glass production lines.

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Sillimanite Lid Bricks

Sillimanite, with the molecular formula Al₂O₃·SiO₂, has a theoretical chemical composition of 62.93% Al₂O₃ and 37.07% SiO₂. Typically, sillimanite’s mineral composition contains ≥55% Al₂O₃, ≤37% SiO₂, and ≤5% Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, CaO, MgO, Na₂O, K₂O, etc., making it a high-quality, high-alumina raw material. Sillimanite undergoes irreversible transformation into 83.96% mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) and 16.04% silicate glass phase during high-temperature sintering at 1500–1750℃, a process known as sillimanization. Mullite-treated sillimanite can be used to prepare high-density clinker with a porosity of less than 3%. This clinker, after being pulverized, can be used to make refractory materials, including lip bricks. Lid bricks made of sillimanite can be used in high-temperature operations up to 1650℃, and have advantages such as high high-temperature strength, low porosity, good volume stability and thermal shock resistance, and resistance to molten glass corrosion. Therefore, sillimanite lip bricks are also used in solar rolled glass production lines.

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α-β Corundum Lip Bricks

Corundum lip bricks are made from raw materials containing ≥94% alumina, ≤1.2% Na₂O, and ≤0.02% Fe₂O₃, through high-temperature alumina melting and casting in an electric arc furnace at temperatures above 2000℃. α-β corundum products consist of α-alumina and β-alumina, with their interlocking crystals forming a very dense microstructure, exhibiting excellent alkali resistance. In temperature ranges below 1350℃, its resistance to glass melt erosion and scouring is better than that of zirconia corundum bricks, possessing excellent mechanical strength and a long service life. Because it contains almost no impurities such as Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂, the matrix glass phase is extremely low, with a porosity ≤2% and a bulk density of 3.4 g/cm³. It produces very few bubbles or other foreign matter when in contact with molten glass, making it the best material for producing lip bricks. However, α-β corundum lip bricks suffer from poor thermal stability, are prone to cracking, and are expensive, limiting their widespread use in solar rolled glass production lines.

Regardless of the lip brick material, its appearance quality must meet the following requirements: the upper surface must be smooth and flat, free of molten holes. The lip brick edge must not have cracks, not gaps, or defects. The working surface and all contact surfaces must be finely ground to a precision of ±0.5mm, and the lip brick’s curvature must be consistent.

Processing Before Lip Brick Assembly

After the lip bricks arrive at the rolled glass manufacturing plant, if their length exceeds the required length or their surface is not smooth, they need to be processed to the required size using a cutting machine or ground.

• ① First, cut the lower edge of the lip brick. This should be done gradually and repeatedly to ensure a smooth, flat surface with good curvature.
• ② When processing the upper surface of the lip brick, it should also be done gradually and repeatedly to ensure a smooth, flat surface.
• ③ The bottom of each lip brick must be flat to maintain the stability of the lip brick and the brick frame support.
• ④ After pre-assembling the lip bricks, ensure that the contact area between the lip brick tips is less than 1mm. If the connection is not tight, grinding is required. The back of the lip brick should be as tight as possible while ensuring a tight fit, requiring a gap of less than 1.5mm.
• ⑤ Ensure that the inner dimensional tolerance of the lip brick is no greater than 5mm.
• ⑥ Based on the condition of the lip brick, use an aluminum alloy ruler and ink lines to clearly mark the areas where the lip brick tips will be processed. ⑦ Place the processed lip bricks near the kiln and bake for at least 72 hours.
• ⑧ Secure the baked lip bricks with clamps on a lip brick support, install the edge bricks, and fix them in place.
• ⑨ Precautions for processing lip bricks:

1. 1. When cutting lip bricks, leave approximately 5mm of length for processing.
   2. Use a pneumatic brick grinder for rough processing, and an electric angle grinder with a diamond wheel for fine processing.
   3. When processing the contact surface of the lip brick, repeated up-and-down finishing is required. Be careful to control the force applied; do not use excessive force.
   4. When high precision is required for the contact surface of the lip brick, it must be manually ground with a whetstone; do not use an electric angle grinder.
   5. When using a pneumatic angle grinder, pay attention to the orientation of the lip brick to prevent small brick pieces and dust from directly hitting your face. Wear protective gear to prevent facial injury.
   6. Handle lip bricks gently, ensuring the lip tip does not touch the ground. Lay cardboard on the ground to prevent damage.
   7. Because lip brick processing is delicate work, it takes one to two days. Therefore, the processing of lip bricks must be carried out in a timely manner so that they can be installed and used immediately once the calendering machine is replaced.

Buy high-quality glass kiln lip bricks, such as zircon mullite bricks, sillimanite bricks, α-β Corundum Bricks, etc. Fused AZS Bricks for glass kiln, please feel free to contact Rongsheng Refractory Factory now!

Production Process of Mullite-Sillimanite Bricks

Rongsheng Refractory Factory lists several production processes, formulas, and molding techniques for mullite refractory brick products. (For reference only)

Mullite-Sillimanite Bricks

Using Shandong calcined shale as aggregate, sillimanite, high-alumina bauxite, and binding clay as fine powders, and sulfite pulp waste liquor as a binder, mullite-sillimanite ceramic kiln furniture can be manufactured.

The raw material composition is as follows: 55% calcined shale clinker particles <3mm; 45% finely ground sillimanite, high-alumina bauxite clinker, and binding clay (<0.088mm). (Of which: 10% sillimanite, 22% high-alumina bauxite, 13% clay); 3% water; 1% sulfite pulp waste liquor (density 1.2g/cm3).

Particle size distribution (%): >5mm, 3; 5~2mm, 25; 2~0.5mm, 24; 0.5~0.088mm, 9.5; <0.088mm, 38.5; Moisture 9.0.

The order of adding materials for clay mixing is: granular material, binder and water, then fine powder. Mixing time is 10 minutes.

After drying, the green body is fired in a downdraft kiln at 1370℃.

The physicochemical properties of the product are as follows: Al₂O₃ 51.9%, SiO₂ 43.9%. Apparent porosity 23%, bulk density 2.27 g/cm³. Compressive strength 38.2 MPa, load softening temperature 1520℃. Thermal shock resistance (1100℃, water cooling) > 20 cycles.

Mullite-sillimanite bricks, used as pusher bricks in a ceramic pusher kiln, show no deformation or wear after approximately 25 uses.

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Sillimanite Bricks

Sillimanite bricks can be manufactured using synthetic mullite, high-alumina bauxite clinker, and coke clinker as aggregates, with Jixi sillimanite as the matrix, employing equipment and processes used for clay brick production.

The raw material proportions are as follows: sillimanite 45-50%, mullite + coke clinker + Grade II high-alumina bauxite 35-50%, Grade I high-alumina bauxite 5-10%, and clay 5-10%. The above raw materials are weighed according to the proportions and mixed in a mixer. Granular materials are added first, followed by the binder, and after thorough mixing, fine powder is added and mixed for 10 minutes. The moisture content of the clay is controlled at 3-3.5%.

Sillimanite bricks are formed using a friction brick press with a capacity of 300t or higher, with the green body density controlled at 2.53g/cm³ or higher. The formed green bodies are then dried in a tunnel drying kiln. The drying kiln inlet temperature is 40-50℃, and the outlet temperature is 150-200℃. Drying time is 8-10 hours, with residual moisture not exceeding 0.5%. The firing temperature of the sillimanite bricks is 1350-1400℃, with a holding time of 8-10 hours.

The main physicochemical properties of the sillimanite bricks are as follows: Al₂O₃ 61.45%; SiO₂ 35.15%. Apparent porosity 15.3%; bulk density 2.58 g/cm³. Compressive strength at room temperature 123.4 MPa; linear change after reheating at 1500℃ for 2 hours +0.17%; creep rate at 1450℃ for 50 hours 0.72%; thermal shock resistance (1100℃ to water cooling) greater than 15 cycles.

Sillimanite Rotary Tube

The rotary tube is the main working component of a glass tube drawing machine. Its working conditions are harsh; it must withstand the erosion and scouring of molten glass at 1150℃, and it must also operate while rotating. Therefore, the product must possess strong resistance to molten glass corrosion.

Sillimanite rotary tubes can be manufactured using Shandong premium grade coke as aggregate, and Jixi sillimanite and purple clay as fine powders.

The ingredient ratio is as follows: coke 60-65%, sillimanite 20-30%, clay 5-10%, plus 1.5% sulfite pulp waste liquor and 4% water.

The mixture is kneaded in a wet mill, with the following order of addition: coke, water, sulfite pulp waste liquor, clay, and sillimanite. The kneading time is 10 minutes. Clay particle size (%): >0.84mm 13-18, 0.84-0.50mm 15-20, 0.50-0.08mm 20-25, <0.08mm 40, Moisture 6%.

Formed by pneumatic hammer tamping, with a working air pressure of 0.39-0.49 MPa. After drying, the residual moisture content of the green body is <1%. The product is fired in a down-draft kiln at a maximum firing temperature of 1370℃ for 48 hours.

The physicochemical properties of the product are as follows: Al₂O₃ 49%, SiO₂ 47%. Apparent porosity 15.7%, load softening temperature 1550℃. Room temperature compressive strength 149.7 MPa. The product is ready for use after polishing.

Sillimanite Bowl

The bowl is the main working component at the bottom of the clarification tank of a glass melting furnace, used for the outlet of molten glass used to produce bottles and jars. Sillimanite bowls can be manufactured using sillimanite concentrate and clay as raw materials.

The raw material ratio is as follows: sillimanite concentrate 3-0.5mm 30-40%, 0.5-0.088mm 20-30%, <0.088mm 20-30%; clay 8-12%, plus 3% sulfite pulp waste liquor.

Mixing is carried out in a mixing mill. According to the clay ratio, first add granular materials and dry mix for 1 minute, then add binder and mix for 3 minutes, then add fine powder and mix for 4-6 minutes. The clay moisture content is controlled at 3-3.5%. The green body is formed under a pressure of 14.7 MPa, dried at 40-60℃ for 3-4 days, and fired at 1450℃.

The main physical properties of the product are as follows: apparent porosity 22.5%, bulk density 2.07 g/cm³, room temperature compressive strength 83 MPa, load softening temperature 1320℃, and thermal shock resistance (1100℃, water cooling) 18 cycles.

Sillimanite Balls

Sillimanite filler balls for blast furnace hot blast stoves can be manufactured using high-alumina bauxite clinker and Jixi sillimanite concentrate as raw materials, and soft clay and sulfite pulp powder as binders.

The raw material ratio is as follows: high-alumina bauxite clinker particles, 0.9-0.5mm, 55%; high-alumina bauxite clinker fine powder, <0.074mm, 15%; sillimanite fine powder, <0.045mm, 20%; binder clay fine powder, <0.074mm, 10%; and added pulp powder, <0.28mm, 5%.

The sillimanite fine powder, high-alumina bauxite clinker fine powder, and clay fine powder are ground together in a vibratory mill for 10-15 minutes according to the ratio. Mixing is carried out in a wet mill. First, add the high-alumina bauxite clinker, then add an appropriate amount of water, mix for 2-3 minutes, and then add the pulp powder. After mixing for 1 minute, add the fine powder and mix for another 7-10 minutes, maintaining a moisture content of 5-17%. Dry the shaped green body at 60-80℃ for 8-10 hours, ensuring residual moisture is <2%. Firing temperature is 1500℃, held for 10-12 hours.

Main physical properties of the product: Apparent porosity 25.41%, bulk density 2.45 g/cm³, room temperature compressive strength 54 MPa, softening temperature under load 1450℃, thermal shock resistance (water cooling at 1100℃) >30 cycles.

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Andalusite Bricks

Andalusite bricks, made from andalusite as aggregate and high-alumina bauxite clinker, sillimanite, and fine clay powder as matrix, can be used to manufacture torpedo iron ladles.

Andalusite is crushed and graded for later use. High-alumina bauxite clinker and clay are mixed and ground finely in a vibrating ball mill. The raw material ratio is as follows: andalusite 50-55%, sillimanite 15-25%, high-alumina bauxite 15-20%, and clay 5-10%. The mixture is kneaded using a roller mill, adding large and medium particles first and dry-mixing for 2-3 minutes, then adding the binder and co-ground powder, with a total kneading time of 15 minutes.

The particle size distribution of the clay is: 3-2mm 25%, 2-1mm 15%, 1-0.5mm 6.5%, 0.5-0.088mm 10.5%, <0.088mm 43%. After being conditioned for 25 hours, the clay was formed using a 630t friction brick press, resulting in bricks with a density of 2.65-2.75 g/cm³. The finished bricks were dried and then fired in a tunnel kiln at a maximum firing temperature of 1350℃ for 8 hours.

The main physical properties of the finished bricks are: bulk density 2.48 g/cm³, apparent porosity 13.7%, room temperature compressive strength 110.8 MPa, load softening temperature 1560℃, creep rate (1350℃, 50h) 15%, reheat linear change (1450℃, 2h) 0.07%, and thermal shock stability (1100℃ water cooling) >30 cycles.

Sillimanite-Silicon Carbide Shelving Bricks

Sillimanite-silicon carbide shelving bricks can be manufactured using silicon carbide sand as aggregate, sillimanite and clay as matrix, and sulfite pulp waste liquor as binder. The formula is as follows: silicon carbide (grade 1) 50-65%, sillimanite 15-35%, clay 10-15%. The particle size distribution of the clay is as follows: 3-2mm 12-20%, 2-1mm 15-24%, 1-0.5mm 10-12%, 0.5-0.088mm 20-25%, <0.088mm 30-35%.

The clay is mixed in a mixing mill. The feeding sequence is: first add silicon carbide particles, then add sulfite pulp waste liquor, mix evenly, and then add the mixed fine powder. Continue mixing for 10 minutes before discharging. The moisture content of the clay should be controlled at 3-4%.

The molding process is carried out on a 500t hydraulic press, with a green body density of not less than 2.65 g/cm³. The green body is dried at 40℃ for 3 days, with residual moisture content less than 1%. Firing can be carried out in a down-draft kiln at 1430℃, with a holding time of 8-16 hours and a total firing time of 90 hours.

The physical properties of the sillimanite-silicon carbide kiln floor bricks are as follows: apparent porosity <21%, bulk density 2.30-2.35 g/cm³, compressive strength >35.2 MPa, load softening temperature >1520℃, and thermal shock resistance (1100℃, water cooling) >8 cycles.

This product can be used as floor bricks in ceramic tunnel kilns fired at 1370℃. It exhibits good thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, oxidation resistance, simple production process, and low cost, and can replace high-alumina floor bricks.