Abstract

The refractory used in the pyrometallurgical furnaces is periodically replaced because of wear. Refractory wear is determined by contact with the molten phases that interact with the refractory, in which chemical reactions are significant. Molten phases penetrate the refractory structure through the open porosity, this condition often being the first step in the complex phenomena of wear in these materials. In this work, the infiltration of Mg-Cr-O and Al-Cr-O industrial refractories by the molten phases in the copper-making process has been studied by adapting the sessile drop technique usually associated with wetting studies. An evaluation of the volume of liquid infiltration and the time needed to reach the maximum level were compared for three types of industrial refractories and three types of molten phases: fayalitic slag, matte and copper. An experimental analysis of the wetting behavior of those molten phases on the principal constituents of the refractories tested was developed to better understand the results.