Refractory Dry Out and Cure

The secret to long refractory life is a professional dry out using Team’s high-velocity combustion systems to ensure that every inch of your refractory is heated under control as tight as 1°/hour. Team’s dry outs are designed to:

About Team Refractory Dry Outs

Team uses high-velocity gas burners and automatic digital controllers to achieve the temperatures required for a complete dry-out. Heat-ups to 2,000°F (1,093°C) are routinely provided for some applications such as blast furnace stoves and glass melters. Team can achieve the accuracy and uniformity you need in today’s complex refractory material demands.

Team recorders register the rise rate and hold temperatures of each heat cycle. You’ll know how Team heat-ups meet your specifications because you receive a strip chart of the exact temperatures versus time, as well as an hourly log sheet. Team’s reputation for accuracy sets the company above our competitors.

Less Downtime, More Cost Savings

Team accomplishes in hours what gas lances take days to do. Team equipment reaches your required temperatures quicker with more uniform application than conventional methods. Team also works to your schedule so you won’t have to wait for Team. Team’s fleet of combustion equipment is portable and can reach your job-site rapidly. Trained technicians can be dispatched from any of Team’s North American offices to complete your job.

Your heat-up will be done right because Team Industrial Services understands the characteristics of your refractory and the operations of your industry. Team works with refractory manufacturers and installers to determine the heat-up schedule for each refractory’s rigorous dry-out requirements. Team considers many factors, including moisture content, how the material is mechanically and chemically bonded, and the thickness and density of the refractory.

Expertise and Experience

Trained technicians and engineers have the experience to perform heat-ups that will optimize refractory performance. Control and uniformity are the key elements in a dry-out that successfully extends refractory life. Skilled Team professionals know where to place each burner and how to follow the procedure specified for each job. Because our technicians and project managers perform many dry-outs each year, they promptly and effectively handle any unusual situation that might develop.

Removal of “Free” Water

Maximum removal of free water and humidity at tightly controlled temperatures up to 600ºF (316ºC) improves refractory integrity. An improperly performed heat-up can bake the surface and trap moisture. If residual moisture remains in castables and other refractory materials when the vessel is returned to use, this moisture can interact negatively with process chemicals, such as sulphur, chlorine, or process liquids, that should not be exposed to moisture. The result is a shortened refractory life, and possibly even damage to costly equipment.

Minimize Spalling and Cracking

Water trapped within a refractory leads to a pressure buildup and the potential for dangerous explosive spalling. A controlled dry-out gradually forces the migration of free and chemically held water through the refractory lining, removing moisture.

Reduction of Thermal Stress

Potentially damaging microfissures and subcracks are minimized since, through the uniform application of heat to the lining, a controlled dry-out prevents the formation of the thermal stresses that can weaken the refractory. Impeding the excessive formation of these weaknesses eliminates what can rapidly become a major problem.

Prevent Separation of Refractory from Surface

A consistent dry-out ensures that a dual-component lining will not form slip planes where surface refractory “droops” or separates from anchored refractory. Dry-out specialists monitor the through-wall temperature gradient by attaching thermocouples to the hot face and cold face and, if required, the intermediate face to achieve the cross-sectional temperatures required.

Strengthen Refractory

Ceramic bonding occurs when dry-outs are performed at temperatures approximating 1,000°F (538°C). With the application of both heat and pressure, thermal penetration assures cross-sectional ceramic bonding within the refractory. This bond equates to refractory strength. With improved bonding, refractory campaign life should increase.

No Thermal Spiking

Microprocessor-based controllers monitor and control the professional dry-out process, where appropriate. With sophisticated controls and safety equipment, sudden temperature surges are eliminated.