Trough and Runners refractory

The blast furnace trough and runners castable is a refractory material used for the lining of the iron water ditch in front of the blast furnace and the repair of the iron water nozzle. It is mainly used to withstand the scouring and chemical erosion of high-temperature molten iron, ensure the smooth flow of molten iron, and extend the service life of the iron water ditch. It is mainly composed of brown corundum, silicon carbide, carbonaceous materials, high-aluminum cement, ultrafine powder, etc., and is equipped with special additives to enable it to maintain excellent physical properties under a high-temperature environment.

During the blast furnace ironmaking process, molten iron flows out of the tap hole and is transported to the ladle through the tap hole. The refractory lining of the tap hole must have good erosion resistance, corrosion resistance, and thermal stability to withstand the high temperature, high-speed impact, and chemical erosion of the molten iron. Selecting high-quality blast furnace tap hole castables can increase the service life of the blast furnace tap hole, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the overall operation of the blast furnace.

Runner & Trough Castable Performance

Item	ASC-1	ASC-2	ASC-3	ASC-4	ASC-5	ASC-6
ω(Al₂O₃) / %	70	53	60	48	48	60
ω(SiC + C) / %	12	25	16	10	17	10
Bulk Density (g/cm³)
110℃ × 24h	2.9	2.8	2.7	2.4	2.4	2.7
1450℃ × 3h	2.85	2.75	2.65	2.35	2.35	2.65
Permanent Linear Change(1450℃ × 3h) / %	±0.3	±0.3	±0.5	±0.5	±0.5	±0.5
Cold Crushing Strength (MPa)
110℃ × 24h	≥20	18	20	15	15	20
1450℃ × 3h	≥30	25	40	30	30	40
Application Area	Main iron trough	Main slag line	Main trough	Iron trough	Slag trough	Swing runner

Blast furnace tapping trough castables are widely used in many key parts of the blast furnace tapping system. These parts are subjected to the scouring, chemical erosion, and thermal shock of high-temperature molten iron, so the performance requirements of refractory materials are extremely high. According to different application parts, the selection of refractory materials with different properties can effectively improve the operating efficiency of the blast furnace, extend the service life of the equipment, and reduce maintenance costs.

Features High erosion resistance:
1. High erosion resistance: the iron ditch castable adopts high-strength refractory aggregate, which can effectively resist the erosion of high-temperature molten iron and improve overall durability.
2. Strong corrosion resistance: Adding special carbonaceous materials and admixtures enables the material to maintain stable chemical properties in high-temperature environments and extend its service life.
3. Non-stick slag: Optimize the material formula to make its surface smooth, reduce the adhesion of molten iron and refractory materials, and reduce the difficulty of maintenance of the iron ditch.
4. Convenient construction: The castable has good fluidity and can be quickly formed during construction to improve work efficiency.
5. Long service life: Combined with the optimized design of water cooling equipment and refractory materials, the life of the iron ditch is more than doubled, reducing the number of shutdowns for maintenance.
6. Environmental protection and energy saving: Reducing the consumption of refractory materials and reducing solid waste emissions will help steel mills achieve green manufacturing goals.

USAGE PROCESS.
IRON MAKING.

Construction preparation
Clean the inner wall of the iron ditch to ensure that there are no impurities and residues.
Prepare the corresponding refractory castables according to the construction requirements and configure the appropriate construction tools.

Casting construction
According to the working conditions of different parts of the iron ditch, select the corresponding type of castables for construction.
Use vibration molding technology to ensure the density of refractory castables and improve their anti-scouring ability.
Key parts, such as the iron drop point and the rear section of the main ditch, need to be cast as a whole or assembled with prefabricated blocks to improve overall durability.

Curation and baking
Natural curing is required after pouring to ensure the initial hardening of the refractory material.
Adopt a reasonable baking system to fully remove the moisture in the castable to avoid cracking or peeling during use.

Operation and maintenance
Regularly check the use of the iron ditch lining and repair it in time if damage is found.
Combined with water cooling equipment and an intelligent monitoring system, this optimizes the operating environment of the iron ditch and improves its overall life.

Refractory Application in Trough and Runners

Main Trough

Used to carry and transport high-temperature molten iron, requiring the castable to have strong anti-scouring ability and thermal stability.

Slag Trough

Used to discharge slag, requiring good corrosion resistance and erosion resistance.

Swing Runner

Adjust the flow direction of molten iron, requiring the refractory material to have strong heat shock resistance and mechanical wear resistance.

Lateral Runner

Responsible for the diversion and distribution of molten iron, requiring stable fluidity and good wear resistance.

Why Choose FerrumX Trough and Runners Mass?

Jointly developed by top research institutions
Our blast furnace tapping ditch castables are jointly developed by FerrumX and Beijing University of Science and Technology, using the most cutting-edge refractory technology to ensure that product performance reaches the industry-leading level.

Unique water cooling system technology
Combined with the blast furnace water system, water cooling technology is used to effectively reduce the temperature of the steel shell, ensuring that the temperature of the steel shell does not exceed 60°C, thereby improving the overall life of the tapping ditch. The steel shell of the tapping ditch reaches “one generation of furnace service”, reducing the number of blast furnace windbreaks and improving production efficiency.

Intelligent monitoring system, real-time control of the tapping ditch status
Temperature sensors are arranged in different parts to monitor the erosion of the tapping ditch lining in real-time.
Adopt AI calculation and analysis to generate tapping ditch erosion cloud maps, realize 24-hour dynamic monitoring, and ensure the safe and controllable operation of the tapping ditch.

Scientific proportion of refractory materials to match the needs of different parts
The tapping point is cast with high thermal conductivity refractory castables as a whole to enhance erosion resistance.
The rear section of the main ditch adopts a combination of a prefabricated safety layer + on-site cast working layer to improve construction convenience and service life.
Combined with water cooling equipment, it ensures that the refractory material maintains excellent performance for a long time and reduces losses.

Helps steel mills achieve low-carbon and environmental protection goals
Use long-life refractory materials to reduce the consumption of refractory materials and the generation of solid waste.
By reducing the number of trench repairs, the blast furnace operation efficiency is improved, while the iron-making yard environment is optimized and carbon emissions are reduced.