Improving the Performance of a Castable Ladle Preheat Cover Using Emisshield ST-2

A refractory installer wanted to improve the performance of a ladle cover used to dry out refractory castable-lined steel ladles.

The Solution

Emisshield ST-2 (US Patent 6,921,431) was applied to the ladle cover refractory. A gas burner was placed at the middle of the castable-lined cover and fuel usage closely monitored.

The Benefits

After the application of the Emisshield high emissivity coating to the ladle cover, a 40-hour dry out schedule was carried out to replace the working lining and the barrel. This schedule ensured that adequate time was provided to remove water from both refractories. The cover’s coating significantly reduced the energy lost through the cover. Using this schedule, the amount of fuel required for drying out ladles was reduced by 11.5%.

When only the working lining had to be replaced, a 32-hour schedule was followed. Using a Emisshield coated ladle cover decreased the energy needed to run this shorter schedule by 21.3%. This increased fuel savings achieved with the shorter dry out schedule was due to the fact that the ladle cover refractory now had less chance to absorb heat energy.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by ANH Refractories Europe.

For more information on this source please visit ANH Refractories Europe.