The proper choice of the most suitable heating curves for refractory materials is a complex task and a badly designed curve may cause the failure and destruction of a refractory lining. This work presents an investigation of the effect of different heating curves on the thermomechanical performance of refractory materials used for the lining of reheating furnaces. The analysis considers heating curves ranging from ones supplied by refractory manufacturers up to heating rates of 180 ºC/h. A comparison among temperature measurements obtained from a simulation furnace and the results calculated by finite element technique is shown. The measured and calculated thermal profiles were used to forecast the thermomechanical stresses developed inside the pieces, which were used to analyze the failure probability, according to the heat up rate. The authors also point out the main differences at the developed stresses obtained when using temperature dependent properties or when measuring them at room temperature.
heating curves; refractory materials; simulations; thermomechanical stresses
