The durability of refractory castables is ultimately related with the ability of fluids to penetrate and interact with the porous structure. In some cases, however, the flow resistance is not uniform within the refractory body, and a global analysis may result in misleading information about the refractory properties depending on the size and position of the sample. In this work, the permeability gradient was measured along the thickness of a self-flow ultra-low cement refractory castable as a function of the thermal treatment temperature. Results led to the conclusion that dehydration, sintering and microcracking are the key mechanisms for the variation in the permeability. The minor sedimentation of aggregates during casting and the better matrix packing on the sample surface explain the lower permeability at the surface exposed to atmosphere during the castable molding.
permeability; refractory castables; sintering, microcracks; dehydration
