Refractory castables are key materials in the building and lining of high temperature installations, mainly in the steel-plant and petrochemical industries. Drying is extremely important in castable processing, since the structural characteristics of the material start to be defined in this stage. An inadequate drying results in undesirable effects to the material, leading to an increase in the explosive tendency in metallurgical applications, causing economic losses and safety problems. Such important issue has driven research groups to develop mathematical models to represent the process, trying to avoid problems previously mentioned through the prediction of the pressure pick values in the pore that can exceed the material structural limit during drying. In order to rely on the mathematical models, the first step is to obtain accurate experimental data with the use of appropriate techniques. It is also necessary the development of an appropriate methodology that allows an useful and reliable link between experimental and theory. In order to contribute to studies on the drying of refractory castables, the objective of this work is to discuss and summarize recent studies on this topic, looking at theoretical and technological aspects of castables drying.
drying; refractory castables
