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[Industrial Technology News] As global industries advance toward higher efficiency and environmental sustainability, homogenized material technology is emerging as a crucial breakthrough in high-temperature industrial sectors including steel, cement, and non-ferrous metals. This technology significantly enhances the performance and service life of refractory materials through selective raw materials, scientific proportioning, and advanced processing techniques.

Technological Innovation Drives Industry Transformation

Homogenized materials employ advanced processes combining pure wet production with high-temperature tunnel kiln calcination, with some products incorporating composite pore-forming technology to achieve nanoscale pore structure control. Compared to traditional direct crushing and calcination of natural ores, homogenized materials offer significant advantages including more uniform chemical composition, more stable crystal phase structure, and lower impurity content.

Hubei Zhongnai New Material Technology Co., Ltd. has introduced the GM-168 microporous poly-light mullite homogenized material and GM-166 castable, achieving excellent performance metrics of thermal conductivity ≤0.8 W/(m·K) and normal temperature compressive strength ≥50 MPa through nanopore control and homogeneous sintering technology, suitable for lining various extreme high-temperature equipment.

Significant Results in Steel Industry Applications

In the steel industry, refractory products made from homogenized materials demonstrate excellent performance in converters, electric furnaces, ladles, tundishes, and hot blast furnaces.

Domestic Applications: Ladle and tundish covers using castables made from GM-168 homogenized materials can withstand direct flame impact at temperatures above 1500℃, with compressive strength exceeding 45 MPa, while forming an "isolation layer" with slag to effectively prevent slag penetration and erosion.

International Similar Technology Applications: Companies like Japan's Nippon Steel have widely adopted homogeneous high-alumina aggregates to improve lining consistency and thermal shock life. Some European and American steel plants have also used homogenized bauxite to replace brown corundum in ladle working layers and blast furnace tap holes, achieving both cost savings and performance assurance [Reference 2].

Cement Industry Embraces Technology Upgrade

In the cement industry, particularly in new dry process rotary kiln systems, homogenized material technology demonstrates significant advantages.

Domestic Technology Applications: GM-168 homogenized materials excel in preheaters, tertiary air ducts, and rotary kiln insulation layers. The lightweight bricks produced have thermal conductivity of only 0.2-0.6 W/(m·K) while maintaining compressive strength of 5-80 MPa. Some cement plants have directly used this material to partially replace heavy aggregates without equipment modification, producing high-strength, low-thermal-conductivity premium lightweight bricks.

International Similar Technology Practices: Germany's LafargeHolcim cement plant has used specially developed low-cement andalusite-based refractory concrete in rotary kiln repairs at their facility in the Kaluga region of Russia, demonstrating excellent thermomechanical strength and alkali resistance [Reference 4]. Additionally, research indicates that homogenized materials, when used in combination with high-purity raw materials like andalusite, can achieve performance comparable to or even superior to andalusite while significantly reducing raw material costs [Reference 3].

Promising Applications in Non-ferrous Metal Industry

In the smelting of aluminum, copper, zinc, and other non-ferrous metals, homogenized material technology demonstrates great potential in addressing severe corrosion challenges.

Domestic Product Applications: GM-168 mullite aggregates demonstrate excellent resistance to aluminum liquid penetration in aluminum smelting electrolytic cells due to their nanoscale pores and dense structure.

International Similar Technology Applications: Canada, as the world's fourth-largest primary aluminum producer, extensively uses high-alumina bauxite-based refractory materials across its nine operating plants. Australia's Alcoa company also widely applies similar technologies in its integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminum smelting systems [Reference 5]. These applications demonstrate the significant value of homogenized material technology in the non-ferrous metals industry.

Research indicates that flash furnace and electric furnace linings using castables made from homogenized materials outperform traditional materials in corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and high-temperature structural stability, effectively extending maintenance cycles and reducing maintenance costs.

International Companies Actively Promote Applications

Leading global refractory companies also place high emphasis on homogenization processing technology. RHI Magnesita operates its own mines and rotary kiln systems to achieve full-process homogenization, with widespread applications in steel, cement, glass, and other industries [Reference 6]. HarbisonWalker International ensures stable operation of its castables and shaped products in American steel plants through self-controlled raw materials and homogeneous formulations [Reference 7]. Vesuvius uses materials containing synthetic mullite and homogenized bauxite in ladle slide gate and nozzle products while promoting the homogenized recycling of used refractories to enhance circular economy benefits [Reference 8].

Industry experts indicate that as industries develop toward greater environmental sustainability and efficiency, homogenized materials will become crucial support for sustainable development of high-temperature equipment. Domestic products like Hubei Zhongnai's GM series are leading application innovation, while international practices by companies like RHI Magnesita and Vesuvius further confirm their global value.

References and Links

1 Ren B., et al. Enhanced alkali vapor attack resistance of bauxite-SiC refractories for the working lining of cement rotary kilns via incorporation of andalusite. Ceramics International. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027288421832412X

2 Brazilian refractory grade bauxite: a new alternative to refractories makers and users. SciELO Brazil. https://www.scielo.br/j/ce/a/fjDRcXqGbNcLPHh6kdgpSmG/?lang=en

3 Technological properties of high alumina refractories with different phosphoric acid contents. Bulletin of the National Research Centre. https://bnrc.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42269-018-0030-5

4 Refracon installations - Rotary Kiln Repair at LafargeHolcim Cement Plant. https://refraconinstallations.com/en/rotary-kiln-repair-at-lafargeholcim-cement-plant/

5 Alcoa Australia - Integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting. https://www.alcoa.com/australia/en/

6 RHI Magnesita. Raw Materials – driving force of the refractory industry. https://www.rhimagnesita.com/

7 HarbisonWalker International. About HWI. https://www.thinkhwi.com/

8 Vesuvius Group. Product Portfolio. https://www.vesuvius.com/