In some process sites, little or no downtime can be allowed for in-service lining repair. In such cases, the main selection criterion for refractory lining materials, apart from installation costs, is the campaign length, for which gunning mixes are often the preferred choice.

In recent years, steel mills have invested significantly in producing cleaner steel. In our discussions with customers, the desire and need to use recycled materials in refractories has become increasingly apparent. We at Bet-Ker are excited to take up the challenge. Already, our continuous development work has resulted in a number of products containing recycled raw materials, which help our customers produce greener steel.

Among our latest products, which have been very well received by customers, are magnesia-based gunning mixes, in which we have sought to replace the original virgin aggregate with magnesia brick waste that has been recycled to the maximum extent possible. We have developed these products specifically for repairing electric arc furnace linings and maintaining campaign lengths in them, but test results have also been good with BOF converter linings. Our magnesia spray mix containing recycled material has now been tested on two of our customers’ electric arc furnaces. Both at Ovako Imatra Oy Ab and at the other customer site, we have started with an open mind, taking small steps at first. However, with successful tests, our product development and excellent cooperation, we have been able to move towards longer tests. All in all, we are pleased to say that we have succeeded in creating a circular economy-based product that can challenge virgin materials that put a great strain on the environment.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our technical support engineers. The contact details are available on our website.