Tap-Hole Clay Technologies for Ferroalloy Reduction Furnaces

Tap-hole clay is a very important material to seal tap-holes in ferroalloy reduction furnaces. Different types of this refractory are available for the ferroalloy industry and to decide which would be the most appropriate material may be a difficult task. This paper shows a comparison between the properties of four different types of tap-hole clays that were designed for ferroalloy furnaces, focusing on the application in metal tap-holes. The goals are to improve the knowledge regarding these materials and guide ferroalloy producers when deciding what type of tap-hole clay should be used. The analyzed mixes differ from each other mainly in terms of the type of aggregate (basic or non-basic) and type of binder (tar, resin, or synthetic oil).