MIXING AND RHEOLOGY OF REFRACTORY CASTABLES

摘要

The rheological behavior of refractory castables has been the main subject of several recent scientific papers. Particle size distribution, dispersants and cement and water content are some of the parameters that have been usually evaluated. The majority of these studies are carried out assuming that castables are already completely mixed and homogeneous. However, despite the relevance of the mixing process on the rheological behavior of castables, the studies in this field analyze only the matrix characteristics. Papers that describe the influence of the mixing process on the behavior of the castable as a whole could not be found. The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the influence of particle size distribution, water addition rate and shear history on the mixing behavior of refractory castables. The experiments were carried out by a rheometer that was specially developed to evaluate castables. The results point out the marked influence of the studied parameters on the mixing process and consequently on the rheological behavior of castables.