Corrosion Resistance of Ceramic Refractories to Simulated Waste Glasses at High Temperatures

Abstract

AbstractIn many vitrification processes, refractory materials are used to contain the waste glass melt. The corrosive nature of the high-temperature melt consumes the waste feed materials but also limits refractory life. As vitrification is applied to more diverse waste streams, and particularly in higher-temperature applications, increasingly severe demands are placed on the refractory materials. A variety of potential refractory materials including Fused-cast AZS, Monofrax K3, Monofrax E, and the Corhart refractories ER1195, ER2161, C1215, C1215Z, Rechrome, and TI 186, were subjected to corrosion testing at 1450°C using the ASTM C-621 procedure. A series of simulated waste glasses was used which included F, Cl, S, Cu, Zn, Pb; these minor components were found to cause significant, and in some cases drastic, increases in corrosion rates. The corrosion tests were conducted over a range of time intervals extending to 144 hrs in order to investigate the kinetics of the corrosion processes. The change of the concentrations of constituents in the glass was monitored by compositional analysis of glass samples and correlated to the observed extent of corrosion; typically, components of the material under test increase with time while key minor components, such as Cu and Pb, decrease. The rate of corrosion of high-zirconia refractories was slowed considerably by adding zirconia to the waste glass composition; this has the added benefit of improving the aqueous leach resistance of the waste form that is produced.