Magnetic Refractory Lining for Ladle Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steel ladle demolishing practices are inefficient for proper sorting, recycling, and reuse of spent refractory linings due to the difficulty in differentiating high alumina refractory concretes from other components, which are often bonded or fused together, requiring labor-intensive and time-consuming stepwise disassembly.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating magnetic material into refractory products to create a magnetic refractory lining component, allowing for magnetic separation to sort different types of refractory components from one another during the recycling process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If stepwise disassembly is used to remove and segregate different refractory components, then sorting of refractory components is achieved, but the process becomes time consuming and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
Magnetic material is incorporated into specific refractory components during manufacturing, enabling automatic identification and separation during demolition without requiring manual inspection or complex sorting procedures. This preliminary marking action transforms a labor-intensive sorting process into an automated magnetic separation operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual stepwise disassembly process is replaced by magnetic separation technology. Instead of workers manually removing and sorting different refractory components, a magnetic field automatically attracts and separates the magnetized components from non-magnetized ones, dramatically reducing labor requirements and time while maintaining sorting accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If visual differentiation is used to identify high alumina refractory concretes, then sorting is possible, but it requires experienced operators with extensive training
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on visual color or appearance differences that require expert knowledge, magnetic material is embedded in specific refractory components to create a magnetic 'signature'. This transforms the identification method from visual inspection requiring trained operators to automatic magnetic detection that works for any operator, eliminating the need for extensive training while maintaining high identification accuracy.
3Strength
If spent refractory linings are bonded or fused together, then structural integrity is maintained during service, but differentiation between components becomes difficult during recycling
Solution Approach 1:
Magnetic material is incorporated locally into specific refractory components during their manufacture, creating a localized magnetic property that persists even after the components are bonded or fused together during lining assembly. This local magnetic quality enables component differentiation during recycling without compromising the overall structural integrity of the lined vessel.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The magnetic separation method effectively separates different refractory components, facilitating efficient recycling and reuse of spent refractory linings, thereby reducing labor and equipment intensity and improving the recycling process.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic separation is utilized to sort different types of refractory components from one another
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method of reclaiming refractory material from a lining of a refractory includes assembling a first refractory component of the lining with a first refractory product, and assembling a second refractory component of the working lining with a second refractory product different from the first refractory product, the second refractory product including magnetic material dispersed therein. Upon the lining reaching a service life, the lining is demolished to produce a mixture of the first refractory component pieces and the second refractory component pieces. Magnetic separation is performed on the mixture to separate the second refractory component pieces from the first refractory component pieces.