Open-Volume Refractory Support Structure for High-Temperature Kilns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Kiln furniture in ceramic processing lacks structural integrity at high temperatures, leading to loss of ceramic bodies and reduced production efficiency due to multiple heating and cooling cycles, necessitating improved mechanical stability and durability.
Innovation Solution
A refractory article with a support structure comprising a first and second plurality of posts, interconnected by members, providing a high open volume carrying capacity while maintaining structural rigidity and integrity, utilizing nitrogen bonded silicon carbide materials for enhanced stiffness and thermal resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional kiln furniture is used, then the structure can support green bodies during heating, but the structural integrity is lost at high temperatures after multiple heating and cooling cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The refractory article employs a composite structure combining a refractory material matrix with a continuous fiber reinforcement phase. The matrix provides high-temperature stability and chemical resistance, while the continuous fibers (such as silicon carbide, alumina, or zirconia) provide tensile strength and crack resistance. This composite architecture enables the kiln furniture to maintain structural integrity through repeated thermal cycling, directly resolving the reliability-duration contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes materials with specific thermal properties including low thermal expansion coefficients and high refractoriness. The fiber reinforcement phase is selected to have thermal expansion characteristics that complement the matrix material, reducing thermal stress during heating and cooling. This parameter optimization allows the structure to withstand multiple thermal cycles without degradation, addressing the service life limitation of traditional kiln furniture.
2Productivity
If the refractory article uses high open volume carrying capacity design, then more ceramic bodies can be supported, but structural rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The refractory article is divided into a modular framework of beams and supports with open spaces between them, creating a lattice-like structure. This segmentation provides high open volume carrying capacity for supporting multiple ceramic bodies while the strategically placed structural members maintain rigidity. The segmented design allows material to be concentrated where structurally necessary while maximizing open space for production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous fiber reinforcement embedded in the refractory matrix provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and high modulus of elasticity. This composite material property enables the kiln furniture to achieve both high carrying capacity through open design and sufficient structural rigidity through the reinforced material properties, resolving the productivity-strength contradiction.
3Strength
If nitrogen bonded silicon carbide materials are used, then stiffness and thermal resistance are enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes commercially available pre-formed refractory fibers and standard refractory bonding materials that can be procured from established suppliers. These materials are designed for ease of handling and processing, allowing manufacturers to work with them using conventional refractory processing techniques. The use of off-the-shelf materials reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining the high stiffness and thermal resistance performance required.
Solution Approach 2:
The nitrogen bonding process and silicon carbide fiber selection are optimized to achieve the desired mechanical and thermal properties while remaining compatible with standard refractory manufacturing workflows. By controlling material parameters such as fiber orientation, volume fraction, and bonding density, the invention achieves high performance through material composition rather than complex processing steps, balancing strength gains with manufacturing ease.
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 refractory article achieves enhanced structural stability and stiffness, allowing for repeated use at high temperatures, reducing the risk of ceramic body loss and improving production efficiency by maintaining mechanical integrity during multiple processing cycles.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing nitrogen bonded silicon carbide materials for enhanced stiffness and thermal resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A refractory article having a support structure including a first plurality of posts coupled by a first member; and a second plurality of posts substantially parallel with the first plurality of posts, the second plurality of posts coupled by a second member, wherein the support structure has a height, H, and wherein the first and second members are positioned between 0.3H and 0.7H. In another aspect, the support structure has a height to width ratio of at least 1.5, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%. In another aspect, the support structure has a weight of no greater than 1200 kg, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%.