Protecting the future - Investigation of phase equilibria and freeze linings in novel high temperature recycling processes

In pyrometallurgical processes where high temperatures and/or corrosive slag systems are used, excessive deterioration of the refractory lining is often a problem. One of the newer technologies to protect the furnace wall is freeze lining. A freeze lining is formed by cooling down the furnace wall and solidifying part of the slag onto the wall to form a protective layer. Previously, the interface between the bath and freeze lining was mostly assumed to be the primary phase at the liquidus temperature [1-2]. Recent research, though, has demonstrated that this is not always the case [3]. The present research focuses on the determination of the effect of several slag and process parameters on this bath-freeze lining interface.