A Striking Instance of Fireclay Corrosion through the Action of Saltcake

JSGT 1924 V08 T284-T285

Some time ago my attention was directed to a curious phenomenon which occurred during the emptying of a tank furnace used for melting bottle glass. The gas was kept on while the tank was being tapped, thereby keeping the melting end hot. As soon as the dog hole was exposed, the blocks surrounding it began to become vesicular and ultimately to flow down on the side adjacent to the melting end, the part of the block not exposed to the flame, namely, that abutting on the working side of the bridge, not behaving in this manner. When removed, after the tank had become sufficiently cool, the blocks attacked were found to have very spongy ends, as shown in the accompanying photograph. The body of the block was found to be thoroughly sound, so that the initial suggestion of faulty tank blocks was found to have no basis whatever.

W. E. S. Turner