The Porosity of Tank Blocks. Its Measurement and Variation

JSGT 1951 V35 T193-T205

The very real need for a means of checking the quality, and of assessing the likely performance in service, of large tank blocks in glass furnaces, before such blocks are put into use, is discussed. A description is given, of the quantitative measurement of the porosity of tank blocks, by a simple, rapid, non-destructive method. The results of such porosity measurements, made on a very large number of tank blocks, are given. Blocks of the same refractory material, in the same block size, and produced by the same manufacturer, showed, within themselves, wide variations of overall porosity, e.g. from 16 to 24%. It has therefore been considered advisable to select blocks for use in different parts of the furnace, where conditions differ quite markedly in severity, on the basis of porosity measurements. This principle has been applied for several years, with good results. Because of the many complex factors involved in furnace design and operation, it has not been possible, from these full-scale tests, to establish a precise relationship between porosity and corrosion resistance; but it is hoped to investigate this relationship more completely by experiments on a smaller scale, e.g.in a miniature tank furnace.

H. Whittaker & E. Seddon