Molten Metal Furnaces are most often lined with seamless cast, gunned or rammed refractory. This refractory is very dense and impermeable to resist metal penetration. This impermeability can cause damaging steam pressures to build up during the initial dryout when the residual moisture is driven off. The Hotwork convective heating process helps prevent premature refractory failure by eliminating localized overheating and thermal shock during initial dryout and preheating.
In addition to Refractory Dryout & Heatup, Hotwork also provides Temperature Holds to the Aluminum/Nonferrous Metals industries.
Refractory Dryout and Heatup
Hotwork is the pioneer of the convective heating process, which simplifies refractory dryouts and heatups. The one-sided drying of monolithic refractories is an extremely complex transient heat and mass transfer phenomenon which includes chemical reactions throughout the dryout. Moisture trapped in a refractory lining after a furnace or vessel rebuild is especially detrimental to optimum refractory performance.
Hotwork's convective heating method utilizes rapid heat transfer at all temperature levels. Our patented burners produce high velocity combustion, which is accurately controlled from ambient to temperatures in excess of 2500°F (1370°C). This high discharge rate circulates the products of combustion evenly throughout the vessel, regardless of size and configuration, producing overall temperature uniformity. The process results in fast, even moisture removal across the entire refractory lining allowing rapid furnace startups.
In the Aluminum Industry, Hotwork also offers remotely attended heating with the HotTec™ System. Now a refractory dryout can be monitored off site by a skilled refractory dryout technician ensuring the highest quality dryout at a cost-effective rate. Operational since 1996, the HotTec™ system is successfully adapted to many different heating applications and has been accepted by major aluminum producers.
Hotwork has successfully completed dryouts and heatups on:
| Flash Furnaces Refining Furnaces Anode & Slag Furnaces Shaft Furnaces Converters Ti & Mg Cells & Chlorinators |
Reactors Reheat Furnaces Holding Furnaces Boilers Dryers Filter Boxes |
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Temperature Holds Hotwork can supply heat for maintaining furnace temperature during production outages. In emergency situations, Hotwork can even provide a source of high BTU (K/Cal) heat for production. Furnace Melt-Outs - Whenever metal becomes frozen in a furnace or ladle, Hotwork's melt-out service is a quick and efficient means to solve such problems when the permanent combustion system is not operable or practical to use. |
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