Building On Experience With Magnesia-Zircon Checkers

The first magnesia-zircon bricks were introduced in 1986 and the first installations in the alkali-condensation zone of the regenerator checkers were made in 1987. Since then a number of the furnaces where the refractories were originally installed have been repaired, providing a valuable opportunity to assess their performance. The results of these examinations are detailed in this article. In addition, there is data on a second generation of the material, designed for the upper part of the regenerator, first installed in 1994.