Extending The Life Of Fused Cast Ceramics

Since the 1990's, development of precious metal coating technology (ACT coatings) has been on-going. In recent years the research focus has shifted from consumable refractories to fuse cast AZS furnace blocks. This has been driven by glass manufacturers looking for a solution to excessive refractory wear. This wear impacts both furnace life and glass quality. This paper details the latest innovation of applying the coating to the "as-cast" surface of fused cast AZS blocks and includes micro-graphical analysis and comparison of "as-cast" and "machine" AZS surfaces, details of the latest innovations in the laser pre-treatment process, and results of a three year plant trial.