Common causes of refractory failure

4th August 2017

Posted By Paul Boughton

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What are the seven of most common causes of refractory failure? And what can engineers
do to both fix a problem and avoid it in the future
Refractory materials and lining reliability are key to increasing the performance of fired heaters,
incinerators, kilns and reactors across a range of industries.
Not only can the right refractory lining optimise production yield and minimise energy costs, but
it can also enable consistent high performance of a furnace over the lifecycle of the refractory
lining, in some cases, for as long as 20 years.
However, it is not uncommon for a refractory material to fail, resulting in energy wastage,
reduced performance and in some cases, complete heater shutdown.
Through careful collaboration between end-users and refractory material suppliers, the risk of
failure can be significantly minimised, and reliability improved.
1. Fibre modules fallen from the roof
This is often material, design, or installation related. If the modules and support anchoring are
missing, the most likely cause is an installation, insufficient stud welding, or excessive corrosion
from the shell caused by sulphur or rust.
If most of the fibre is missing but the support anchoring is intact, it is more likely to be down to
mechanical abuse, for example water placing excess weight on the fibre.
Since fibre is 90% porous, it absorbs many times its weight in water.
Make sure you check the fiber to see if it was torn off the anchoring, or has signs of water
damage. It is always important to look at the area affected and take note of what it is telling you.
Are there gaps in the fibrer? Is a hot spot associated with the gaps? Always check the fibre
chemistry and design to ensure you can quarantine fallen fibres before the issue spreads.
2. Failing brick walls – deformation or collapse
Insulating fire bricks (IFBs) are commonplace in many fired heaters and like any lining, require
good materials, design, and installation to give good life in service.
Upon examining IFB linings closely in the event of failure, you may be able to determine if they
were the root cause.
Look for hotspots outside the unit. If the wall is in bad shape, this may indicate issues with the
back-up lining. To address voids, pump hot spot repair materials in from the outside of an
operating unit.
Make sure you also look at the face of the brick. It may have melted or cracked, which indicates
higher furnace operating temperatures, possible fuel impurities, or the wrong grade brick being
used.
If the hot face brick is in good shape but the wall is bowed, this could be due to inadequate
thermal expansion provisions which can also be a result of changing operating conditions, and
higher outputs or box temperatures .
3. Bridgewall/tunnel wall leaning, or deformation
It is not uncommon to see walls lean to some extent, but if they lean too much, this can cause
failure and could be a result of the floor not being level.
A lot of wall issues are also due to inadequate expansion provisions (design), particularly if you
increase operating conditions to higher temperatures than expected.
Increased temperatures can also cause slumping over time.
Remember not all firebricks are created equal and differ in formula, firing and high temperature
properties.
The key to making the best selection is investigating both the ambient and hot strength
properties.
Don’t focus too much on cost but on reliability – the best products for the job are typically not
the cheapest.
4. Castable cracking
Castable linings are unique as they are not in a finished state when they leave a manufacturing
facility. This means final quality is dependent on the installer.
Materials must be mixed with clean water of the correct temperature range, installed and cured,
before water is removed during the dry-out. If dry-out is not done in a slow and controlled
manner, the castable can explosively spall.
Shrinkage cracking is normal, but if this becomes excessive it could be a consequence of poor
installation, and may indicate that too much water was used.
5. Floor cracking/heaving
This is a common issue when temperatures increase since the original design. Provisions for
reversible thermal expansion or expansion joints in floor should be protected as they can easily
be filled with debris during normal operation, limiting the gap’s movement capability. It’s good
practice to regularly vacuum gaps to avoid debris build-up.
Floor cracking is also common when dissimilar materials are used. If you have a floor fired unit
you will have castable burner blocks of a certain material grade and a different floor material
surrounding the burner. It’s common to see cracks appear at the corner of the burner blocks if
inadequate expansion joints are not installed.
6. Convection castable/corbel damage in convection section
Castables are prone to damage during the construction and shipping process and this often
manifests itself in the form of visual cracks, typically through the entire thickness.
You may also notice some pinch spalling at the surface, which indicates directional mechanical
flexure of the steel.
Corbels may also be susceptible to damage as they protrude from the base lining.
Any apparent damage should be quickly repaired, and the affected portion of the lining removed
and replaced to avoid damaging surrounding materials.
7. Mating dissimilar materials
Dissimilar refractory materials adjacently located are common, particularly surrounding
openings such as doors (fibre and brick), peep sights (IFB, castable, fibre modules), burner
blocks and pressure relief doors.
Because dissimilar materials have different refractory properties at elevated temperatures, this
makes a homogenous design difficult.
In many cases outlined above, the hot effluent gases will make their way through the
compromised refractory lining, resulting in hotspots on the outer casing.
If these surround peep sights and door openings, it’s possible that the interface designs are
inadequate.
In the case of the peep sight, you should use similar refractory materials to those surrounding the
opening to avoid design issues and to create the best possible seal.
Tube seals will also provide personnel protection, encouraging an influx of ambient air into the
furnace. For peep sights and walls, always use a high temperature fibre expansion joint, as this
will avoid the issue of having to mate an expanding material (IFB) with a material that expands
and shrinks differently (castable).
To highlight in depth the most common causes of refractory failure and explain the steps end
users should take to avoid an unplanned shutdown,
Morgan Advanced Materials and SK Energy have collaborated on a white paper. This highlights
some of the common signs that failure is imminent, how to determine root causes, as well as
sharing refractory lining best practice to improve unit reliability. For more information,
The Refractory Failed … Or Did It?
Category: Articles

Sometimes a refractory fails. From our perspective (as installers) the most important question is:
“What caused the refractory to prematurely fail?”

A majority of the time, the cause is not immediately known. An investigation is required. And even
then a “conclusive” reason may never be found. But here is what our experience has shown us.

It Usually Isn’t Simple

When a refractory failure occurs, the facility operators usually assume the cause is one of two
things:

1. Bad installation
2. Bad materials
First, let me say that improper installation could very well be the cause. After all, there is still the
human element involved. And most of the time, faulty installation is fairly easy to determine.
However, from our generations of experience and analysis, if the material has functioned properly for
any reasonable length of time, generally the cause is not installation-related.
As far as bad materials go, while this is possible, it is not probable. Reputable refractory material
manufacturers pay close attention to quality control (QC), material selection, mixing, packaging, etc.
They can provide QC results throughout their process. Further, most refractory manufacturers
source basic components from the same global suppliers who also provide QC results with their
respective products.

So, if it’s not installation and it’s not materials, then what is the cause? Good question. If you’re truly
interested in determining cause, you have to go back to the main factors involved:
 Design of furnace and/or process equipment
 Detail engineering
 Refractory material selection and specification
 Refractory anchor type, spacing and welding
 Installation of lining
 Dry-out (curing) of the refractory
 Start-up
 Operational practices
 Maintenance practices

The Refractory Failed Due to a Complex Chain

of Events
Our experience shows that in the overwhelming majority of cases there is never one, definitive
cause, but instead a “chain-of-events” that lead to the “failure.” In other words, there were multiple
variables that impacted the refractory material in service.

Remember, the refractory material is only one component in the overall design of process equipment
and industrial furnaces. It is sensitive to (and influenced by) time, temperature and operational
factors.

In our experience, the culprit will likely be one (or a combination) of the following:

1. Improper combustion (fuel, ratios, atmospheres, flow, etc.)

2. Flame impingement (flame geometry, improper set-up, etc.)
3. Improper furnace controls (PLC’s controls, circuitry, thermocouples, dampers, etc.)
4. Operational change (cycling, throughput, load, etc.)
5. Operational procedures
6. Maintenance practices
7. Shell and lining movement due to a difference in expansion rates
8. Mechanical stresses
9. Environmental factors
10. Catalysts
From a refractory perspective, these all impact and can cause:

 Excessive temperatures (shrinking, etc.)

 Hot spots
 Excessive cracking due to spalling, thermal shock (a result of temperature fluctuations), mechanical
shock or compressive forces, linear change, bending, etc
 Structural issues
 Erosion and abrasion of the refractory lining
 Anchor failure
 Failure of the steel shell which supports the refractory
 Mechanical damage
All of the above can cause the refractory material to fail sooner than originally expected. As variables
do change, the selection of the refractory used may need to be reconsidered. If there are new
variables that the product must face, then an upgrade or change in material may be warranted.

If you have questions about refractory failure, we would love to hear them and share our insight with
you. Don’t hesitate to give us a call.