Refractory Wear in End-of-Life Peirce-Smith Converter Bricks

The lifespan of refractory linings is a major industrial concern for reasons of economics, safety, and online availability. The furnaces that pose the greatest challenges for refractory wear and lining life in copper smelting are batchwise-operating Peirce-Smith converters. In this study, refractory wear was investigated using three methods: laser flash analysis for thermal conductivity, X-ray computed microtomography for mesoscale 3D imaging, and SEM-EDS for phase structure. Three bricks were taken from the end-of-life brick lining of an industrial Peirce-Smith converter, after a campaign at the Boliden Rönnskär smelter (Sweden). Thermal diffusivity was measured from room temperature to 800°C. Specific heat and density were calculated using FactSage based on X-ray computed microtomography results. For two of the bricks, infiltration extended to 60–70 mm and porosity increased sharply after the infiltration zone. The infiltration was found to consist mostly of Cu and Cu₂S. Whether the infiltration consisted of Cu or Cu₂S had only a minimal effect on the thermal conductivity, whereas the effects of porosity were more noticeable.