Corrosion of Alumina-Spinel Refractory by Secondary Metallurgical Slag Using Coating Corrosion Test

In this paper, the corrosion mechanism of commercial alumina-spinel refractory was investigated at 1350 and 1450 °C. Disc samples were coated with shells of two different slags containing 4 and 10 wt.% SiO₂. The after-corrosion refractory was investigated in view of changes in its microstructure and phase composition by SEM/EDS and XRD techniques, respectively. At 1350 °C slags slightly infiltrated the microstructure, whereas at 1450 °C slags infiltrated the alumina-spinel refractory causing its significant corrosion. As a result of corrosion, new phases were formed, including calcium dialuminate (Ca₂Al₄O₇), calcium hexaluminate (CaAl₁₂O₁₉), and gehlenite (Ca₂AlSi₂O₇). Formation of calcium aluminate layers in the microstructure of the refractory inhibited further dissolution of alumina aggregates; however, expansive behavior of CaAl₁₂O₁₉ raised the microstructure porosity. The additional SiO₂ in the slag doubled the amount of low melting gehlenite in the matrix, accelerating the corrosion process of alumina-spinel brick at high temperatures.