Characteristics and installation methods of ladle well/setting bricks

ladle well/ settiing bricks are square refractory products (also known as square bricks) built into the bottom of a ladle or tundish to secure nozzle bricks. Materials include clay, high-alumina, and unfired high-alumina, and they offer corrosion and thermal shock resistance. Their core functions are to secure the nozzle, facilitate nozzle removal and installation, support the lower end of the stopper rod, and shut off the inflow. They are often used in conjunction with zirconium-calibrated nozzles and also protect the upper nozzle and air bricks.

Since their square shape, ladle well/ settiing bricks are also called square bricks. They secure the nozzle, facilitate nozzle removal and installation, support the lower end of the stopper rod during pouring, and ensure the stopper rod slides along the curved surface toward the nozzle after pouring, shutting off the inflow. ladle well/ settiing bricks can be made of clay, high-alumina, or unfired high-alumina. Depending on their application, they are categorized into two types: ladle air brick ladle well/ settiing bricks and nozzle ladle well/ settiing bricks. ladle well/ settiing bricks are primarily used in conjunction with continuous casting tundishes and nozzles. It has high corrosion resistance and is used in conjunction with zirconium sizing nozzles. It has the advantages of no deformation and no cracks.

The main features that the seat brick should have:

In modern metallurgical processes, the use of gas to blow molten steel begins in the smelting process and ends in the crystallizer. The air-permeable brick seat brick for the ladle is an important functional component in this link. The main properties that the air-permeable brick seat brick for the ladle should have can be summarized as follows:

(1) High-temperature corrosion resistance

The refining ladle has very strict requirements in terms of temperature and time, and the highest temperature often reaches above 1750 ℃. During the refining operation, the alkalinity of the slag has a great influence on the life of the refractory material. The alkalinity of the ladle refining slag varies in the range of about 0.6 to 0.4. Therefore, the refractory material is corroded by the acidic slag and alkaline slag with strong permeability at high temperature, and the damage rate is fast.

(2) High-temperature wear resistance

All kinds of ladle refining methods use forced stirring, which causes serious high-temperature wear of the seat brick.

 (3) Peeling resistance
Due to the intermittent operation, the temperature changes greatly, which is very easy to cause thermal peeling and structural peeling, and the operating conditions are very harsh. The performance of the ladle air bricks currently used is far from what they should have, such as in terms of high temperature corrosion resistance and peeling resistance, especially the peeling resistance needs to be improved.

Installation method of ladle well/ setting bricks

The installation method of  ladle well/ setting bricks  is mainly divided into two types: internal installation or external installation. Internal installation means that the air bricks and the ladle well/ settiing bricks are pre-assembled on the outside of the ladle, and then installed according to specific steps when the ladle is built. The external structure is composed of ladle well/ settiing bricks, sleeve bricks and air bricks. Internal air bricks are suitable for situations where the service life of the ladle lining bricks and air bricks is synchronized, while external air bricks are more suitable for situations where air bricks need to be replaced frequently.