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The refractory industry is a key part of the industrial sector, specializing in the production of inorganic, non-metallic materials that can remain stable at extreme temperatures. These materials are vital for high-temperature industrial applications, not only playing a protective, supportive and insulating role in a number of industries such as metallurgy, chemicals, petroleum, machine building, building materials and electric power, but also serving as the basis for ensuring the normal operation of industrial furnaces and related equipment.
Refractories are categorized in a variety of ways, mainly based on criteria such as chemical composition, shape, acidity and alkalinity, and refractoriness. Specifically:
1. **Chemical composition**: Refractories can be categorized as acidic, alkaline and neutral based on their chemical composition. Each of these three materials corresponds to different chemical composition properties, which determine their suitability and reactivity in specific environments.
2. **Shape**: Refractory materials are categorized into fixed refractory materials and unshaped refractory materials according to their shapes. Fixed refractories have a fixed geometric for ease of construction and assembly; while unshaped refractories offer greater flexibility and can be molded on-site according to specific application requirements.
3. **Acidity and alkalinity**: Refractories are classified as acidic, alkaline and neutral according to the strength of the reaction of the material with acids or alkalis, which affects their stability and durability in different chemical environments.
4. **Refractoriness**: Refractory materials are further subdivided into ordinary, advanced and extra-advanced grades according to their refractoriness, in order to meet the needs of applications at different temperature levels.
5. **Application industries**: Refractories can also be classified according to the characteristics of the industries in which they are applied, such as steel, building materials, electricity and chemicals, each optimized for the specific environment of the industry in which they are applied.
The industry chain of refractory materials starts from the upstream manufacture of refractory raw materials, which mainly include inorganic non-metallic minerals such as bauxite, magnesite, etc., and their mining and processing provide the basis for the midstream production of refractory materials and their products. The midstream link then covers the manufacture of various types of refractories and their products, while the downstream links to applications in the iron and steel industry, building materials industry, non-ferrous metals industry, chemical industry, environmental protection and military industry.
The main types of raw materials for refractory materials and their application areas are as follows:
1. **Bauxite**: As one of the main raw materials for the production of refractory materials, bauxite has a wide range of applications in high-temperature furnaces and kilns in metallurgy, chemical and building materials industries.
2. **White corundum**: With its high purity and excellent heat shock resistance, white corundum is mainly used in the manufacture of high-temperature furnace linings, crucibles and refractory bricks.
3. **Brown corundum**: Due to its good abrasion resistance and refractoriness, brown corundum is suitable for the manufacture of kilns, furnace linings and refractory bricks, etc. It is particularly suitable for the iron and steel smelting and cement industries.
4. **Slab corundum**: Due to its high purity and low impurity content, slab corundum is commonly used in the manufacture of corrosion- and abrasion-resistant refractory materials, such as the lining of steel drums and special furnace linings.
5. **Silicon Carbide**: With its high hardness and high temperature strength, silicon carbide is widely used in the manufacture of high-temperature furnace bottoms, linings and wear-resistant parts, especially in the non-ferrous metal smelting and ceramic industry has important applications.
6. **Calcined alumina**: As a high-purity alumina, calcined alumina is mainly used for the production of high-grade refractory materials, such as corundum bricks and indeterminate refractory materials, which are suitable for high temperatures and chemically aggressive environments.
7. **Sintered Mullite**: With its excellent thermal stability and creep resistance, sintered mullite is commonly used in the manufacture of refractory bricks for high-temperature industrial furnaces and ceramic kilns.
These refractory raw materials play a vital role in the production of refractories due to their unique physicochemical properties. With technological progress and policy support, the refractory industry is expected to develop in the direction of more standardization, greening and intelligence, providing a solid material foundation for continued industrial progress.