- PROMASIL® products are light calcium silicates from the Promat works in Italy. These products are used in many applications as rear lining in combination with refractory concrete or PROMATON® lightweight refractory bricks, particularly in smelting and holding furnaces for aluminium as well as in electrolysis cells.
- PROMACLAD® products are vermiculite boards manufactured by pressing exfoliated vermiculites and inorganic bonding agents at the Blackburn works in Northern England. PROMACLAD® is ideally suited for insulating electrolysis cells due to its chemical resistance.
- PROMALIGHT® microporous insulating boards stand out due to their extremely low thermal conductivity, which is even below that of still air. PROMALIGHT® is mainly used for applications in which a high level of heat insulation is required with limited layer thicknesses. PROMALIGHT® products are manufactured at the Tisselt works near Brussels in Belgium.
- Ceramic fibre linings on an ALSIFLEX® basis provide light, low heat storage linings with a high level of resistance to thermal shocks. Typical applications are moving furnace parts such as ceilings and doors. Alternatively, PROMALIGHT®-HTK high-temperature glass fibres can be used if the specific conditions allow this.
| PRIMARY ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS |
The primary aluminium production is carried out in electrolysis cells in which alumina dissolved in cryolite is reduced electrolytically to metal aluminium. The structure of the cell from top to bottom consists of
- cathodes (carbon blocks)
- refractory and
- heat insulating materials
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Illustration 2 - View of the Electrolysis Cell
Battery of an Aluminium Manufacturer |
Illustration 3 - Section of an Anode Furnace
|
in order to limit heat losses. The latest technology uses
PROMASIL® calcium silicate boards,
PROMACLAD® vermiculite boards. The microporous
PROMALIGHT®-320 insulating board is characterised by an extremely high level of heat insulation.
- Anode Furnaces
(open and closed ring chamber furnace)
These are used for producing burnt anodes for aluminium electrolysis and consist of a number of chambers/pits working in an interconnected system. The refractory lining consists of special fireclay qualities together with PROMATON® lightweight refractory bricks in the side walls and PROMASIL® calcium silicate boards in the floor.
| SECONDARY ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION |
- Smelting and Holding Furnaces, Crucibles
The lining concept for such furnaces and crucibles contains the following materials:
- Wearing concrete
- PROMASIL® calcium silicate boards
- PROMACLAD® vermiculite boards and
- PROMALIGHT® microporous insulating boards for the side walls and floor
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Illustration 4 - Holding Furnace for Aluminium
|
Illustration 5 - Transport Container for Liquid
Aluminium |
as well as ceramic fibre modules made of ALSIFLEX
® for the moving parts such as doors and covers.
PROMAGLAF
®-HTK 1260 hightemperature glass fibres are available on request and after technical consultation.
| ALUMINIUM CASTING TECHNOLOGY |
For this application the qualities MONALITE
® M1 and M1-A are mainly used. The material is reinforced with cellulose fibres. On the latest CNC-controlled lathes the parts are turned to high-precision dimensions. In contrast to the cast parts, all sides are provided with an absolutely plane face. Due to the automated process large numbers can be manufactured at favourable prices.
- Hot Top Rings and Transition Rings
Numerous firms use MONALITE
® M1A for such applications.
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Illustration 6 - Nozzles and Floats
made of MONALITE® M1 and
M1-A |
Illustration 7 - Hot Top Rings and Transition
Rings made of M1A
|
Complete casting channels are prefabricated from the MONALITE
® M1-A material. These are first machined from boards and then put
together with adhesive which can resist temperatures up to 1600°C.
With this system rapid repairs are possible in the case of damage by simply replacing the damaged sections. As MONALITE
® has very
good heat insulating properties of its own, the cooling of the liquid aluminium is delayed considerably. Additional heat insulation as used
with cast compounds or additional heating is not necessary in most cases.
Thanks to the latest processing method even the most complicated parts can now be produced, whereby processing is accurate to a tenth. Successful examples are skin frames or distribution boxes (tundishes). Numerous further applications are in use by our customers. In cases of particularly high mechanical stress our qualities DURATEC
®-750 and DURATEC
®-1000 are also available.
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Illustration 8 - Casting Channels produced
from MONALITE® M1-A |
Illustration 9 - Ascending Box Cover made of
MONALITE® M1-A |
| APPLICATIONS FROM THE FOUNDRY |
- Aluminium Casting Application
The illustrations to the right (Illustrations 10 and 11) show a prefabricated casting table made of MONALITE
®M1-A calcium silicate. The segments are manufactured from boards and connected together using Promat
® special adhesive. Installation is carried out with backing made of PROMAGLAF
®-HTI paper or in special cases with PROMALIGHT
® microporous insulating boards. The advantages of this system are the short installation and repair times, thus reducing production standstill periods. MONALITE
®M1-A has comparatively low thermal conductivity values so that additional heating is not necessary.
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Illustration 10 - Casting Table made of
MONALITE® M1-A |
Illustration 11 - Casting Channels
|
The Wagstaff system represents state-of-the-art technology for the production of aluminium bolts. Illustration 12 shows a complete casting table using Promat
® transition plates made of MONALITE
® M1A calcium silicate.
A significant advantage lies in the good heat insulation properties of the material. The precise mechanical processing results in the production of excellent bolt surfaces.
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| Illustration 12 - Wagstaff Casting Parts |
Illustration 13 - Transition Plates made of MONALITE® |
