What are zircon bricks used for?

Zircon bricks are common refractory bricks in high temperature industries. However, many people don’t know where it is used specifically. Therefore, in order to let everyone better understand this brick, this article mainly introduces the common uses of this brick.

1.Glass furnace hotspots

The hotspot area of ​​the glass kiln is the core area where zircon bricks play a key role. The temperature in this area is usually as high as 1600℃ or above. At the same time, this place is in direct contact with molten glass, which places extremely high demands on the material.

Zircon (ZrSiO₄), the main component of zircon bricks, has an extremely high melting point. This allows it to withstand extreme high temperatures for long periods of time without softening or deforming.

At the same time, it has excellent chemical stability. This enables it to effectively resist the strong erosion of components such as alkali metal oxides in the glass melt and reduce the introduction of impurities into the glass melt.

In addition, the temperature in hot spots fluctuates frequently. Zircon bricks have good thermal shock stability, which can prevent structural cracking and spalling caused by drastic temperature changes and ensure long-term stable operation of the kiln.

2.Rotary kiln high temperature zone

Zircon bricks are also an ideal choice for high-temperature zones of rotary kilns in industries such as cement and lime.

The temperature in this area is usually around 1500℃, where the material completes the high-temperature calcination reaction.

Zircon bricks are not only extremely refractory, but also have a high refractoriness under load. Therefore, it can withstand the huge pressure and mechanical impact of the material when the kiln body rotates.

In addition, there are thermal stress changes during the operation of the rotary kiln. The brick’s better thermal shock resistance reduces the risk of cracks caused by temperature gradients.

Its high mechanical strength and wear resistance also significantly reduce the loss caused by material wear. The effect is that the service life of the high temperature belt lining can be effectively extended.

3.Zircon bricks in the steel industry

In the steel industry, zircon bricks are mainly used to solve corrosion resistance problems in harsh environments.

Specifically, it is in the slag line area of ​​the steelmaking electric furnace, converter or ladle. The slag here is hot and acidic, and is extremely corrosive to refractory materials.

Zircon bricks are rich in zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂). It has strong resistance to acidic slag erosion and is significantly better than traditional clay bricks or high-alumina bricks.

Zircon bricks are also used in places such as the continuous casting tundish. Its chemical inertness ensures that it is not likely to react when in contact with high-temperature molten steel and slag, which helps to improve the purity of the molten steel.

In short, the application of zircon bricks in hot spots of glass furnaces fully demonstrates its irreplaceable role as a high-performance refractory material.

Of course, when choosing suitable zircon bricks, scientific material selection and suitable refractory brick suppliers are indispensable. Only in this way can we ensure that the material can perform at its best under complex working conditions.