Development of Prediction Method of Refractory Wear in a Plasma Ash Melting Furnace

Abstract

Accurate prediction of the lifetime of a plasma ash melting furnace is essential for planning the timely repairs of it, as well as improving its design and operation. In this study, we took account of the slag temperature, the basicity of the ash and the ash feeding ratio to estimate the wear rate of the refractory material based on the mechanism of diffusion of SiO₃^2- in the slag. The experiment using an electric furnace indicated clear relationship among the refractory wear, the slag temperature and the basicity of ash. The relationship between the refractory wear and the ash feeding ratio was found based on the data obtained from the furnace under commercial operation. The validity of this estimation method is demonstrated because the estimated amount of the refractory wear agreed well with the amount of the refractory wear measured in the plasma ash melting furnace after three month operation.