It has been a mutual recognition among the researchers concerned that the data of internal steam pressure in the process of drying are prerequisite to solve the problem of explosive spalling of monolithic refractories. However,such studies have been rarely conducted.
This paper describes about the development of a measuring apparatus for internal steam pressure within castables during drying and the results of measured internal steam pressures with a clay bonded castable and a dense low cement castable.
It has clearly shown that the internal steam pressure with these castables increases with the decrease of curing temperature,ana the necessary drying temperature is fairly higher than the conventionally settled level,i.e.more than 150℃ for the clay bonded castable and ca.200℃ for the dense low cement castable.Moreover,a computer simulation study of drying has been conducted. From both studies of experiment and slmulation,it has been assumed that the drying of castable refractory structure proceeds not only with vaporization of water,but also intimately related with water migration in liquid state within capillary pores of castables.The increase of intemal steam pressure with the decrease of curing temperature is ascribed to the retaining of combined water which cannot join to the capillary movement of water in the process of migration drying inliquid state.