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Refractory shapes and bricks are engineered to sustain temperature, corrosive environments, and mechanical stress in various industries like steelmaking, glass production, and cement manufacturing. Accurate characterization of these materials’ physical properties helps ensure reliability and durability. ASTM C20 provides a precise method of testing essential parameters like apparent porosity, water absorption, apparent specific gravity, and bulk density by a systematic boiling water test. This process facilitates the determination of material integrity, structural flaw, and application appropriateness.
| Apparent Porosity | The sample is dried, weighed, and then boiled in water. After cooling, the specimen is weighed while suspended in water and then in air to calculate apparent porosity. |
| Water Absorption | The increase in specimen weight after boiling in water and cooling indicates water absorption. This is expressed as a percentage of the dry weight. |
| Apparent Specific Gravity and Bulk Density | Calculations are based on dry weight, suspended weight, and saturated weight, using formulas provided in ASTM C20 to determine density-related properties. |
| Drying Oven | The specimens are dried in an oven at a specified temperature (usually around 110°C) to remove all moisture before testing. |
| Balance with Adequate Precision | High-precision balance is required to record dry weight, suspended weight in water, and saturated weight for accurate calculations. |
| Boiling Water Apparatus and Container | The specimen is boiled in distilled water for a set duration (commonly two hours), followed by cooling in water to ensure complete saturation. |
After the measurements are taken, the formulas are used to compute the apparent porosity, water absorption, apparent specific gravity, and bulk density. High apparent porosity represents higher permeability, which could lower durability in some environments. Low water absorption indicates greater resistance to penetration of fluids. Apparent specific gravity gives information on the composition of the material, while bulk density indicates compactness and strength of the material. Each of these parameters plays an important part in evaluating the refractory shapes and bricks’ suitability for numerous industrial purposes.
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| ASTM C20 Testing | Contact US |
ASTM C830 for thermal conductivity of refractories, ASTM C133 for cold crushing strength of refractory shapes, and ASTM C201 for thermal conductivity by a hot wire method. These standards together facilitate the assessment of the performance of refractory materials in a more holistic manner.
The test method is widely used in industries like metallurgy, ceramics, petrochemical plants, power generation facilities, and furnace making. Knowledge of the porosity and density characteristics enables manufacturers and engineers to choose the right refractory material for high-temperature processing equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation. Regular quality control, based on these measurements, also avoids early failure and lowers maintenance costs in heavy industry.