Direct mineralogical composition of a MgO-C refractory material obtained by Rietveld methodology

Magnesia-graphite refractory materials are used in large quantities in the steelmaking process. The chemical characterization of this type of refractories is an arduous task that requires a rigorous set of laboratory tests and analyses. In the present paper, proper characterization of magnesia-graphite refractories has been approached by X-ray powder diffraction combined with Rietveld methodology. The quantitative phase analysis of a MgO-graphite refractory has been 68.3 wt% of MgO, 8.1 wt% of graphite, 13.5 wt% of Al2O3, 4.4 wt% of SiC, 0.6 wt% of Si, 1.2 wt% of Al, 1.5 wt% of AlPO4 and 2.4 wt% of silicone. These results have been checked and validated with those obtained by other analysis procedures used to determine the crystalline and non-crystalline phases present in these materials.