Performance of a ceramic frit anti-oxidation coating on a MgO–C refractory brick

In steel production, ladles must be preheated to minimize the heat loss of the steel melt, prevent thermal shock of refractory bricks (MgO–C), and to maximize the lining life of ladle. Partial oxidation of MgO–C bricks begins in the graphite bond during the preheating. Oxidation of graphite bond also causes a decrease in performance of the bricks because of an increase in the brick porosity. In this article, coating on a MgO–C brick surface by a ceramic film to protect against carbon oxidation was studied. Coated and un-coated bricks were heated at 1200 °C, cooled to room temperature, then the brick properties investigated. The oxidization resistance properties of brick with coating were much better than those without coating, which should lead to longer refractory service life.