NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The Plibrico Co., a supplier of monolithic refractories and construction services, introduced Plicast Al-Rezist™, a line of low-cement, aluminum resistant refractories, expressly engineered to mitigate damaging and costly corundum growth in furnaces.
For aluminum processors, one of the costliest operational challenges in high production environments is the aggressive formation of corundum deposits in furnaces. Excessive, damaging, and costly, corundum growth can be mitigated with the right refractory materials, coupled with proper maintenance. Plibrico’s Plicast Al-Rezist line of refractory materials are engineered for processors that run their aluminum melting and holding furnaces hotter and faster for extended periods of time and, therefore, require superior aluminum resistant refractory performance.
"Due to robust demand, processors, foundries, and die casters are operating furnaces at or above maximum production rates, leading to one of the industry's most costly operational challenges: preventing corundum growth that will destroy a refractory lining," said Brad Taylor, president and CEO of the Plibrico Company. "We introduced Plicast Al-Rezist to meet today's need for a more resistant, longer lasting refractory that protects our clients' furnaces from corundum and other destructive forces."
Maximizing Production Uptime
Plicast Al-Rezist is strongly recommended for protection of the furnace hearth, lower sidewall, and belly bands. These areas of metal contact suffer the most mechanical abuse and metal penetration. The Plicast Al-Rezist line is produced with an enhanced multi-component package for exceptional performance against more aggressive alloys, including those with high fluidity. This multicomponent system prevents aluminum from wetting the surface of the refractory and growing corundum below the surface line. In multiple blind tests, Plicast Al-Rezist had an unmeasurable amount of aluminum penetration. As a result of this formula, the material exhibits excellent physical properties for demanding service conditions so repairs and downtime are kept to an absolute minimum. That is one of the reasons it is rated "Excellent" by the industry standard ALCOA® Refractory Evaluation Parameters.
Developed with installation in mind, Plicast Al-Rezist is simple to apply with flexible options, including cast, pump, or VibCast. It is also ideal for use in precast shapes since its rheology enables smooth crisp shape lines and corners.
Engineered to resist corundum growth, thermal shock, and abrasion in extreme aluminum processing environments, Plibrico’s Al-Rezist line of castables offers superior aluminum penetration resistance and refractory performance. For more information, visit www.plibrico.com.
