TRATER - Heat treatments on refractory linings and drying

DRYING AFTER HYDRAULIC TEST

Often due to transportation, corrosion, freezing problems, or because the items works with different fluids from water (for example diathermic oil not to be polluted) it is required that, after the hydraulic test, before transporting and/or putting into service, the items are completely dried.

It is often required the items to be completely dry after the hydraulic test and before the transportation and/or putting into service, due to transportation, corrosion, freezing problems, or because the items works with different fluids from water (for example diathermic oil not to be polluted).

If all the parts of the items are accessible, the classical aspiration systems or compressed air can be used. When the geometries are complex and closed, it is possible to completely remove the liquids only by evaporation,also at relatively low temperatures, so that the possible (ANY) gaskets normally supplied with the items are not damaged.

A complete drying of the item can be ensured only through a careful temperature control, obtainable only positioning a suitable number of thermocouples in all of the critical points of the items and applying particular ventilation techniques to the closed chamber, introducing the same item into ovens suitably equipped and dedicated to this kind of operation.

TRATER has always designed procedures and equipment able to detect the presence of water during and after treatment and, at the end of the thermal cycle, an analytical certificate is issued stating the successful result of the drying.

The availability in TRATER of a high number of plants and their dimensions enables us to execute these cycles, of the duration also of many hours, in reasonably fast time, in relationship with the dimensions and the geometrical complexity of the items, on the basis of a good planning with the Customer and in order to ensure the requested quality for this kind of work.

DRY-OUT AND REFRACTORY SINTERING PROCESS OF LININGS

Indietro

During the Nineties, Trater has studied and designed technology for drying and refractory sintering of items provided with linings by inflating hot air, at controlled temperature and volume; this is an alternative to the method still used by other companies based on the heating through free-flame burners inserted into the items.

By using big quantities of gas inflated inside the items, our technology grants the temperature uniformity inside the bodies and the forced removal of water vapour, instead of the classical heat stratification that occurs with burners operating directly inside the items.

Through this technique, a uniform drying of the refractory material is possible and its complete sintering, in the correct period of times and with inferior generation of stress in the material during the treatment.

With burners, instead, during the thermal cycle there are, in relation to the single heating and soaking phases, strong differences in temperature due to the stratification of heat, at the direct contact of the flame with the refractory material and to irradiation phenomena, due to which just the upper part of the item dries correctly up, whereas the part directly hit by the flame abundantly exceeds the temperature requested by the process.

Trater is provided with mobile equipment for the execution of this kind of treatments able to operate up to 1200°C, with hot gases capacities over 20 thousand cubic metre/hour, and executes works directly on site and in the plants of our customers.

Also for this kind of work process it is necessary a careful monitoring of temperatures that we perform through special thermocouples, subject to periodical calibration, positioned into contact with the refractory material, above all in the most critical points (nozzles, zones far from the hot air flow, lower zones, etc...), to ensure our dear Customers with the maximum quality of treatment.

For the entire duration of the thermal cycles, our specialized personnel monitors the ongoing process 24 hours a day.

For the quality requested also for this kind of treatment, it is necessary that our customers can count on a structured and trustworthy supplier as Trater, which has personnel and means available to perform at best the thermal cycles and deliver items always correctly treated.