Study the effect of glass and carbon fibers on the firebrick properties

Abstract EN

This work was carried out to investigate effect of glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) on kaolin-clay firebrick properties.

GF and CF are considered inorganic fibers with application of high temperatures.

Kaolin clay is mixed with short GF and CF separately by different percentages (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2) wt%.

Kaolin-GF and kaolin-CF mixtures were compacted by using the semi-dry pressing method.

The compacted specimens were fired at different temperatures (1100, 1200 and 1300)°C.

Properties which include bulk density, apparent porosity, water absorption, thermal conductivity and fracture strength were obtained from the firebrick specimens.

The results show that the addition of GF has beneficial in lowering of firing temperature, and consequently accelerating the densification via enhanced grain boundary diffusivity.

Increasing GF content in the firebrick mixture enhances the fracture strength due to increase amount of glassy and mullite phases.

Incorporation of CF has inversely affected than GF on the firebrick properties.

As the percentage of CF increased the density of firebrick decreased, and the porosity and water absorption increased.