A New Microstructural Concept and Water-Free Manufacturing of an Al2O3-Based Refractory Material for Auxiliary Equipment of Sintering Furnaces

This study presents the development of a novel alumina-based ceramic composite designed for refractory applications in auxiliary components of sintering furnaces. The innovative concept relies on a three-phase microstructural architecture: a fine-grained alumina matrix improves cohesion, coarse particles act as crack propagation barriers, and spherical granules are intentionally introduced to increase porosity while preserving mechanical strength. This design reduces thermal capacity, enhancing the material's energy efficiency under high-frequency thermal cycling and offering potential for operating cost reduction. A further novelty is the water-free forming process, which eliminates issues related to drying and deformation. The material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical strength testing, and refractoriness under load (RUL) analysis to establish the structure-property relationships of the developed composite. The results demonstrate that the developed spherical alumina-based composite possesses excellent thermal and mechanical properties, making it a promising candidate for high-temperature industrial applications, particularly as auxiliary refractory plates.