Fly Ash as a Secondary Raw Material Improving the Sustainable Characteristics of a Conventional Silicoaluminate Refractory Castable

The global reliance on coal-fired power generation continues to produce vast quantities of fly ash, exceeding 500 million tons annually, with limited recycling rates. Given its high silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) contents, fly ash represents a promising alternative raw material for sustainable refractory production. In this study, four aluminosilicate refractory castables were formulated using bauxite, calcined flint clay, kyanite, calcium aluminate cement, and microsilica, in which the fine fraction of flint clay was partially replaced by 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt.% fly ash. The specimens were dried at 120 °C and sintered at 850, 1050, and 1400 °C for 4 h. Their physical and mechanical properties were systematically evaluated, while phase evolution and microstructural development were analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the incorporation of 10 wt.% fly ash (10FAC) provided the optimal balance between densification and strength, achieving compressive strengths of 45.0 MPa and 65.3 MPa after sintering at 1050 °C and 1400 °C, respectively. This improvement is attributed to the formation of a SiO2-rich liquid phase derived from fly ash impurities, which promoted the in-situ crystallization of acicular secondary mullite and enhanced interparticle bonding among corundum grains. The 10FAC castable also exhibited only a slight increase in apparent porosity (26.39%) compared with the reference (25.74%), indicating effective sintering without excessive vitrification. Overall, the study demonstrates the technical viability of using fly ash as a sustainable substitute for flint clay in refractory castables. The findings contribute to advancing circular economy principles by promoting industrial waste valorization and resource conservation, offering a low-carbon pathway for the development of high-performance refractory materials for structural and thermal applications in energy-intensive industries.