Petrographic research of metallurgical processes influence on durability of induction furnaces lining

One of the causes of corrosion and destruction of refractory lining in pyrometallurgical processes is the occurrence of melts in the most intensively altered zones of refractory material. This phenomenon has a direct analogy with the process of interaction of magma with crystalline rocks of various composition and the contact changes manifested in high-temperature metamorphism. Silicate, oxide (wustite and magnetite) and metallic melts which are produced resulting from mutual components diffusion in metallurgical processes are analogous with natural magmas. The formed minerals with complex isomorphism such as olivine, spinel, perovskite-brownmillerite have the analogues in natural objects as well. The petrographic studies applied in technical petrography (the petrography section) are used to investigate the artificial stone materials: concrete, cement, building bricks, ceramics, crystalline glass and glasses, slags, refractories, abrasives, ore agglomerates, etc. They allow to establish the structural and phase transformations in the lining during its operation and to draw a conclusion about its durability increase or decrease. This enables the creation of new lining materials that would allow to do alloy smelting in induction crucible furnace at mains frequency at higher temperatures.