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WAMŪ AL II is a unique, patent pending refractory designed to save energy for producers of aluminum and other light metals. This new furnace lining refractory is special enough to deserve its own web page. The link below will take you there.
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The United States Patent Office has awarded US Patent Serial No. 7,368,010 to Westmoreland Advanced
Materials for the base technology that led to the development of WAMŪ AL II Castable and its variants. Canadian and other International patents are pending .
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Compared to refractory monoliths commonly used for metal contact areas of aluminum melters and holders, WAMŪ AL II is far more insulating and far less prone to problems with corundum formation. For a copy of the research report that describes in significant detail the reasons why this is true, click the link above. For the short version, read on.
Energy Savings
Insulation capability of refractory materials is frequently compared using the Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity, or "K Factor". This property is also used to calculate expected heat loss and shell temperatures of refractory lined vessels. The K Factor for low cement and for acid bonded monoliths in the range of 70% alumina is around 15 BTU/Hr-Sq Ft-In. These types of products are commonly used in metal contact areas because of their strength and relative stability at molten aluminum temperatures. WAMŪ AL II is a micro-porous metal contact refractory with a K Factor of 4.7 BTU/Hr-Sq Ft-In at about 1500 °F, roughly three times the insulating capability of other metal contact refractories.
Corundum Formation
Corundum is aluminum oxide, and when it gets out of control, it reduces furnace efficiency and uses up valuable maintenance efforts. Wherever oxygen comes in contact with aluminum, corundum will form, but by limiting available oxygen sources, including reducible components of refractory linings, corundum growth can be minimized. While commonly used refractory linings have about 30% silicon dioxide, (an easily reducible component of the lining), WAMŪ AL II contains less than 0.3% silicon dioxide, virtually eliminating the possiblity of corundum formation within the refractory lining. And even though other sources of oxygen may allow corundum growth, WAMŪ AL II can be easily cleaned since corundum can't penetrate the surface. |
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