Cold Weather Refractory Installation
As a new year begins many of us find ourselves confronted with the prospect of a long winter. While most do not look forward to the short days and freezing temperatures because they are uncomfortable, filled with scraping and shoveling, and contribute to poor driving conditions, those of us in the refractory industry are confronted with another challenge at this time of year; installing monolithic refractory materials in cold temperatures.
Monolithic refractory materials, which for the sake of this discussion include castable and gunable products as well as mortars and plastics, must be stored at and installed within specific temperature parameters in order to achieve the desired property values and expected performance levels. Failure to address cold temperatures can adversely impact characteristics such as product set-times and strengths to name a few.
The storage and installation parameters associated with monolithic refractories vary across specific manufacturers and products but, generally speaking the materials and water used to mix the material should be between 60 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of installation and during the period of time within which the “initial set” takes place.
When long-term climate controlled storage of materials is not possible, the following tips may prove to be valuable:
- Consider temporary heated storage such as a shipping container, tent, or trailer.
- Consider encapsulating and heating the work area. In addition to ensuring that the materials are installed at the proper temperature, encapsulating the work area also contributes to the comfort of the employees performing the work and prevents dust from traveling to unintended areas.
- Relocate items not used during a maintenance outage to accommodate material storage.
- Coordinate “just in time” delivery of materials from a climate controlled environment to minimize the period of time the materials are exposed to cold temperatures.
- Use totes, barrels, tanks, etc. in conjunction with heating devices in order to ensure water is the proper temperature prior to mixing. Be careful when heating water. If the water is too warm, it can cause the material set-time to decrease which also has the potential to adversely impact material properties and performance.
If you would like additional information about the challenges associated with installing refractory materials in cold temperatures as well as potential solutions, contact Schad today!