1,100–1,300 °C
Lime (calcium) industry refractory solutions
Rotary and shaft lime kiln linings for calcination, transition and preheating zones.
- Operating temperature
- 1,100–1,300 °C
- Kiln types
- Rotary, PFR, annular shaft, mixed feed
- Main driver
- Thermal cycling and CaO penetration
- Product criterion
- Lime reactivity and low contamination
Kiln characteristics
Rotary, annular shaft, parallel-flow regenerative (PFR) and mixed-feed kilns calcine limestone into quicklime between 1,100 and 1,300 °C. Compared with cement the temperature is lower, but CaO dust is highly penetrating, the kiln cycles often, and PFR kilns reverse flow every ten to fifteen minutes, imposing continuous thermal cycling that punishes any material with poor spalling resistance.
Main challenges
Lime (CaO) penetration
Free lime penetrates open porosity and reacts with alumina-silicate phases, forming low-melting calcium aluminates.
Dust abrasion
Fine quicklime dust in high-velocity gas erodes the hot face throughout the preheating and transition zones.
Thermal cycling
PFR flow reversal and frequent stop-starts cycle the hot face constantly, driving spalling in dense bricks.
Fuel ash attack
Petcoke, coal and alternative fuels deposit sulphur and vanadium-bearing ash that lowers the refractory's melting point.
Mechanical wear
Stone charging impact and shell ovality loosen brickwork in the feed and calcining zones.
Our engineering approach
- 01
Basic linings in the sintering zone
Magnesia and magnesia-spinel bricks are chemically compatible with CaO, avoiding the low-melting phases that consume alumina bricks.
- 02
Low-porosity hot faces
Tight, low-porosity structures slow lime and sulphur penetration, which is the true limiting mechanism at these temperatures.
- 03
Spalling-tolerant transition materials
Andalusite and mullite grades give the thermal-shock reserve that flow-reversal kilns demand.
- 04
Insulated backup for fuel economy
Lightweight backup layers cut heat loss and stabilise the calcining profile, improving lime reactivity consistency.
Recommended products by zone
| Zone | Recommended material | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Sintering / calcining zone | Magnesia bricks, magnesia-alumina spinel bricks | Chemically compatible with CaO and stable at peak calcining temperature. |
| Transition zone | High-alumina bricks, mullite and andalusite bricks | Good thermal-shock resistance where temperature swings most. |
| Preheating & cooling zone | Abrasion-resistant high-alumina castables, wear-resistant bricks | Withstands stone impact and dust erosion at moderate temperature. |
| Insulation & backup | Lightweight insulating bricks, ceramic fibre boards | Reduces fuel consumption and shell temperature. |
Other industries
1,500–1,600 °C
Glass industry
Melting-end linings engineered for 8–15 year campaigns without glass contamination.
≈1,450 °C
Cement industry
Rotary-kiln linings for burning, transition and cooling zones under alkali, sulphur and clinker abrasion.
up to 1,700 °C+
Metallurgical industry
Blast furnace, converter, EAF, ladle and tundish linings for steel and ferroalloy plants.
900–1,600 °C
Electric power industry
Boiler, CFB and biomass linings engineered against fly-ash erosion and sulphur corrosion.
850–1,200 °C
Waste incineration industry
Municipal and hazardous waste incinerator linings for the most aggressive chemistry in the industry.