Blast furnace sand slides smoothly through flumes

In a blast furnace operation in Turkey, granulated blast furnace slag is conveyed into a settling and collecting basin via a flume system. This flume system must function smoothly as it transports large quantities of granulated blast furnace slag and water. There were major problems after commissioning. The original design of the flumes without wear protection lining was not resistant to extreme conditions. The abrasive effect of the slag sand and the corrosive properties of the water lead to rapid and frequent wear damage. Several attempts to line the flumes with mortar and plates did not work. This resulted in ongoing high costs for repairs and maintenance work.

Kalenborn has tested many different materials to find a suitable solution. The wear-resistant high-performance concrete KALCRET BTX is the best material for this application. The engineers decided to line the entire flumes with KALCRET BTX. KALCRET BTX consists of resistant hard materials in a high-strength cement matrix and provides maximum erosion and abrasion resistance at temperatures of up to 1,200 °C. Large areas can be coated quickly and seamlessly.

Kalenborn worked closely with its partner in Turkey on the project to improve the design of the flumes and remanufacture the steel parts before lining the flumes with KALCRET BTX in 80 mm thickness and 35 mm thickness on the side walls. The prefabricated component was then assembled on site. The new flumes were designed to meet the company’s high standards and reduce operating costs.

The flumes were used for 12 years without any significant wear. KALCRET BTX has proven itself as a wear-resistant high-performance concrete.