Performance of fibre-reinforced refractory concrete

Steel fibres are commonly used in the refractory industry to reinforce high temperature concretes, though limited information is available on the mechanical properties of steel fibre refractories. This research has examined the influence of fibre geometry, fibre alloy composition and fibre content of stainless steel melt extract fibres on the performance of a proprietary 1400°C medium duty calcium aluminate-bonded castable. It has also examined whether it is necessary to obtain flexural and toughness measurements at temperature in order to properly evaluate the performance of fibre reinforcement or whether it is possible to obtain meaningful results from a much simpler room temperature test. [Continues.]