Investigation of the Refractory Properties of Kankara Clay for Engineering and Industrial Applications

The refractory properties of Kankara clay have been investigated with a view to understanding its suitability for various engineering and industrial applications. The experimental procedures include thermal shock resistance, thermal conductivity, shrinkage, apparent porosity, refractoriness under load with rising temperature mode, and refractoriness under loadmaintained temperature mode. The results obtained from the research work showed the clay has good refractory properties that can be used for both Engineering and industrial applications. The value obtained through the thermal conductivity test 0.48W/m℃ , as compared with 0.35- 0.45 W/moC for insulating fire brick and 1.05- 1.45W/m℃ for dense fire brick. 2kg/cm2 of the sample was further subjected to refractoriness test where the sample was heated to 1405oC as compared to 1750oC for the production of fire bricks. Further investigation indicated that a glassy surface structure was formed when the samples was heated above 1400℃ . The value obtained as regard the porosity level was 25% which fell between 20-30% as the acceptable standard. The sample was also subjected to apparent porosity and a value of 38% was obtained. Kankara clay formed a glassy and surfaces when heated above 1400oC. In this research, these bricks porous with an apparent porosity of 38.07%. Attempts to produce these bricks with acceptable porosity level of 20-30% were not successful. Kankara clay exhibits moderate thermal shock resistance, moderate thermal conductivity, moderate shrinkage, high apparent porosity, and high refractoriness under load in both rising temperature mode and maintained temperature mode. "Based on these results, Kankara clay appears to be well-suited for use in applications where moderate levels of thermal shock resistance, thermal conductivity, and shrinkage are acceptable, such as in the manufacture of low-temperature bricks, but less suited for high-temperature applications, such as furnace linings, due to its high apparent porosity and susceptibility to deformation under load. Further research could be conducted to explore strategies for reducing the porosity and improving the refractoriness of this clay for broader applications.