Oxidation Kinetics of Graphite Phase in Magnesia‐Carbon Refractories

Decarbonization of resin‐bonded magnesia‐graphite refractories, as one of the most important parameters for brick lining performance in service, has been studied kinetically in the temperature range from 1000° to 1400°C in air, where carbon burnout by oxygen is the dominant decarbonizing mechanism. The rate of carbon burnout was followed by gas analysis, measuring the amount of CO converted into CO 2 as a function of reaction time. The experimental results have been rationalized using a mathematical model proposed for the oxidation kinetics, wherein the rate of inward diffusion of oxygen from the exterior atmosphere is predominant.