High alumina castables containing microsilica exhibit a great potential for technological applications due to mullite formation resulting from the reaction of Al2O3 and SiO2. However, their use has been limited up to temperatures of approximately 1300 ºC, due to reductions in the castable's strength. This has been attributed to CaO present in cement that leads to liquid formation at high temperatures, in accordance with the Al2O3-SiO2-CaO phase diagram. Recently, it has been shown that a metastable phase in the Al2O3-SiO2 system could be responsible for strength decrease even in the absence of CaO. In order to confirm this, high alumina castables were prepared containing various amounts of microsilica; the castables were free of cement, transition aluminas (rho -Al2O3) or any hydraulic binder. In addition, castable compositions containing colloidal silica and microsilica, as a means to increase the packing density and the matrix reactivity to assist mullite formation, were prepared. Castables viability for technological uses are discussed.
castable refractory; self-flow; microsilica; mullite; colloidal silica
