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Refractory Guidance – Informational Links

F.S. Sperry is a refractory contractor. Back in 2013, we began sharing our thoughts and experiences via our blog and email newsletter. We decided that it was time to catch up with many other industries who share information digitally.

We also found that it was helpful to create articles that answer many of the questions we heard on a regular basis regarding materials, installation methods, equipment, cost, etc. This article is a summary of key links to refractory guidance that you might find useful (so you don’t have to sift through the individual blog posts). We’ve grouped these by category.

Feel free to bookmark this page for easy future access. We’ll continue adding links to new articles as we create them. Since many of our jobs are confidential, we can’t provide photos or descriptions, but we are able to talk about our capabilities one-on-one, so reach out to us if you have questions that you don’t see answered here.

Discussions About Refractory Materials

Here we talk about differences in materials and how the equipment and each situation affect the material selection.

• How To Choose the Best Refractory Material
• A High Tech Application of a Low Tech Refractory
• Mud is Mud …
• A Special Veneer Coating to Preserve Ladle Preheaters
• Top 5 Refractory Mistakes to Avoid
• Case Study: Foamfrax Veneer vs. Coating
• Case Study: Using No-Cement Castable Instead of Firebrick to Prevent Rapid Expansion in Rotary Kiln
• Case Study: Foamfrax RG Instead of a Low-Temperature Board System

Refractory Cost – Lowering and Comparing 

Using inexpensive materials doesn’t always provide the lowest total job cost. Here we provide tips on how to keep your costs under control.

•  5 Tips to Reduce the Total Cost of Your Refractory Installation
• An Unusual Way to Get the Lowest Cost for Your Refractory Project
• Buying Refractories the Smart Way

Equipment – Boilers, Furnaces, RTOs and Kilns

Here are checklists for your equipment and case studies of work on specific types of heat processing equipment.

• An Alternative Refractory Hot-face Lining Reduces Electricity Consumption by 10%
• Choosing the Best Refractory Material for an Aluminum Furnace
• The Hidden Cost of Corundum Growth in Aluminum Furnaces
• Considerations for Keeping Your Wood-Fired Boiler Running Efficiently
• Case Study: A Quick Response for Our Customer’s Heat Recovery Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO)
• Preventative Maintenance Checklist for Your Refractory Linings
• Low and Slow – How to Get the Perfect Bakeout
• Repair or Replace? Our Recommendations for a 12-Year-Old Cyclone
• Rebuilding a Kiln for a Major Refractory Manufacturer

Refractory Installation Methods

Installation methods need to be properly matched to the materials, equipment, downtime and equipment access. Here’s a discussion of each.

• Proper Anchor Selection
• Expansion Joints for Installation of a Castable
• The Refractory Failed … Or Did It?
• If the Instructions Are Right on the Bag, Can Anyone Install Refractory?
• Situational Analysis: When Traditional Vibe-casting with Large Mixers Beats Pump Casting

General Refractory Guidance and Education

Here are articles about refractories in general and discussions about common misconceptions about refractories.

• Refractories are NOT a Commodity
• 5 Common Misconceptions About Refractories
• Interpreting a Refractory Technical Datasheet
• Refractory Technical Datasheets Don’t Tell the Whole Story
• Refractories Primer: 3 Things Every Plant Manager Should Know
• A Primer on the Basic Physical Properties of a Refractory Product
• There’s a Crack in My Refractory

Evaluating Refractory Contractors

Here are articles about evaluating refractory contractors and their bids for a project.

• How to Avoid Getting Fooled When Evaluating Refractory Contractor Bids
• When Refractory Contractors Fail to Bid on Complete Project Requirements
• How to Choose a Refractory Contractor
• Double the Refractory Cost, Triple the Savings
• The “Taillight Guarantee”
• Deciding Between a Sole Proprietor or Full-Service Refractory Contractor

Examples of F.S. Sperry’s Work

Here are some case studies about our work.

• A Unique Approach to Keep Exact Gunite Thickness in a Chimney Stack
• Keeping the Job on Track When Disaster Strikes
• Precasting Special Shapes on the Fly to Prevent 2 Days of Downtime
• Workarounds to Keep the Production Line Running