Densification and properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles added magnesia–doloma refractories

In this work the effect of nano- and microZrO2 addition on the densification and hydration resistance of MgO–CaO refractories was investigated. 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt% ZrO2 was added to MgO–CaO refractories that contain 35 wt% CaO. The crystalline phases and microstructure characteristics of specimens sintered at 1650 °C for 5 h in an electric furnace were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The physical properties are reported in terms of bulk density, apparent porosity and hydration resistance. Results show that with addition of ZrO2 the bulk density and hydration resistance of the samples increased while apparent porosity decreased. Also the hydration resistance of the samples was appreciably improved by the addition of ZrO2 due to its effect on decreasing the amount of free CaO in the refractories, promotion of densification as well as modification of the microstructure. Also it revealed that the nanoZrO2 addition was more effective than microZrO2 due to its higher activity.