Study of Thermomechanical Behaviour of Refractory Materials Under Thermal Gradient. Part II—Experimental and Numerical Analysis on the Example of a Shaped Alumina Spinel Refractory

Background

Improving the understanding of how a refractory material responds to thermal shocks and allowing the validation of finite element models require a valuable tool for experimental data collection.

Objective

This paper presents a comprehensive thermal shock behaviour analysis of an alumina spinel refractory material using the recently developed device in part I.

Methods

Based on real material properties evolving with temperature and on characteristics of the applied laser beam sequence, the Finite Element Method transient heat transfer model has been validated through the experimental displacement/strain/temperature fields obtained with the developed device.

Results

The experimental evolution of strain and temperature fields at the bottom of the sample during the applied thermal shock testing sequence have been found to be similar to those evaluated by FEM modelling. Three-dimensional evolutions of stress state within the sample during the applied laser sequence leads to thermal bowing of the sample which is identified by both experimental measurements and by FEM modelling. An occurrence of a macrocrack has been clearly detected at a specific laser heating cycle using Two-Part Digital Image Correlation technique.

Conclusions

The innovative approach, presented in these two linked articles, offers a comprehensive understanding of the thermal shock behaviour of a representative refractory material using both numerical simulations and experimental techniques.