Study of the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Refractory Mortars from Kaolin and Bentonite

*Corresponding Author: Enas Muhi Hadi enas.m.hadi@uotechnology.edu.iq Abstract In this paper, Mortar was prepared from medium alumina refractory grog, bricks crashed as a mean material to a particular size, and Iraqi raw (kaolin or bentonite) as binding materials. Refractory bricks were crushed, milled, then sieved to three particle sizes: fine as (1.18 >fine> 0) mm, medium as (2.36 > medium > 1.18) mm, crushed as (400 > coarse > 2.36) mm. Then these particle sizes were mixed with Iraqi raw kaolin or bentonite with selected ratios (10,15,20,30 and 40) %. Specimens were formed by the wetting method, then drying it at laboratory temperature for one day, followed by firing it at 1200 °C. Results showed that the porosity of specimens decreases when increasing the clay ratio from 3-4% (kaolin or bentonite), and the bond strength between grog and clay increases when increasing the clay ratio from 2-3% (kaolin or bentonite). Also, the diametrical strength increases when increasing the clay ratio from 4-7% (kaolin or bentonite). The thermal shock results showed that K-mortar is better than B-mortar, depending on the results we obtained through the effect of temperature and diametrical strength. The SEM results showed that mortar structure was produced by adding 40% bentonite with small irregularly shaped. The mortar was produced by adding 40% of kaolin which possesses regular mullite crystals. Finally, the results of the test EDS that K-mortar were revealed in showed that there is no adsorption of carbon while Bmortar showed that there is adsorption of carbon atoms.