PGM converting process and jacketed rotary converter. The process can include low- or no-flux converting; partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace. The converter can include an inclined converter pot mounted for rotation; a refractory lining; an opening in a top of the pot to introduce converter feed; a lance for injecting oxygen-containing gas into the alloy pool; a heat transfer jacket adjacent the refractory lining; and a coolant system to circulate a heat transfer medium through the jacket to remove heat from the alloy pool in thermal communication with the refractory lining.

A method for monitoring the wear of a refractory lining of a blast furnace using modelling of a part of the blast furnace and thermal field calculation. Computer program allowing to perform such a method.

Apparatus and method are provided for life cycle wear monitoring of a consumable refractory in an electric induction furnace used for heating and melting materials by accumulating laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface periodically over the refractory's life cycle while the furnace is utilized in a foundry environment and processing the accumulated imaging data for comparative analysis with previous laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface.

Apparatus and method are provided for life cycle wear monitoring of a consumable refractory in an electric induction furnace used for heating and melting materials by accumulating laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface periodically over the refractory's life cycle while the furnace is utilized in a foundry environment and processing the accumulated imaging data for comparative analysis with previous laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface.

A method is provided for life cycle wear monitoring of a consumable refractory in an electric induction furnace used for heating and melting materials by accumulating laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface periodically over the refractory's life cycle while the furnace is utilized in a foundry environment and processing the accumulated imaging data for comparative analysis with previous laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface.

A method is provided for life cycle wear monitoring of a consumable refractory in an electric induction furnace used for heating and melting materials by accumulating laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface periodically over the refractory's life cycle while the furnace is utilized in a foundry environment and processing the accumulated imaging data for comparative analysis with previous laser imaging data of the refractory's inner surface.

A dry composition formulated to be combined with water to form a jamb spray mix, the dry composition comprising, by weight: 0.1% to 10% phosphate by weight based on total weight of the dry composition; 5% to 15% plasticizer by weight based on total weight of the dry composition; and the balance including fused silica particles and impurities.

It is intended to provide a method for forming a brick lining to construct a sidewall of a kiln/furnace, while improving efficiency of brick lining forming work without causing any increase in manufacturing cost of bricks to be used. The brick lining forming method comprises stacking a plurality of tiers of bricks, respectively, on a plurality of tier regions of an inner surface of a hollow approximately cylindrical-shaped peripheral portion of a kiln/furnace to construct a side wall of the kiln/furnace, wherein two or more of the plurality of tier regions are different in terms of pre-lining radius, wherein only bricks identical in terms of taper angle and height dimension are used, except for an adjustment brick, in each of the two or more tier regions different in terms of the pre-lining radius, wherein bricks identical in terms of the taper angle, the height dimension and length dimension, and different in terms of back face width, are used in at least a part of each of the two or more tier regions.

It is intended to provide a method for forming a brick lining to construct a sidewall of a kiln/furnace, while improving efficiency of brick lining forming work without causing any increase in manufacturing cost of bricks to be used. The brick lining forming method comprises stacking a plurality of tiers of bricks, respectively, on a plurality of tier regions of an inner surface of a hollow approximately cylindrical-shaped peripheral portion of a kiln/furnace to construct a side wall of the kiln/furnace, wherein two or more of the plurality of tier regions are different in terms of pre-lining radius, wherein only bricks identical in terms of taper angle and height dimension are used, except for an adjustment brick, in each of the two or more tier regions different in terms of the pre-lining radius, wherein bricks identical in terms of the taper angle, the height dimension and length dimension, and different in terms of back face width, are used in at least a part of each of the two or more tier regions.

Method for determining the state of a fire-resistant lining of a vessel containing molten metal in particular in which maintenance data, production data, and wall thicknesses at least at locations with the highest degree of wear are measured or ascertained together with additional process parameters of at least one identical/similar vessel after the vessel has been used. The data is collected and stored in a data structure. A calculating model is generated from at least some of the measured or ascertained data or parameters, and the data or parameters are evaluated using the calculating model using calculations and subsequent analyses. Thus, related or integral ascertaining processes and subsequent analyses can be carried out, on the basis of which optimizations relating to both the vessel lining as well as the complete process of the molten metal in the vessel are achieved.