Standard Testing of Refractories

Refractories cover a wide range of products. With the aim to precisely describe the key product properties, end-users and refractory producers have progressively developed a common language: refractory standards. After a brief description of refractory standards history, and a synoptic overview of the present status, future prospects are illustrated by an example. The Belgian Ceramic Research Centre (BCRC) has recently launched a pre-normative research in the field of unshaped refractories. It focuses on robust methods to assess the workability and setting of hydraulically bonded unshaped products. Among the investigated methods, the so-called “exothermic profile” appears to have a high potential to become a standard for refractory producers or end-users.