Skip to content

Refractories Testing

Back to Capabilities Back to Materials Testing & Characterisation Back to Mineralogical Analysis
Contact Us

Refractory Materials Testing Services

As a UKAS ISO 17025:2017 accredited testing laboratory (No. 0013), Lucideon offers the most comprehensive refractories testing service in the UK. Our facility now houses the widest range of refractory testing equipment and capabilities, making us the go-to destination for thorough testing in various industries, including aerospace, defence, nuclear, and energy generation.

Refractory Materials

 

Testing capabilities

We offer a full suite of physical, chemical, mineralogical, and thermomechanical tests to ensure that refractory materials meet the highest standards for quality control, assurance, failure analysis, and more. Our services are designed to help manufacturers and end-users alike, from initial material development to final product validation.

Physical testing

  • High loading force (up to 2000kN) Cold Crushing Strength (CCS)
  • Modulus of elasticity, rigidity, and Poisson’s ratio
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Density and porosity
  • Gas permeability
  • Particle size determination (PSD)
  • Modulus of rupture - cold and hot up to 1550°C (2820°F)
  • Porosimetry
  • Erosion resistance

Thermal and thermomechanical testing:

  • Thermal conductivity up to 1600°C (2910°F) using multiple methods (guarded hot plate, laser flash, heat flow meter, panel method)
  • Dynamic corrosion testing up to 1700°C (3090°F) in adaptable atmospheres
  • Compressive stress/strain up to 1550°C (2820°F)
  • Flexural stress/strain up to 1550°C (2820°F)
  • Thermal shock resistance
  • Creep in compression up to 1550°C (2820°F)
  • Work of fracture
  • Thermal expansion up to 1600°C (2910°F)
  • Specific heat
  • Refractoriness under load (RUL) and creep under inert atmosphere up to 1700oC (3090°F)
  • Permanent linear change (PLC)
  • Pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) up to 1800oC (3270°F)
  • Alkali corrosion up to 1700oC (3090°F)

 

 

Chemical testing:

  • X-Ray fluorescence (XRF)
  • X-Ray diffraction (XRD)

Advanced modelling and analysis:

  • Thermal profiling and heat loss of complex components and structures
  • Design improvement for components such as linings and anchor systems
  • Prediction of in-service stress distributions and potential overloads before scale-up
  • Prediction of material performance in various applications under different operating conditions
  • Microstructural evaluation
    • Optical microscopy
    • Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis (SEM/EDA)

Additional Services

Beyond testing, Lucideon offers consultancy services to help you optimise product and process performance. We can develop new materials tailored to specific applications and guide them from concept to a fully tested product.

Our extensive characterisation capabilities allow us to analyse materials post-testing or after exposure to various conditions, providing insights into the longevity and suitability of refractories for specific applications.

Within the state-of-the-art AMRICC facility, extreme testing environments e.g. 3200°C (5790°F), multiple atmospheres), and expert consultancy are available for ultra-high-performance materials development and testing.

An example is the use of the up to 100% hydrogen fired intermittent and tunnel kilns to understand how refractories withstand or react to hydrogen being used as a fuel.

 

Refractory Linings
White Paper

Installing Refractory Linings in Petrochemical Units - Quality, not Compromise