What are the techniques used for smelting brown corundum?

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Brown Fused Alumina (BFA) is produced through a smelting process, specifically using the mineral electric arc furnace method. There are primarily three smelting methods for BFA: the fixed furnace smelting method, the dump furnace smelting method, and the tilting furnace smelting method. Among these, the fixed furnace and dump furnace methods are predominantly used in China due to their practicality and cost-effectiveness. This industry-focused SEO article explores these smelting methods in detail, highlighting their impact on the crystalline structure and properties of BFA.

1. Dump Furnace Smelting Method:

The dump furnace method produces BFA with a higher concentration of crystalline aggregates, smaller crystal sizes, and a significant presence of glassy phases distributed along the grain boundaries. This results in reduced toughness, increased brittleness, and enhanced friability. However, BFA derived from this method exhibits good self-sharpening characteristics, and excellent compactness, making it suitable for bonded abrasives and refractory materials.

2. Fixed Furnace Smelting Method:

BFA produced through the fixed furnace method contains fewer crystalline aggregates, larger crystal sizes, and a lower proportion of glassy phase. As a result, it exhibits better toughness, increased resistance to wear, and reduced brittleness. The larger crystals and improved toughness make this method more suitable for coated abrasives manufacturing BFA. Therefore, it remains the preferred choice for producing abrasive belts, accounting for a significant portion of the abrasive market in China.

Applications and Advantages:

The smelting method employed significantly influences the properties of BFA, thereby impacting its applications. BFA produced by the dump furnace method excels in bonded abrasives and refractory materials due to its self-sharpening characteristics, high compactness, and lower toughness. On the other hand, BFA derived from the fixed furnace method is preferred for coated abrasives due to its enhanced toughness and wear resistance.

Both types of BFA find widespread usage across various industries. Bonded abrasives, such as grinding wheels and cutting discs, benefit from the self-sharpening and high hardness of dump furnace BFA. Refractory materials, including bricks and castables, utilize excellent thermal and chemical stability. Coated abrasives, such as sandpaper and abrasive belts, rely on the durability and toughness of fixed furnace BFA for effective material removal and surface finishing.

The choice of smelting method significantly influences the properties and applications of Brown Fused Alumina. While the dump furnace method yields BFA with high friability and self-sharpening characteristics, making it suitable for bonded abrasives and refractory materials, the fixed furnace method produces BFA with enhanced toughness and wear resistance, ideal for coated abrasives manufacturing. Understanding the distinctions between these smelting methods allows for informed material selection in various industries, ensuring optimal performance and productivity. The versatility and versatility of BFA make it a valuable abrasive material in applications ranging from precision grinding to surface preparation and beyond.