Wedge-Splitting Test on Carbon-Containing Refractories at High Temperatures

• Published in: Applied sciences Vol. 9; no. 16; p. 3249
• Main Authors: Stückelschweiger, Martin, Gruber, Dietmar, Jin, Shengli, Harmuth, Harald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Carbon; carbon-containing refractories; Convection; Convection furnaces; Creep (materials); Displacement measurement; Energy; Extensometers; Finite element method; fracture energy; fracture parameters; High temperature; high-temperature wedge splitting test; Lasers; Ligaments; Magnesium oxide; Mathematical models; Mechanical properties; Oxidation; Purging; reducing condition; Refractories; Refractory materials; Splitting; strain-softening; Tensile strength
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app9163249

The mode I fracture behavior of ordinary refractory materials is usually tested with the wedge-splitting test. At elevated temperatures, the optical displacement measurement is difficult because of the convection in the furnace and possible reactions of refractory components with the ambient atmosphere. The present paper introduces a newly developed testing device, which is able to perform such experiments up to 1500 °C. For the testing of carbon-containing refractories a gas purging, for example, with argon, is possible. Laser speckle extensometers are applied for the displacement measurement. A carbon-containing magnesia refractory (MgO–C) was selected for a case study. Based on the results obtained from tests, fracture mechanical parameters such as the specific fracture energy and the nominal notch tensile strength were calculated. An inverse simulation procedure applying the finite element method yields tensile strength, the total specific fracture energy, and the strain-softening behavior. Additionally, the creep behavior was also considered for the evaluation.