Refractory Materials Testing

As a UKAS ISO 17025:2005 accredited testing laboratory (No. 0013), Ceram provides a comprehensive refractories testing service to both national (BS, ASTM), international standards (ISO) and our own in-house, UKAS-accredited, standards.

We offer a wide range of physical, chemical, mineralogical and thermomechancial testing for:

  • quality control
  • quality assurance
  • failure analysis
  • tendering support
  • creation of datasheets
  • modelling purposes.

We can inspect and sample refractory materials onsite or before shipment to ensure materials are suitable for use and to avoid costly delays.

Listed below is a selection of the tests and the industry-specific testing suites available - the list is by no means exhaustive; please discuss your requirements with our technical sales staff:

Physical:

  • Modulus of elasticity, rigidity and Poisson’s ratio
  • Hydrogen diffusivity
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Density and porosity
  • Pyrometric Cone Equivalent (PCE)
  • Particle Size Determination (PSD)
  • Cold crushing strength
  • Modulus of rupture
  • Porosimetry.

Chemical:

  • XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence)
  • XRD (X-Ray Diffraction)

Thermomechanical:

  • Compressive stress/strain up to 1550°C
  • Flexural stress/strain up to 1550°C
  • Thermal conductivity
  • Thermal shock resistance
  • Creep in compression up to 1550°C
  • Work of fracture
  • Thermal expansion up to 1600°C
  • Specific Heat
  • Refractoriness under Load (RUL)
  • Permanent Linear Change (PLC).

Microstructural Evaluation:

  • Optical microscopy
  • SEM/EDA (Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Analysis).

Enquiries

Got a question?

Test Suites

Example test suite for the glass industry

Refractory Services

For the petrochemical industry