Abstract:ZrO2-SiC composite powder was synthesized by carbothermal reduction of zircon in argon atmosphere, and it was used as the additive to prepare Al2O3-C refractories. The effects of heating temperature on the synthesis process and the addition of the synthesized composite powder on the properties of the Al2O3-C refractories were investigated. The results show that the synthesized composite powder can be easily obtained by heating the mixture of zircon and carbon black at 1 873 K for 4 h in argon atmosphere, and the relative contents of ZrO2 and SiC in sample reach about 83.7% and 16.3%, respectively. The bulk density, crushing strength and thermal shock resistance of the Al2O3-C refractories can be improved obviously by the addition of the synthesized ZrO2-SiC composite powder.

Key words: ZrO2-SiC composite powder; carbothermal reduction; crushing strength; thermal shock resistance; Al2O3-Crefractories