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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S99211/01
Title: Next Generation Carbon-Containing Refactory Composites
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Professor S
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Heraeus Electro-Nite Nagoya Institute of Technology Tata Steel
Vesuvius UK Wuhan University of Science & Technology
Department: Materials Science and Engineering
Organisation: University of Sheffield
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 February 2005 Ends: 31 January 2008 Value (£): 177,967
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
21 Apr 2004 Materials Fellowships 2004 - Interview Panel Deferred
19 Mar 2004 Materials Fellowships 2004 Sift Panel Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Development and commercialisation of a new generation of carbon-containing bricks and castables with improved properties and performances, is a major aim of the metallurgical industries and is thus a goal of all carbon-based refractory producers. Although much effort has been, and is being, made worldwide, some technical difficulties remain unsolved, mainly related to the poor oxidation resistance and water-wettability of carbon/graphite. In this project, a novel and economic molten salt technique, is proposed to form high quality (uniform, thick and strongly bonded to the substrate) carbide coatings on graphite at a relatively low temperature (generally below 1000oC). Such high quality carbide coatings not only inhibit oxidation of graphite more efficiently than the straight addition of antioxidants, but also simultaneously improve the water-wettability of graphite more efficiently than other techniques used so far (e.g sol-gel coating and pellet techniques); thus, coated graphite could be used to develop a new generation of carbon-containing bricks and castables with extended service life. The work, in addition to its academic significance, will greatly benefit the refractories and the steel industries, all users of steel products such as automotive and construction industries, and many other application areas such as C-C composites (used in aerospace, power generation and nuclear industries) and metal/ceramic surface treatment (used in anti-corrosion engineering).
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Organisation Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk