Overview
ISO 16349:2015 defines a laboratory test method for measuring the abrasion resistance of shaped and unshaped refractory materials at elevated temperature. The procedure quantifies volume loss caused by high‑speed solid particle impact (silicon carbide) on a flat, cut surface of a refractory test piece. The test temperature is not intended to exceed 1 300 °C and common testing (as in interlaboratory data) is performed at 1 000 °C.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: Blast 1 000 g ± 5 g of size‑graded silicon carbide (FEPA P36) against a refractory surface and measure volume loss (before vs. after) to calculate abrasion volume.
- Abrasive and feeding: Use silicon carbide with the specified sieve distribution (mainly 600 µm and 300 µm fractions). The charging funnel must deliver the abrasive within (900 ± 30) s.
- Blasting and pressure: Compressed air supply at (450 ± 7) kPa to the venturi blast assembly; vacuum check minimum 50 kPa in the blast assembly.
- Test furnace and sample chamber: Airtight sample chamber with controlled internal pressure (sample chamber ~16 kPa; pressure regulating chamber ~300 Pa) and temperature stability such that surface temperature drop ≤ 20 °C during the test (Annex A gives a thermocouple placement method).
- Nozzle and protection: Alumina ceramic protective tube (conical, withstands up to 1 400 °C); nozzle tube length specified (236 mm).
- Test pieces: Shaped pieces typically 114 × 114 × (30–40) mm (100 × 100 × (25–40) mm for very abrasion‑resistant materials); one face must be a cut, flat surface. Unshaped refractories require agreed preparation and pre‑heating to test temperature.
- Heating profile: Ramp to 1 000 °C at 5–8 °C/min, then to test temperature at 3–5 °C/min; hold 30 min at test temperature before blasting.
- Result calculation and reporting: Volume loss = volume before − volume after (measured using ISO 5017 method). Test report must include sample ID, test temperature, dimensions, individual and mean results, operator and date.
Applications and users
- Practical uses: material selection for wear‑critical high‑temperature linings, quality control of refractory bricks and unshaped refractories, comparative R&D on wear‑resistant formulations, and supplier verification of abrasion performance.
- Typical users: refractory manufacturers, QA/QC laboratories, research institutes, steel, cement, glass and foundry plant engineers, and standards/specification authors.
Related standards
- ISO 16282:2007 - ambient temperature abrasion test for dense shaped refractories (referenced for blast assembly details)
- ISO 5017 - method to determine volume by immersion (used to compute volume before/after)
- ISO 565 - sieve specifications for abrasive grading
ISO 16349:2015 provides a reproducible, standardized method to evaluate refractory wear at high temperatures, enabling reliable comparisons and specification of abrasion resistance for industrial high‑temperature applications.