Overview
ISO/TR 21828:2010 is a Technical Report that provides guidance on the international, regional and national standards available for the preparation and testing of monolithic, unshaped refractory products. It is an informative document intended to help users locate appropriate standards and to clarify scope areas such as sampling, forming (casting, gunning, ramming, pressing), specimen preparation, drying/treatment and physical testing. The report supplements existing standards by grouping best practices from Asia, the Americas and Europe and advising on their practical application.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and purpose: Guidance on standards that apply to testing of unshaped refractory materials, not a prescriptive test method itself. Emphasizes agreement between parties on which standards to use.
- Terms and classification: References harmonized terminology and classification schemes so that test reports are consistent and comparable.
- Sampling: Procedures and considerations for representative sampling of unshaped products, including differences between factory sampling and samples taken on site.
- Formation of test specimens: Guidance for preparing specimens by casting, gunning, ramming and other forming methods; stresses that test-piece preparation is the most critical step influencing results.
- Drying and treatment: Recommendations for curing, drying and any heat treatment prior to physical testing.
- Testing: Overview of the physical tests commonly used and the influence of preparation and site conditions on results.
- Practical commentary: Notes on sources of variance (mixing equipment, climatic and site conditions) and how to minimize discrepancies through consistent methods.
Practical applications and users
ISO/TR 21828:2010 is useful for:
- Refractory manufacturers - setting internal QA procedures and ensuring production tests reference appropriate standards.
- Materials and testing laboratories - selecting compatible specimen preparation and testing standards to produce comparable data.
- Plant engineers and specifiers (steel, glass, cement, ceramics, power generation) - specifying acceptance criteria and sampling/testing regimes for unshaped refractory linings.
- Contractors and site QA teams - understanding differences between factory-controlled tests and site-prepared specimens, and managing allowances in appraisals.
Practical uses include quality control of delivered materials, verification of manufacturer claims, and assessment of installed linings.
Related standards
Examples of documents referenced in the report include ISO 836, ISO 1927, ISO 8656, EN 1402 (parts) and ASTM practices (e.g., C860, C862). The report lists international, regional and national standards to help users identify the appropriate normative documents for each step in sampling, specimen preparation and testing.