REFRACTORY CASTABLES

BY GUNNING
DESIGN AND INSTALLATION MANUAL

Thermal Ceramics
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Preface
Introduction 3
B. Refractory Castables by Gunning
1. General 3
2. Pre-Installation 4
2.1 Storage 4
2.2 Surface Preparation Prior to Refractory Placement 4
2.3 Anchors 4
3. Installation 4
3.1 Temperature 4
3.2 Joints 5
3.3 Equipment 5
3.4 Multilayer Linings 6
4. Firing 6
4.1 Prewet 6
4.2 Nozzel Water Control 6
4.3 Gunning 7
4.4 Finishing 8
4.5 Curing 9
5. Firing 9
List of Figures
Figure 1 Gunning 3
Figure 2 Proper Bag Storage 4
Figure 3 Construction Joints 5
Figure 4 Expansion Joints 5
Figure 5 Rotary Gun 5
Figure 6 Double Chamber Gun 6
Figure 7 Multilayer Linings 6
Figure 8 Castable Gun Surface 6
Figure 9 Booster Pump 6
Figure 10 Standard Nozzle 7
Figure 11 Double Bubble Nozzle 7
Figure 12 Correct Gunning Technique 7
Figure 13 Gunning with Rebound Falling Clear 7
Figure 14 Overhead Gunning Technique 8
Figure 15 Gunning Pattern and Distance 8
Figure 16 Guaging Depth of Gunned Panel 8
Figure 17 Cutting Back Gunned Material 8

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 2


INTRODUCTION
Over the past 75 years, Thermal Ceramics has proven
to be a world leader in solving heat intensive problems.
In addition to manufacturing ceramic fiber, brick and
fired shape products, a wide range of refractory mono-
lithic products are available. From lightweight, highly
insulating materials to dense, high strength products,
Thermal Ceramics has a refractory castable to meet
the needs of the customer. All industries are serviced
with these products, including ferrous, non-ferrous,
chemical, utility and ceramic related markets.
The Thermal Ceramic operation in Augusta, Georgia
has been certified to ISO 9002 standards for refracto-
ry monolithic production. At this facility, both raw mate-
rials and finished products are routinely tested to make
sure they meet a demanding quality level.
An experienced staff of refractory specialists is on
hand at Thermal Ceramics to assist you in product
selection, system design, and installation techniques.
This Design and Installation Manual is intended to give
the designers, installers and users of Thermal
Ceramics monolithic products a broad range of infor-
mation guidelines on the particular topic. Any ques-
tions or comments regarding this manual should be
addressed to your local Thermal Ceramics represen-
tative.
December 2002 Thermal Ceramics
DESIGN & INSTALLATION MANUAL
REFRACTORY CASTALBES BY GUNNING
1. GENERAL
Thermal Ceramics provides a wide range of products
designed for application by pneumatic gun. This
method involves refractory castables being pneumati-
cally conveyed through suitably designed flexible
hoses to the installation position, whereupon they are
projected through a handheld nozzle at the target
area. This type of installation is well suited for the fol-
lowing:
• Where large volumes of refractory are involved,
gunning may reduce installation time and costs.
• Where there is no need for shuttering, further reduc-
ing the cost of the job.
• Where access is difficult, provided a nozzleman and
hose can be accommodated, a lining can be
gunned.
• For elevated positions, materials can be conveyed
vertically for reasonable distances, solving logistic
problems.
• Where multilayered walls are required, it is often
easier and more cost effective to gun two layers
rather than use two sets of formwork.
• Where space for refractory is limited, thin linings are
easier to place.
• For odd or irregular contoured shapes which are dif-
ficult to form up.
Figure 1 - Gunning
There are two types of gunning – wet and dry.
Page 3
Wet (or slurry) gunning involves mixing all of the required
water with the mix in a paddle mixer prior to conveying to
the nozzle. This method usually requires a higher water
content and thus density of the placed material may be
lower. However, there is little or no dust caused by this
method and low rebound, lamination-free linings result.

Dry gunning is the much more popular of the two meth-

ods. It allows the nozzleman to operate up to 300 yards
horizontally and 150 yards vertically away from the feed
station. Desired air pressures at the nozzle are 35-50 psi
for dense castables, 25-35 psi for medium weights and
20-25 psi for lightweights, depending on the product.
Higun materials require higher air volumes than conven-
tional dense castables (50-75 psi) to ensure adequate
mixing in the nozzle extension and sufficient compaction
on the walls.
Due to the pressure drop between the nozzle and the
gun, the gun operator should as a guide add 5 psi for Figure 2 - Proper Bag Storage
every 50 feet of hose length more than the standard two
lengths, and 5 psi for every 50 feet of elevation above the Most Thermal Ceramics castables have a finite shelf life
gunning machine. For lightweights add 3 psi. If the pres- called a “nominal shelf life”. When quoting shelf life, a
sure is too high, material density and rebound will period of one year is used. Product that is older than the
increase; low pressure results in low strength and lack of nominal shelf life should be checked for setting properties
consolidation. prior to use.
Since the amount of water added is determined by the Signs of aging are longer setting times and reduced
nozzle operator, the person gunning should have enough strengths. All bags have the date of manufacture printed
experience with the particular refractory being used to on them to aid in determining the age of the material.
know how much water to add to get the correct consis- Always use the oldest materials first and, if aged beyond
tency on the wall. Too much water and the material will the nominal shelf life, have the material tested before
have low density and strength and could slump off the use.
wall; too little, and the rebound and dusting losses are
2.2 Preparation Prior to Refractory Placement.
high.
The work surface shall be substantially free of dust,
2. PRE-INSTALLATION
scale, oil, water, dirt and loose foreign material and
2.1 Storage should be cleaned by sandblasting if necessary.
Castables should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area 2.3 Anchors
and held off the floor on pallets (Figure 2). If stored out-
Both ceramic and metallic anchors are appropriate for
side, the bags must be protected from rain or dripping
use with gunning grade castable refractories. This sub-
water by a fixed cover. Storage temperature is not a con-
ject is treated in a separate procedure “Anchoring of
sideration as long as the castable is in the desired tem-
Monolithic Refractories” (M 150).
perature range prior to use. If the bags are further pro-
tected by plastic sheeting, ensure that there is sufficient 3. INSTALLATION
ventilation underneath the plastic sheet to prevent water
3.1 Temperature
from condensing on the bags. Avoid storing in areas of
high humidity. Ambient conditions as well as material and gunning water
temperatures can significantly affect the ease of gunning
Pallets should not be stacked more than three high when
and initial setting time of the castable. In very cold condi-
in storage. This should be reduced to two pallets when
tions, the bags should be kept in warm storage, not less
storing lightweight castables. This is to prevent the con-
than 60°F, for at least 48 hours before use.
solidation and caking of material on the bottom rows of
the pallets.

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 4

 DESIGN & INSTALLATION MANUAL
REFRACTORY CASTALBES BY GUNNING

Cold material retards the activation of the cement binder

thereby increasing rebound during gunning and may also
cause slumping.

The ideal mix temperature lies between 60°F and 80°F.

When gunned in place and until thoroughly dried, the
castable and environment preferably should not fall
below 50°F and certainly not below 40°F. If the castable
freezes before the hydraulic set is completed, the ulti-
mate strength of the material can be reduced by 50% or
more.
In very hot weather, the bags should be kept in cool stor- Figure 4 - Expansion Joints
age and cool water used for gunning. The steel shell may 3.3 Equipment
also need cooling prior to gunning. This can be done by
spraying the shell with water from the gun, ensuring that Equipment used is conventional concrete guniting equip -
the water does not pool where the refractory is to be ment. This involves an air operated gun forcing material
installed. through a flexible hose and a nozzle where water is
added to it. Most Thermal Ceramics gunite contractors
3.2 Joints typically use a rotary gun (Figure 5) with 8 to 10 pockets,
The two types of joints used in gunning, although some- although pressurized double chamber guns (Figure 6)
times linings are gunned without any joints, are construc- are also used.
tion joints and expansion joints.
Construction joints (Figure 3) are designed to break the
job up into conveniently sized panels. Adjoining panels
are gunned against each other without leaving any gaps
using the set face of previously gunned sections as the
formwork edge. Panels are generally 10-15 ft2. This size
can generally absorb stresses without cracking. The con-
struction joint can be regarded as placing a crack where
you require it, rather than leaving the castable to stress
relieve itself in a random crack pattern.

Figure 5 - Rotary Gun

With a rotary gun, material is placed in the gun hopper

Figure 3 - Construction Joints
For expansion joints (Figure 4), adjacent panels are sep-
arated and offset during installation by materials such as
cardboard or plastic which will burn out during firing and
eave a gap, or by high temperature materials such as
ceramic fiber which remain in the gap, but have some
degree of recovery after compression.
where it feeds into a wheel with pockets at the base of the
hopper. The wheel turns by motor driven gears powered
by compressed air.
When the feed wheel rotates, the loaded pockets pass
under an air inlet section which forces the material to the
outlet neck and into the feed hose in a steady flow. The
material passes along the hose to the nozzle, where it is
mixed with water (if needed) and sprayed onto the wall.
Generally, two 50-foot lengths of 11/2 inch I.D. hose are
used. If more lengths are required, air pressure at the gun
must be increased as previously noted. The quantity of
material able to be conveyed is only limited by the inside
diameter of the hose and the quantity of air available.

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 5


Figure 6 - Double CHamber Gun
An 18 inch flexible nozzle extension (“whip”) is required
for some products like Higun to provide better
water/material intermixing during gunning.
3.4 Multilayer Linings
Where an insulating lining has previously been installed,
a coating with an impermeable membrane should be
used to prevent premature moisture loss from the fresh
castable into the insulating layer (Figure 7). The mem-
brane used should burn out at low temperature when the
drying cycle is started. Alternatively, the back-up layer
may be dampened prior to casting by lightly spraying with
water.
Figure 7 - Multilayer Linings
4. GUNNING
4.1 Prewet
Prewetting castables before being placed in the gunning
hopper cuts down on dusting at the nozzle, allows better
water control and accelerates the set of the material in
cold temperatures (process called “slaking” to stop
December 2002 Thermal Ceramics
slumpage on the wall). The drawback of prewetting is
potential clogging of the nozzle. Material should be mixed
in a paddle type or high intensity ribbon mixer for one to
two minutes with a fraction of the total water needed (see
bag or data sheet for further information). Kao-Plas™ and
Higun products are especially prone to nozzle clogging
and are not pre-wet before gunning.
4.2 Nozzle Water Control
Control of the water addition by the nozzleman is a criti-
cal factor and one based largely on his experience.
Appearance of the gunned refractory surface is the only
indicator of correct water/mix ratio (Figure 8). Freshly
placed material should have a wet, silky sheen which
rapidly disappears when the nozzle is moved away from
the area. The coarse aggregate should make small
craters on the surface on impact. A sandy, gritty surface
indicates too little water is being used. Slumping, ripples
or a washboard surface indicates too much water.
Figure 8 - Castable Gun Surface
NOTE: Water pressure at the nozzle must be at least 10
psi higher than the air pressure to ensure that the water
is able to completely wet the material as it passes the
water ring. A water booster pump may be required to
increase plant water pressure (Figure 9). For Higun prod-
ucts high pressure water feed is needed to drive the
water into the material at the water ring so the water
pump should be used capable of a minimum of 200 psi.
Figure 9 - Booster Pump
Page 6
 DESIGN & INSTALLATION MANUAL
REFRACTORY CASTALBES BY GUNNING

The nozzleman should break up the installation into con-

veniently sized panels, which allows construction joints to
be put in (Figure 15). Upon completion of a panel, the
edges are cut back at right angles to the shell, removing
all waste and rebound before proceeding to the next
panel.

Figure 10 - Standard Nozzle

Inconsistent mixing of water is often caused by either too

low pressure or blocked holes in the ring. This should be
periodically checked and cleaned. Higun products require
a 16 hole water ring to allow for the higher pressure and
to help resist blockage.

Figure 12 - Correct Gunning Technique

Figure 11 - Double Bubble Nozzle

4.3 Gunning
The nozzle is held between 45° and 90° perpendicular to
the wall and approximately 18-24 inches away from the
work surface (Figure 10 and 11). It is moved in a circular
motion building up the full thickness over the whole area
of the designated panel starting from the bottom of the
wall and working up, then from the top down and filling
the center section last (Figure 12). Lower sections and
corners are generally gunned first so that rebound does
not become entrapped there. Care needs to be taken to
ensure that the rebound falls clear of the target area and
does not become entrapped (Figure 13). This causes
laminations or spots of low density in the panel.
Figure 13 - Gunning with Rebound Falling Clear
When gunning overhead, water addition should be
reduced slightly to prevent slumping prior to initial set of
material (Figure 14). An increase in rebound should also If, for any reason, an interruption delays application in
be expected when gunning in this orientation. The nozzle excess of 10 minutes, any area which has been partially
should be at an angle of about 45°. gunned shall have the edges cut back at right angles to

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 7

 as a guide since the end face of the anchor brick is
required to finish flush with the lining.
When metallic anchors are used, they are generally set
back one to three inches from the hot face. In this
method, the nozzleman’s trowel-hand uses a rod of 1/16
inch wire, bent at right angles to the required depth
(Figure 16). This is inserted in the lining at right angles to
the working face and turned full circle. If the lining is too
thick, a circle remains on the wall, indicating the correct
thickness and giving the troweler a level to cut back to. If
too thin, then there is no mark and the wall needs further
building.

The third method involves using gauge boards set at the

Figure 14 - Overhead Gunning Technique
lining thickness. The lining is gunned then cut back with
a levelling board held on the gauge boards. This method
is used where accurate thicknesses are a must.
When gunning around anchors, avoid “shadowing” as
this is detrimental to the lining, causing laminations.
When this occurs, the material should be removed and
re-gunned. Similarly, any overspray on anchors or steel-
work should be removed on a continual basis.

If the lining consists of two layers, e.g. an insulating

castable back-up lining and a hot face, the hot face can
be gunned onto the first layer after the back-up has set.
Generally, the back-up layer is given a coating of a con-
crete curing compound to prevent loss of water of hydra-
tion from the hot face material to the back-up. Preferably,
the back-up lining should be cured before the hot face lin -
ing is installed.
4.4 Finishing

The as-gunned finish of the refractory is quite acceptable,

Figure 15 - Gunning Pattern and Distance but if a smoother surface is required, it can be scraped
with the edge of a trowel or wooden board as soon as
possible after the completion of gunning (Figure 17). The
rough, open texture should be left. Smooth troweling to

Figure 16 - Guaging Depth of Gunned Panel

the work face where full thickness has been achieved.

Any areas not built-up to full thickness shall be removed
and replaced.

To control the thickness of the lining, several methods

may be used. When ceramic anchors are used, they act Figure 17 - Overhead Gunning Technique

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 8

 DESIGN & INSTALLATION MANUAL
REFRACTORY CASTALBES BY GUNNING

slick the surface is unacceptable as this draws a fine fin -

ish of cement rich segregated material to the surface,
which can spall off during heating.

4.5 Curing
Curing the castable prevents the premature loss of mois-
ture from freshly gunned refractory concrete during the
chemical changes associated with hydration of the calci-
um aluminate binder. When mixed with water, an
exothermic hydration reaction takes place which drives
off water at an early stage. Loss of water from the surface
of the castable before the cement is fully hydrated results
in a weaker lining.

To prevent this, various methods of moist curing should

be used. Exposed refractory can be lightly sprayed with
water, covered with plastic sheeting or sprayed with a
concrete curing compound. The concrete curing com-
pound forms an impermeable membrane to prevent
moisture loss during curing but will burn out at low tem-
peratures during firing. Moist curing needs to be per-
formed for a minimum of 24 hours. Curing is essential to
the achievement of maximum strength in the green
unfired state and will effect the ultimate fired strength.
After the initial 24-hour moist cure, a further 24 hours of
air-curing should be allowed before the lining is fired to
further increase the final strength.
If the freshly placed castable is not scheduled to be thor-
oughly dried (above 500°F) or fired for an extended peri-
od of time, then under certain conditions, alkali hydrolysis
may result. Alkali hydrolysis is a gradual deteriorating
process that begins by attacking the castable surface and
continues into the interior. Insulating castables are more
susceptible due to their porosity, particularly in warm,
humid environment. Unless the castable can be heated,
it should be sprayed or brushed with Kao-Seal™ surface
Notice:
coating to resist the onset of alkali hydrolysis attack.
Some of the products described in this literature contain
5. FIRING
Refractory Ceramic Fiber (RCF) and/or crystalline silica
Detailed firing schedules are separate from this proce- (cristobalite or quartz). Based on experimental animal
dure. They are available from any Thermal Ceramics data, the International Agency for Research on Cancer
office or representative. (IARC) has classified RCF, along with fibrous glasswool
and mineral wool, as a possible human carcinogen
(Group2B) and respirable crystalline silica as a probable
human carcinogen (Group 2A).
To reduce the potential risk of health effects, Thermal
Ceramics recommends engineering controls and safe
work practices be followed by product users. Contact the
Thermal Ceramics Product Stewardship Group (1-800-
722-5681) to request detailed information contained in its
MSDSs and product literature and videos.

December 2002 Thermal Ceramics Page 9

For further information, contact your nearest Thermal Ceramics technical sales office. You may also fax us
toll-free at 1-800-KAOWOOL, or write to Thermal Ceramics, P. O. Box 923, Dept. 140, Augusta, GA 30903.
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12.02/M148/1.5M COPYRIGHT © 2002 THERMAL CERAMICS INC.