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The 'final episode' of HTT.edu! You've officially completed the full refractory fundamentals course schedule. But that's not all we have in store for you, as there are many other refractory resources to continue gaining experience in the refractory industry. Listen in to hear what's next for your advancement in the refractory industry and be sure to hop over to our sister...

 In this episode of HTT.edu, we dig into the unsung hardware that keeps monolithic refractories where they belong: anchors. Listen in as we break down metallic anchors and why their alloy, shape, and spacing matter; take a look at classic bottle anchors and what makes them the go-to choice for castables; and wrap up with brick anchors and how they tie brick linings into shells without compromising...

There are many different types of refractory bodies to consider when designing a refractory lining. Many of these have been covered in previous episode, but this episode will be looking at the manufacturing process and key properties of Refractory Ceramic Fiber (RCF). Listen in to learn why this specific product category is so unique. If you have any questions or would like to discuss something in...

With thousands of brands available globally, how am I supposed to differentiate between one brand name and another. Well, you could call your local sales rep, or you could look at their technical datasheets, which will tell you product details, chemical components, physical properties and more. If you would like to view technical datasheets, create an account on BusinessPortal.thinkHWI.com for HWI...

MOR, CCS, PLC... There are so many acronyms in the refractory industry when it comes to the properties that we depend on. Beyond understanding what those acronyms mean, we also need to understand  what they mean . This episode of HTT.edu aims to do just that. We look at the various tests that can be done to qualify refractory performance and what we can learn from those tests. Listen in and get a...

When it comes to refractory plastics, you can get a surprising amount of work done without knowing the first thing about the limitations of the material. More difficult and robust jobs call for a more detailed level of understanding, but that only makes up a small subset of those using this category of material. This episode, HTT.edu will look at the tools, jobsite, and installation procedure for...

Refractory plastics are a product category that people often run on instinct. They're quite easy to use and can be applied to a wide variety of industries and applications. But this series on HTT.edu aims to reveal that all that operation is just the tip of the iceberg. By understanding what plastics are and how they're designed, you can do more with this pliable and useful category of p...

The main role of refractories is to contain the fires of industry. While there are many destructive mechanisms that refractories resist, their first job is to contain all that heat. This episode, we will be talking about how refractories dissipate heat through the thickness of our lining, taking a 2500F inside down to a 250F shell temperature, keeping our workers safe, keeping our costs down and k...

In high temperature, refractory containing industries, it's important to understand what changes occur to your lining throughout the temperatures the furnace experiences. One such change is that of expansion. Listen in to learn about reversible thermal expansion and permanent linear change and what that means for furnace function and design. If you have any questions or would like to discuss...

As a respite from the many detailed fundamental episodes you've listened to thus far, this episode delves into the many different industries where refractories are used. Industries you might not have thought of if you weren't familiar with their processes. If you have any questions or would like to discuss something in more detail, reach out to use at Technical-Marketing@ThinkHWI.com Be...

Not many refractory resources will give you more than five words on mortar technology, so HTT.edu is proud to give you an entire episode on the topic. A critical part of any brick construction, mortars are more than just a simplified monolithic. Join in to hear about the complex diversity of mortar and mortar selection and why they're so much more than the fat joints you see in a brick house....

Finally getting out of episodes entirely dedicated to monolithics, join in to hear a little bit about a specialty of HWI, a member of Calderys: bricks. While equally as complicated as monolithics, the challenge in brick making is almost entirely in the hands of the manufacturer. Tooling, pressing, firing and stocking are major hurdles to good brickmaking, but once the brick are in your hands, you...

In possibly the most complicated part of using a high performance refractory material, we need to carefully bring the furnace up to temperature to dry out the refractory and remove all that water that we put in. Listen in to find out how we do that, why these processes are so complicated and how the basics can help you gain better control of the high temperature process you can't see. If you...

After placing monolithic refractory in the lining/forms, you need to wait 24 hours for it to cure before beginning the dryout. But why are we doing that? What's happening to the material during this time and what are we expected to do with it? Listen in to hear about the mineralogical activity going on within the material during this 24 hour period and why it's important. If you have any...

Placing refractories should be as easy as dumping refractory into the form, but there's enough nuance there to justify an entire episode on the topic. Listen in and hear about some important considerations on placing refractory necessary for getting the most out of your castable materials. If you have any questions or would like to discuss something in more detail, reach out to use at Technic...

Part three on our Monolithic Refractories 201 course isn't even about refractories, it's about the water that we're adding to mix our refractories. We can't treat all water the same and that's important for optimizing our refractory properties. Listen in to find out what makes water good water and why are refractory suppliers so adamant about using the right amount of wate...

In part 2 of the Monolithics 201 series, we move into the next step of casting, talking about mixers and proper mixing techniques. What mixer to use, the best mixing processes, and what you're seeing when mixing is happening. Grab a copy of HWI's Installation Guidelines and follow along as we talk through mixing basics. If you have any questions or would like to discuss something in more...

Pushing the limits for what fundamentals truly means, the Monolithics 201 series is geared to cover every aspect of the casting experience. This episode starts that overview the second the material knocks on your door, discussing proper storage techniques and why they're more important than many people tend to think. If you have any questions or would like to discuss something in more detail,...

For Part 3 of the Monolithics 101 series, we're designing our vessel with a variety of different monolithic materials and trying to figure out where to use castables, gunnites, shotcretes and plastics. What are the differences between all these installation methods and how do I choose where to use which? Listen in and understand that castables are not just castables and there's nuance to...

In Part 2 of our Monolithics 101 series, we're holding it together with different types of cement and how cement levels affect refractory properties. Listen in to hear about why you can't just treat every 60% alumina low cement castable the same, despite their similarities on the datasheet, and why an ultra-low cement castable might be better for your operation than a convential cement c...

Moving into a new series specifically about monolithic materials, this introduction episode shows how castables aren't just dirt in a bag . How is a monolithic different than a brick? What goes into a castable that helps it wet out and flow with so little water? What holds it together at room temperature? All important questions that we discuss here, so listen in now. If you have any question...

Part 2 of the Refractories 101 series, this episode aims to look under the hood of a refractory body and understand what all goes into making these high temperature materials. We'll talk about important size and composition considerations when designing a refractory. We'll talk about what holds refractories together. We'll talk about how to not have refractories get torn apart. So l...

Welcome to the age old question of 'what is a refractory?' and where we truly start our refractories fundamentals course. Listen in and learn what refractories are and where they're used. We'll discuss what goes into a refractory and what is needed to make it the high performance material that can contain the fires of industry. Get a sense of different types of refractories and...

Welcome to HTT.edu! We're starting off this series with a technology-light introduction to fundamental chemistry and materials science concepts required to best understand the refractory industry. What is a ceramic? What is a refractory? What are they made of and why? If you're new to engineering and materials or it's been a while since you've donned a graduation cap, feel free...