Continuous measurement of lining wear in steel furnaces with radioisotopes

Summary

A new method for measuring the lining wear in a rotating steel furnace is described. The method is based on determination of the activity of the steel bath when radioactive material placed in the bricks is continuously dissolved at a rate proportional to the wear of the lining. The method is a simple, rapid, reliable and inexpensive way to determine the lining wear without interfering the production. The reproducibility of the measurement is ± 5%. It is now possible with this method to obtain statistically reliable relationship between metallurgical variables and lining wear. This was not possible with other available methods.