RHI’s Possibilities for Copper and Wire Producing Applications

A. Franzkowiak, S. Breyner

RHI is a world leader in refractories technology through its global presence, thorough knowledge and comprehensive portfolio with a broad customer base. To address the high complexity and specification diversity of the multiple production routes, RHI is striving for appropriate materials to meet the challenging pyrometallurgical requirements of its customers in the nonferrous metals industry. This article narrows the topic down to a key aspect on copper, and particularly copper wire producing businesses. By giving a brief insight into the copper wire production, the paper points out the material properties of oxidic and nitride bonded silicon carbide based refractory ceramics including cup test and field test results. According to the preliminary findings this comparison of the diverse bonding systems highlights a significant conclusion serving frequent market requests: silicon carbide refractory materials with oxidic bond are a well suited and an efficient alternative to nitride bonded products for the application in cathode shaft melting furnaces, launders or holding furnaces. As RHI offers both types of bonded materials in its wide-ranging portfolio, it is in the position to propose various tailor-made solutions for lining concepts, especially due to the long-standing manual manufacturing know-how and possibilities. Combined with extensive worldwide experience it makes RHI a reliable partner and supplier to implement even the most complex projects.