Goals and Objectives:

• Develop and validate new classes of cost-effective low-permeability ceramic and refractory
  components for handling molten aluminum in both smelting and casting environments.
• Develop materials and methods for sealing surface porosity in thermal shock-resistant ceramic
  refractories, which will also include the evaluation of monolithics used in the low-pressure
  casting of aluminum.

Benefits:

Enhancement of the pressure-holding capacity of fused silica tubes and their implementation
in aluminum melting and casting will accomplish the following:
Reduced downtime through longer life and reduction in scrap through lower rates of erosion
and particulate generation
Reduction in the overall energy use by improving casting operations (energy savings of 30
trillion Btu/year by 2020)

Semi-Crystaline Glazes:

A glaze material with low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) <0.5 /°C and low reactivity
with molten Al was selected.
CTE depends on the crystalline phases and the content of glassy matrix within the glaze
Al2O3 (29.2 wt.%), B2O3 (5 wt.%), K2O (5 wt.%), Li2O (11.3 wt.%), SiO2 (49.5 wt.%)

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RESEARCH SPONSORED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY,
OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAM