Saving energy with insulation. A decisive role in modern process guidance for reducing energy consumption is played by the insulating materials used in every refractory lining. As invisible but important components in every refractory lining, high-temperature insulating materials reduce the lining's thermal profile and thereby protect the furnace's steel shell from excesive heating effects. With our newly developed PROLITE®, we offer our customers a highly insulating material made of biogenic silicilic acid, which combines these factors in a sustainable way.

1. PROLITE®
Insulating material made of rice husk ash.

2. Saving energy with insulation
As a supplier of high-grade refractory ma-
terials, Refratechnik Steel GmbH is a global
partner for the steel, non-ferrous metals,
and chemical industries. Whether shaped or
unshaped products or process ­materials –
backed by 70 years of experience, we offer
individual refractory solutions for every
customer.
Hereby, the energy input for the customer's
production sequences represents an impor-
tant factor for process efficiency and the
overall operation.
A decisive role in modern process guidance
for reducing energy consumption is played
by the insulating materials used in every
refractory lining.
PROLITE®: Insulating material in different dimensions
As invisible but important components in every
refractory lining, high-temperature insulating
materials reduce the lining's thermal profile and
thereby protect the furnace's steel shell from
excessive heating effects.
With our newly developed PROLITE®, we offer
our customers a highly insulating material made
of biogenic silicic acid, which combines these
factors in a sustainable way.
Our service team is happy to consult you about
the right selection and the correct installation
of the corresponding materials. Together, we
develop customized solutions that meet your
requirements precisely.
Let's talk about your goals.
We'll find the right way.
2©Refratechnik Steel GmbH

3. PROLITE®
Facts & figures
PROLITE® from Refratechnik – as an ­alternative
for conventional insulating materials made
of calcium, magnesium or alumino silicate –
consists mainly of rice husk ash, and therefore
of biogenic silicic acid. The innovative material
serves as insulation for all kinds of refractory
lining.
PROLITE® is based on naturally renewable
raw materials. Because rice husks are burned
for carbon-neutral energy generation, and
the ­resulting ash is used for energy saving,
PROLITE® can be classified as sustainable
twice over. Rice husk ash is a CO2-neutral raw
material. During its combustion, only the same
amount of CO2 is released, as that which the
rice plant absorbed during its growth phase.
Moreover, because of the high availability of
this raw material, supply bottlenecks are very
unlikely.
Thanks to its low thermal conductivity,
­PROLITE® has a very high insulating effect.
In addition, the material's high microporosity
ensures its high thermal insulation perfor-
mance. Standardized according to ASTM C 155,
PROLITE® is suitable for application tempera-
tures up to 1540 °C. What's more, it exhibits a
very high alkali resistance.
PROLITE®
PROLITE®: highly insulating and energy saving,
using the example of a steel casting ladle
3©Refratechnik Steel GmbH

4. PROLITE®
Advantages and application areas
Highly insulating, with certain dry-running
properties regarding molten steel, plus a
high melting temperature up to 1600 °C and
simultaneous good mechanical properties, this
multitalented insulation material offers numer-
ous application possibilities and advantages in
the production process.
PROLITE® is particularly suited for the insula-
tion of steel casting ladles or VD plants. But the
material can also be used in second-heat fur-
naces, e.g. in pusher or walking beam furnaces.
PROLITE® offers the advantage of permitting
installation without the need for a safety layer
or pre-insulation.
When shaped as a board, PROLITE® can be
used to insulate furnaces for an optimized
thermal efficiency. Depending on dimension,
installation time can be reduced significantly.
One layer of PROLITE® can replace two layers
of conventional insulating material, thereby
saving material. The PROLITE® versions “85/28”
and “105/28” have been developed for high-
temperature applications, whereby a thickness
of 60 mm surpasses the insulating performance
of a 100 mm layer of refractory castable.
For the insulation of slab cars, panels made
of PROLITE® can replace the usual perlite
filling between the ceramic cushions.
When used for head covers for ingot moulds in
steel casting, and thanks to its freedom from
dust, this material ensures higher working
safety compared with conventional powdery
materials, and also reduces possible shrinkage
cavity formation on the cast block.
In addition, PROLITE® has the advantage of
easy reworking (sawing or drilling) during
installation.
Depending on the required application tem-
perature, PROLITE® is available in seven types
and all usual standard formats according to
ISO 5019-1. On request, the material is also
available in individually cut boards in a wide
range of formats up to a size of 815 x 815 mm.
Thickness is 100 mm maximum, and 10 mm
minimum.
PROLITE® is produced in Refratechnik's own
factory in Italy.
Simple reworking of the material
4©Refratechnik Steel GmbH
SawingDrilling

5. PROLITE®
Technical properties
Quality Classification
temperature
Bulk density Cold
crushing
strength
Thermal conductivity
[W/m·k]
Chemical composition
[Gew.-%]
°C kg/m³ N/mm² 700 °C 1000 °C SiO2 CaO Al2O3
PROLITE® 85/28 1540 750 - 900 > 3 0.27 0.31 94 - 96 <1.0 < 0.5
PROLITE® 105/28 1540 1000 - 1200 > 6 0.37 0.44 94 - 96 <1.0 < 0.5
PROLITE® 95/26 1450 950 - 1050 > 4 0.31 0.34 80 - 90 10 - 20 < 2.5
PROLITE® 80/26 1450 750 - 850 > 2 0.26 0.30 80 - 90 10 - 20 < 2.5
PROLITE® 95/24 1370 950 - 1050 > 4 0.29 0.35 70 - 80 15 - 25 < 2.5
PROLITE® 95/23 1260 950 - 1050 > 4 0.30 0.35 65 - 75 20 - 30 < 2.5
PROLITE® 95/21 1150 950 - 1050 > 4 0.31 0.35 60 - 70 25 - 35 < 2.5
0,60
0,50
0,40
0,30
0,20
0,10
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
temperature [°C]
Mg-Silicate
Al-Silicate
Ca-Silicate
PROLITE® 105/28
PROLITE® 95/21
thermalconductivity[W/m.K]
Alkali resistance of PROLITE®
30 g K2CO3 / 1100 °C / 4 h
Thermal conductivity of PROLITE® compared with conventional insulating products
Resistance against molten steel
1600 °C / 6 h
PROLITE® 105/28 PROLITE® 95/21 PROLITE® 105/28
5©Refratechnik Steel GmbH

6. Refratechnik Steel GmbH
Am Seestern 5
40547 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone +49 211 5858 0
Fax +49 211 5858 49
steel@refra.com
www.refra.com
St1-054-04/2020St1-054-04/2020