Acceptance tests for steelworks refractories

Refractories represent a substantial part of the costs
of converting iron into steel, varying greatly from a few sihillings to more than £1 sterling/ton of steel. Their qualty is, therefore, of considerable importance : even a
10% improvement represents a substantial saving. Equally
important, any serious deterioration, involving, say,
the premature collapse of a furnace roof, or the breakout
of steel through a hearth, not only means extra cost but
frequently a plant stoppage. The quantities of materials
involved are illustrated by figures given for the third
Five Year Plan' for India.