Background

Shinagawa Refractories Australasia (Shinagawa) has established an enviable reputation for the manufacture and supply of quality refractory and insulating materials to the Australasian, South East Asian and Pacific Rim markets.
Refractories for The Iron and Steel Industry

This iron and steel industry is a primary consumer of refractory worldwide. It has historically been a key market for Shinagawa in Australasia, and also for Shinagawa in Japan. From blast furnace stoves, BOS vessels and steel ladles to torpedo ladles, troughs and electric arc furnaces, the company produces refractories suitable for the most arduous of steel making environments. SHIRAMAG, AIRMAG and RESICAL basic brick, SHIRAL high alumina and firecaly brick and SHIRACRETE low cement castables are just some products that have proven performances within this field. Commitment to continual improvements are evident in record achievements in steel ladle life with 80% alumina SHIRAL brick and also in expert production of intricate shape brick for coke oven chequers. Special developments such as the SHIRAGUN range of low cement gunning mixes are used in a number of applications within the iron and steel industry such as blast furnace trough covers and hot metal ladle pouring spouts. The product range also includes CASTON blast furnace trough castable and AIRTAP® tap hole clay for use on the blast furnace. An extensive range of state-of-the-art steel flow control refractories is offered from Shinagawa’s plants in Japan.

SHIRAMAG – Basic Monolithic Refractories

Shinagawa manufactures a range of basic refractories including magnesia, chrome magnesia and magnesia alumina spinel monolithics based on high purity magnesite and chrome ores. Magnesia contents range to 95%. Installation is by casting, gunning or ramming. With high strength and a unique bonding system they provide excellent resistance to molten metals (steel, copper, lead, alloys etc.) and slags. This family of refractories is marketed under the name SHIRAMAG.
AIRMAG – Magnesia-Carbon Bricks

Shinagawa offer a complete range of Magnesia-Carbon bricks. These products are marketed under the AIRMAG trade name and range from 7% to 20% Carbon content. With proven performance in Steel making vessels, Electric Arc furnaces and Steel Ladles throughout Australasia, the AIRMAG range of products are manufactured from very high grade raw materials and pressed to exacting specifications as required of such demanding applications. AIRMAG products are divided into three main classifications, premium, X and Y, according to process and technology and then are further classified based on Raw Material Quality (H/J/K) and anti-oxidation additions. Premium Magnesia-Carbon bricks - these represent the tried and tested materials used in all facets of Steel-making. Manufactured using premium grade materials, these product focus on security of production for our customers. X-Grade Magnesia-Carbon bricks – this range of bricks features a blend of materials aimed at meeting the stringent cost demands of our customers while still providing a high level of security and performance. Y-Grade Magnesia-Carbon bricks – these products maintain product consistency and a high quality standard for customers where pricing is a primary factor.
RESICAL – Alumina-Silicon Carbide-Carbon Bricks

The range of RESICAL bricks are alumina-silicon carbide-carbon products designed for use in molten iron handling applications. Typical use is in torpedo ladles and hot metal pots in integrated steel mills.
SHIRAL - Alumina Refractory Bricks

Shinagawa offers a complete range of high quality dry pressed alumina bricks, ranging from 35% to 95% in alumina content. These materials are manufactured with state of the art equipment, including computer controlled hydraulic presses that tightly regulate brick sizing and compaction pressure.

Firing is accomplished in multi-stage kilns to ensure even and accurate burning and consistent properties. Strict quality control standards control brick appearance and inherent variables such as strength, density and porosity. This quality approach serves three product groups in the SHIRAL dry pressed brick line:

· Fired High Alumina Bricks – these are produced from premium grades of alumina’s and bauxite’s and include brick with very low porosity, high strength, high thermal shock resistance and metal slag resistance. Some special grades are manufactured with phosphate bonds or andalusite aggregate for specific applications.

· Chemically bonded High Alumina Bricks – these high alumina, phosphate bonded brick are ideally suited to steel ladle or molten aluminium furnace applications due to their unique chemistry, including special aggregates and additives.

· Superduty and Fireclay Bricks – these lower alumina grades of brick are produced to the same exacting standards as the high alumina grades. These brick exhibit good strength and spall resistance over a range of service conditions and find use in a variety of applications.
SHIRACRETE – Low Cement Castables

The SHIRACRETE range of low cement, high technology monolithics is based on ‘state-of-the-art’ refractory castable technology using the highest quality aggregates, cements and additives. These products vary in alumina content from as much as 90% down to 45%. Superior physical properties are evident throughout the range. Low porosity plus outstanding strength and abrasion resistance are standard features of the SHIRACRETE low cement castable line.
SHIRAGUN – Low Cement Gunning Refractory

SHIRAGUN is a revolutionary range of low cement gunning products. SHIRAGUN low cement gunning materials combine the excellent physical properties of low cement castables with the speed and ease of installation by gunning. These materials were developed through an extensive research and development program over a number of years. The technical advantages of SHIRAGUN products over conventional gunning products include improved strength at all temperatures, excellent abrasion resistance, very good hot properties such as creep and hot MOR and very low porosity. SHIRAGUN low cement materials also show low dust and rebound characteristics and installs overhead with no slumping due to its excellent adhesion. The patented Shinagawa Inline Preform Mixer installation system can be used to further enhance the installation characteristics and physical properties of this product range.

CASTON – Castables for Blast Furnace Cast House Floors

The CASTON range of castable materials are used in blast furnace cast house floor applications. The range of CASTON products are based around high alumina aggregates with varying amounts of silicon carbide and carbon additions and contain no pitch or fume. These materials are excellent performers in metal and slag zones of main iron runners in blast furnace troughs as well as in slag runners, skimmer blocks, slag noses and other applications in the cast house floor. CASTON products have also found uses in non-ferrous applications where the non wetting abilities of silicon carbide and carbon provide benefits such as in molten copper handling and ferro-alloy production.
AIRTAP – Clays Specifically Designed for Metal Taphole Applications

AIRTAP is a range of clays specifically developed and manufactured for molten metal taphole applications. Typical applications include tapholes on iron blast furnaces, non-ferrous flash furnaces and electric arc furnaces. The clays are designed to ensure ease of application whether through manual or automatic means, the ability to fully fill the taphole and displace all liquids as well as high degree of security for taphole operations. The clays are also designed for simple removal through either mechanical drilling or other removal mechanisms.