Understanding Microstructure/Properties Relationships Related to the Thermomechanical Behaviour of High Zirconia Refractories
Résumé
New compositions of refractory materials with a very high content of zirconia are being developed for the processing of glasses used in high technology industries. The use of these refractories requires good control of the manufacturing process to avoid critical flaws due to severe thermo-mechanical stresses. In this context, a first French national research program (NOREV 2007-2010)((1)) had as objectives to build numerical tools able to predict the mechanical behaviour of these materials during one of the critical phases of development, i.e. the controlled cooling process after solidification. The models developed during this program can be considered as robust concerning the thermal aspects. However, some improvements are needed from the mechanical aspects.