Influence of Colloidal Silica on Final Properties of no Cement Castables

This paper deals with sol-gel process and application in no cement castables based on andalusite. The use of calcium free binder increases the refractory parameters of material and allows its faster drying. Six colloidal sols from CWK Bad Köstritz based on SiO 2 were tested, which differed not only in concentration and particle size, but also in pH. The influence of silica sols on the consistency of fresh castable, initial setting and final setting times were investigated. Furthermore, basic parameters after firing, such as bulk density, apparent porosity, flexural and compressive strength, were tested.