What is refractory ceramic Fibre?

What are Refractory Ceramic Fibres and High Biopersistence Fibres? RCF are a sub-category of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) manufactured for high temperature, high performance thermal insulation applications and used mostly to line furnaces, kilns and other industrial heaters.

What is a refractory fiber?

Refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) are amorphous fibers that belong to a class of materials termed synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs), also called man-made mineral fibers (MMMFs), which includes alkaline earth silicate wool, glass wool, rock (stone) wool, slag wool, and special-purpose glass fibers.

What is RCF material?

RCFs are amorphous synthetic fibers produced by the melting and blowing or spinning of calcined kaolin clay or a combination of alumina, silica, and other oxides. RCFs belong to the class of synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs)-materials that also include fibers of glass wool, rock wool, slag wool, and specialty glass.

Is ceramic fibre carcinogenic?

Conclusion from the previous Monograph: Refractory ceramic fibres are possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2 B). RCFs are produced by melting a combination of predominantly alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). NIOSH has estimated that there were about 30,000 U.S. workers exposed to ceramic fibers in the 1980s.

What is a ceramic Fibre?

Ceramic fibers comprise a wide range of amorphous or crystalline synthetic mineral fibers characterized by their refractory properties (i.e., stability at high temperatures) (IARC 1988). They typically are made of alumina, silica, and other metal oxides or, less commonly, of nonoxide materials such as silicon carbide.

Is Ceramic Fiber safe?

4 The fibres themselves can irritate the skin, eyes and upper respiratory tract but the main concern is that the individual fibres are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and possibly lead to the development of lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Is ceramic Fiber safe?

Is ceramic insulation safe?

The ceramic fibers in the manufactured product are extremely sharp and can cause skin and upper respiratory irritation. The skin irritation can be caused if the broken ends of the ceramic fibers become embedded in the skin.

Is ceramic fiber insulation toxic?

Although toxicity data to date have found these ceramic fibers to be innocuous, recent studies have shown the fibers to devitrify and undergo partial conversion to cristobalite when exposed to elevated temperatures.

Is refractory hazardous?

Many categories of refractory materials are not inherently hazardous. Based solely on their elemental composition (i.e. absent any contaminants they have absorbed during use), many of these materials are non-hazardous and, therefore, suitable for both landfilling and recycling.

What is ceramic fibre used for?

Ceramic fibers are used as insulation materials, because of their ability to withstand high temperatures, and are used primarily for lining furnaces and kilns (IARC 1988, 2002). The products are in the form of blankets, boards, felts, bulk fibers, vacuum-formed or cast shapes, paper, and textiles.

What is ceramic fibre made of?

They are normally composed of silica and alumina oxides. Most ceramic fibres are polycrystalline or polycrystalline oxides and are generally white in colour. These fibres are used where high temperature resistance is required.