Properties enhancement of refractory bricks by incorporation of nano materials

Nanotechnology is the design, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlled manipulation of size and shape at nanometer scale. One particular subsection of nanotechnology can be distinguished as nano structured materials i.e., materials in which certain elements of material structure exist at their nano scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involve developing or modifying materials or devices within that size. Nano materials have high surface to volume ratio, which make it more chemically reactive resulting properties like heat resistance and unique electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties. The advancements in nanotechnology have an impact almost in all fields such as materials, instrumentation, electronics, healthcare, defense, sensors, energy, manufacturing and environments. The other major technological areas of nano metal oxides and their composites are in advanced composite materials, catalysts, high energy batteries, automobile and aerospace components, optical devices, radiation shielding and energetic materials. The application of nanotechnology in refractory material is very limited. In the author's laboratory, nano TiO₂, ZrO₂ and MgO have been prepared by spray pyrolyser route. These nano materials have been used in refractory composition. Incorporation of nano materials improves the corrosion, erosion & high temperature mechanical properties of refractory bricks.