Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro is equipped with all the instruments required for the characterization of room tempearture mechanical properties of refractory materials: three precision analytical presses, capable of applying controlled loads up to 600 kN, which can be used for both compression and bending tests; instruments for the measurement of the modulus of elasticity, of the ultrasounds propagation speed, and for the determination of abrasion resistance, etc.
For the evaluation of the resistance to room temperature compressive stress, SSV is capable of operating in compliance with the most widely used industry standards for bricks, shaped products, refractory concretes, insulating bricks, etc, such as ASTM C133 and UNI EN 993-5.
For the evaluation of the three-point bending strength at room temperature (MOR), SSV is capable of operating in compliance with the most widely used industry standards for bricks, shaped products, refractory concretes, insulating bricks, etc, such as ASTM C133 and UNI EN 993-6.
The moduli of elasticity (Young modulus in 3 directions, shear modulus, etc.) and the sonic and ultrasonic velocity in a refractory material are useful indicators of the quality of the interface between matrix and aggregates, of the level of porosity and compactness, of the presence or absence of cracks and other defects (delaminations, macro-pores), etc. Stazione Sperimentale del vetro has state-of-the-art instruments for the acoustic determination of these parameters (Buzz-O’-Sonic and Ultrasonic system).
For specific industrial applications, the mechanical abrasion resistance of refractory materials is crucial to ensure their durability over time. To achieve a quantitative assessment of this property, SSV has a system capable of performing abrasion tests in compliance with ASTM C704 and DIN EN ISO 16282, which involve abrasion by size-calibrated SiC powders fired through a compressed air nozzle onto standard size test samples.