Recovery Act - Development of Composite Refractory Materials with Radiant Barriers to Improve the Thermal Efficiency of Kiln Operations

Cement manufacturing processes run at an average 34% efficiency. With rising fuel costs and stricter laws on plant emissions, cement manufacturers need to operate more efficiently. Due to the sheer size of the cement industry, small improvements in efficiency have drastic results on the global scale. Mainstream proposes an innovative solution for recovering significant energy losses by developing a radiant barrier of reflective material to retain radiant heat. These losses accounts for 10% of the overall heat input, and current refractory materials do little to retain radiant heat. Mainstream has developed a portable method to apply a unique reflective coating thereby reducing energy loss and increasing the maintenance interval. This coating can be applied during the scheduled annual kiln outages (for repair and maintenance). The proposed patentable solution described completely in the proprietary proposal has an economic payback of 16 weeks and conservatively results in 18,000,000 MJ of energy saved annually which translates into an annual reduction of 620,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. In Phase I, Mainstream will demonstrate a portable system to adhere a high temperature reflective coating onto existing refractory ceramics. This composite material will be extensively tested for bond strength, durability and sustained reflectivity. The feasibility of installing this composite material in the field will be demonstrated. The follow-on Phase II effort will optimize the application for different sections of the kiln, explore additional techniques to further extend the life of the coated refractory material, and perform extensive thermal shock and material life testing. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: By focusing on a field-applied approach, the commercial opportunities for this proposed system are significant. Mainstream