The difference a fresh liner in a manway makes after 6 months

We pulled a manway cover on a boiler we did a refractory repair on back in March, and the old liner was already cracked to hell. Swapped it with a ceramic fiber blanket liner this time, curious if anyone else has seen that hold up better long term.

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy721mo ago

Have you actually pulled that ceramic fiber out after a year to see what's underneath though? I've seen the hot face turn brittle and dust up, then you get erosion channels forming behind it where you can't even see them. Plus that stuff is nasty to work with, gets everywhere and makes you itch for days. I'd rather patch the castable every six months than breathe that fiber dust.

the_elliot1mo ago

Ceramic fiber is the way to go. We swapped a manway liner on a 200k lb/hr boiler about a year ago that had the same issue, cracked refractory after a few months. The ceramic fiber blanket was a bit of a pain to cut and fit tight, but it's been solid. No cracks, no gaps forming around the edges like the old castable did. Just make sure you compress it good when you bolt the cover down, otherwise you'll get hot spots leaking through.