Relining a blast furnace is a costly affair, due to the actual relining cost and production loss. The campaign life is currently limited by the hearth refractory wear. The objective of this project is to increase that refractory lifespan. Online measurements at the blast furnace will be improved. New models describing the state of the blast furnace hearth will be developed.

The dissection of a hearth will be used to validate both models and measurements. This will improve understanding of the wear mechanisms and subsequently lead to better process control and a longer life span of the blast furnace hearth.