Author(s)

C. I. Nwoye, B. C. Chukwudi, P. C. Agu, C. C. Ugwuegbu

Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering,Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria..
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria..
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering,Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

A model has been derived for periodic analysis of the quantity of water evaporated during thermo-processing of clay designated for production of oven refractory. The model; γ = exp〔〔lnt/2.9206〕^1.3〕 shows that the quantity of evaporated water during the drying process is dependent on the drying time, with the evaporating surface being constant. It was found that the validity of the model is rooted on the expression lnγ = (lnt/Logβ)^N where both sides of the equation are correspondingly almost equal. The maximum deviation of the model-predicted quantity of evaporated water from the corresponding experimental value is less than 19% which is quite within the acceptable deviation range of experimental results. Water evaporation rate as obtained from experiment and derived model were evaluated to be 0.0536 and 0.0337g mins ^-1 respectively.

Model, Water Evaporation, Thermo-processing, Clay, Oven Refractory

C. Nwoye, B. Chukwudi, P. Agu and C. Ugwuegbu, "Model for Periodic Analysis of the Quantity of Water Evaporated during Thermo-processing of Clay Designated for Production of Oven Refractory," Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, Vol. 10 No. 13, 2011, pp. 1233-1241. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2011.1013096.