API TR 977

API TR 977 documents the results of a joint project conducted by the API CRE Subcommittee on Refractory Materials and the ASTM C08 Committee to improve the reproducibility of the 2015 edition of ASTM C704/C704M, Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Refractory Materials at Room Temperature. Erosion-resistant refractories are used in many oil refining applications, such as Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCUs), to resist the wearing effects of solids particles circulating at elevated velocities in a high-temperature process environment.

This technical report also reviews the drivers for continuing improvement in erosion-resistant refractories and the role of ASTM C704/C704M for the selection and installation quality control of refractories used in these installations. This report documents changes made to the setup and procedures to improve the reproducibility of the test. These changes are designed to achieve this end, while providing a rough equivalency consistent with historical data before the changes were made. These results are validated by the results of extensive international round-robin and ruggedness testing, and are reported herein.