Products
Ladle Sand
First tap opens. Every time. No oxygen lancing, no lost heats.
Before tapping, the ladle nozzle is filled with Ladle Sand to hold the molten steel back. When the slide gate is opened at the caster, that sand has to give way cleanly. If it sinters — which happens when the grade is wrong for the steel temperature and holding time — the ladle will not self-open, and the heat is delayed while the nozzle is lanced with oxygen.
Ladle Sand, also called free-opening sand, ladle filler sand or tapping hole sand, is engineered to resist sintering just long enough and then flow. The key variables are the refractory base, the particle size distribution and the packing behaviour.
ArcSteel produces Ladle Sand in a range of grades for different ladle sizes, steel temperatures and holding times. If you are seeing self-opening rates you are not happy with, send us your current practice and we will recommend a grade and a filling procedure to fix it.
What it does for your line
- Higher self-opening rate — the ladle opens on the first attempt
- No oxygen lancing, so no delay and no damage to the nozzle
- Stable behaviour across the holding time, from short to long
- Controlled particle size distribution for proper filling density
- No contamination of the steel — clean separation at the nozzle
- Grades for different ladle sizes and steel temperatures
Technical data
| Material families | Silica-based, chromium-based and silica-magnesia based |
|---|---|
| Particle size | 0.2 – 1.5 mm, graded fractions selected for your nozzle bore |
| Refractoriness | > 1,630 °C to > 1,780 °C depending on material family |
| Moisture | ≤ 5 % |
| Sintering behaviour | Tuned to your ladle size, steel temperature and holding time |
Figures above are indicative. Contact us to confirm against your steel grades and furnace practice.
All grades can be customised — composition, particle size, melting behaviour, alkalinity and packaging are all adjustable. Send us your steel grade and furnace practice — we will recommend an existing grade or formulate one to suit.
Choose the right material family
| Property | Silica-based | Chromium-based | Silica-magnesia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | SiO₂ | Cr₂O₃ | Fused magnesia + magnesia olivine |
| Character | Low cost, but large high-temperature expansion | High refractoriness | Sinters poorly on its own — needs additives |
| Particle size | 0.2 – 1.5 mm | Customised | Customised |
| Refractoriness | > 1,630 °C | > 1,780 °C | > 1,780 °C |
| Where it fits | Ordinary steelmaking, cost-sensitive mills | Refined and special steels, short holding times | Alkaline steelmaking environments |
Packing & delivery
- 10 kg woven PP bag with inner liner
- 500 kg and 1,000 kg jumbo bags
- Moisture-barrier liner for humid climates
Applications
Also known as: ladle filler sand · filling sand · ladle drainage sand · tapping hole sand · free-opening sand · free opening filler · nozzle filler sand
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Request a quote for Ladle Sand
Tell us your monthly volume and destination port. We will quote with a packing option that suits the shipment.
Have us run a trial batch to your specification
Send us your specification or a sample of what you run now. We will formulate to match it and send a trial batch before you commit to volume.