Method for providing high temperature internal insulation

Abstract

A ceramic fiber mat attached to the interior wall or surface of a high temperature chamber of furnace or adapted to overlie an intermediate insulating member positioned between the mat and a furnace wall, the fibers in the mat lying in planes generally perpendicular to the wall, the mat constituting an improved insulation for the wall where the interior of the chamber or furnace will be operating at temperatures in excess of 1600° F.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of protecting the inside wall of a furnace, comprising: constructing a plurality of insulating blocks, with each of said blocks having a .[.flat.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.side .Iadd.defining a cold face and a second side remote from said first side and defining a hot face, said cold face being .Iaddend.adapted for attachment to the inside wall of a furnace and .Iadd.said blocks .Iaddend.being comprised of side-by-side .[.srips.]. .Iadd.strips .Iaddend.of material composed of .Iadd.resilient .Iaddend.insulating fibers, the fibers .[.fibers having no particular orientation but forming.]. .Iadd.randomly oriented within .Iaddend.a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said .[.flat.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.side of said blocks.Iadd., said cold face of each of said blocks including a supporting member accessible from said hot face by a displacement of said resilient fibers at said hot face.Iaddend.; and   attaching each of said blocks to said furnace wall .Iadd.by displacing said resilient fibers at said hot face and embedding a concealable attaching member in each of said blocks at a position spaced from said hot face, said resilient fibers covering said attaching member upon attaching of said block to said furnace wall.Iaddend..   
     
     
       2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said attaching is carried out by passing a metal attaching member between said strips .[.and through said flat side of each of said blocks.]. and connecting one end of said attaching member to said wall. 
     
     
       3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein said attaching members are attached to said wall by .[.an internal welding operation.]. .Iadd.welding.Iaddend.. .[.4. A method of providing internal insulation for a furnace wall comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of strips of insulating material, each strip being formed from a plurality of generally parallel planes of randomly oriented fibers;   positioning the strips to orient the parallel planes substantially perpendicular to the furnace wall; and attaching the strips to the furnace wall..]. .[.5. The method of internal insulation as recited in claim 4 wherein the insulating fibers are ceramic fibers..]. .[.6. A method of providng internal insulation as recited in claim 4, wherein the strips are attached to the furnace wall by means of metallic fasteners inserted transversely through said strips, said metallic fasteners being affixed to the furnace wall..]. .[.7. The method of insulating as described in claim 6, wherein the metallic fastener is attached to the furnace wall by an   
     
     
        internal welding operation..]. 8. A method of insulating the interior of a furnace wall, comprising: constructing a plurality of .[.flat.]. insulating blocks, each of said blocks having a .[.flat.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.side .[.and.]. .Iadd.defining a cold face and a second side remote from said first side and defining a hot face, said blocks .Iaddend.being comprised of side-by-side strips of ceramic fibers having a generally random orientation.[., the fibers forming.]. .Iadd.within .Iaddend.a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said .[.flat side.]. .Iadd.cold face .Iaddend.of said blocks, .[.an further including.]. means for holding said strips adjacent each other.Iadd., .Iaddend.and .Iadd.further including .Iaddend.a fastener embedded in said block .Iadd.at a position spaced from said hot face and concealed therefrom by said ceramic fibers.Iaddend., and attaching each of said blocks to the furnace wall with the .[.flat side.]. .Iadd.cold face .Iaddend.adjacent the wall, said attaching being carried out by .[.connecting the internal fastener to the furnace wall.]. .Iadd.displacing said fibers to expose said fastener, inserting a tool through said hot face of each of said blocks to engage said fastener, fastening said fastener, and withdrawing the tool, said fibers being reoriented in response to withdrawal of said tool to conceal said fastener.Iaddend.. .[.9. The method of claim 8 wherein said strips of fibers are folded so that their outer edges comprise planes of fibers substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the   
     
     
        furnace wall..]. .Iadd.10.  A method of insulating an interior furnace wall comprising: constructing a plurality of insulating blocks, each of said blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from but generally parallel to said first side and defining a hot face, said cold face being adapted for attachment to the inside wall of a furnace and said blocks being comprised of at least one strip of resilient insulating fibers, the fibers being generally randomly oriented within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said hot face of said blocks, said cold face of each of said blocks including a supporting member accesible from said hot face by a displacement of said resilient fibers at said hot face;   positioning each of said blocks at a desired location with said cold face adjacent the furnace wall;   attaching the supporting member of each of said blocks to the furnace wall by resiliently displacing the resilient fibers, inserting a tool through said hot face, and securing said supporting member to said furnace wall by   
     
     
        operating said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11.  The method of claim 10 wherein said block is comprised of a plurality of side-by-side strips. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The method of claim 11 wherein said tool is inserted into a seam 
     
     
        between adjacent strips. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  The method of claim 10 and further comprising the step of embedding a fastener in each of said blocks to completely cover the fastener with resilient insulating fibers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The method of claim 13 wherein said fastener is welded to the furnace wall by said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The method of claim 13 wherein said fastener is screwed to the furnace wall by said tool. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  A method for protecting the inside walls and roof of a furnace during operation at high temperatures, the furnace being operable above 1600° F., comprising the steps of: constructing a plurality of insulating blocks adapted for attachment to the walls and roof of a high temperature furnace without requiring preattachment of supporting hardware, each of the blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from the cold face and defining a hot face, the cold face being adapted for attachment to the inside wall or roof of a furnace without the provision of supporting hardware on the furnace prior to engagement of the insulating block onto the inside wall or roof, the blocks comprised of side-by-side strips of material composed of resilient insulating fibers, the fibers randomly oriented within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the first side of the blocks to control devitrification and shrinkage of the resilient insulating fibers at high temperatures, the cold face of each of the blocks including a supporting member accessible from the hot face by a displacement of the resilient insulating fibers at the hot face; and,   attaching each of the blocks to the inside wall or roof of the furnace by displacing the resilient insulating fibers at the hot face and embedding a concealable attaching member in each of the blocks at a position spaced from the hot face, the resilient insulating fibers covering the attaching member upon attaching of the block to the inside wall or roof of the furnace, the block having no metal retainers exposed on the hot face. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The method of claim 16, wherein the attaching step is carried out by the steps of:   passing a metal attaching member between the resilient insulating fibers; and, welding the metal attaching member to the inside wall or roof of the furnace. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The method of claim 17, wherein the constructing step further comprises the step of adhesively attaching the side-by-side strips to the supporting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A method for protecting the inside walls and roof of a furnace, the furnace being operable at temperatures between 2000° F. and 2800° F., comprising the steps of:   constructing a plurality of insulating blocks adapted for attachment to the walls and roof of a high temperature furnace without requiring preattachment of supporting hardware, each of the blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from the cold face and defining a hot face, the cold face being adapted for attachment to the inside wall or roof of a furnace without the provision of supporting hardware on the furnace prior to engagement of the insulating block onto the inside wall or roof, the blocks comprised of side-by-side strips of material composed of resilient insulating fibers, the fibers randomly oriented within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the first side of the blocks to control devitrification and shrinkage of the resilient insulating fibers at high temperatures, the cold face of each of the blocks including a supporting member accessible from the hot face by a displacement of the resilient insulating fibers at the hot face; and,   attaching each of the blocks to the inside wall or roof of the furnace by displacing the resilient insulating fibers at the hot face and embedding a concealable attaching member in each of the blocks at a position spaced from the hot face, the resilient insulating fibers covering the attaching member upon attaching of the block to the inside wall or roof of the furnace. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The method of claim 19, wherein the attaching step is carried out by the steps of:   passing a metal attaching member between the resilient insulating fibers; and,   welding the metal attaching member to the inside wall or roof of the furnace. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the constructing step further comprises the step of adhesively attaching the side-by-side strips to the supporting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The method of claim 1, wherein said constructing step further comprises the step of adhesively attaching said side-by-side strips to said supporting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A method of insulating the interior of a furnace, the furnace being operable above 1600° F., comprising the steps of:   constructing a plurality of insulating blocks, each of the blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from the first side and defining a hot face, the blocks being comprised of side-by-side strips of ceramic fibers having a generally random orientation within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the cold face of the blocks to control the effects of devitrification and shrinkage of the ceramic fibers at high temperatures, further including means for holding the strips adjacent each other without metal retainers exposed to the hot face;   embedding a fastener in the block which is operable to fasten the block to the interior of the furnace without requiring preattachment of supporting hardware;   positioning each of the blocks at an interior surface of the furnace with the cold face adjacent the surface;   displacing the ceramic fibers to expose the fasteners;   inserting a welding tool through the hot face of each of the blocks to engage the fastener;   welding the fastener to the interior surface of the furnace to attach the block to the surface;   withdrawing the welding tool; and,   reorienting the ceramic fibers to conceal the fastener and avoid any   
     
     
        exposed metal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24.  The method of claim 23, wherein the constructing step further comprises the step of adhesively bonding the strips of fibers to a supporting member to hold the strips adjacent each other. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A method of insulating an interior furnace wall, comprising the steps of: constructing a plurality of insulating blocks, each of said blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from but generally parallel to said first side and defining a hot face, said cold face being adapted for attachment to the inside wall of a furnace without support hardware being preattached to the inside wall, and said blocks being comprised of at least one strip of resilient insulating fibers, the fibers being generally randomly oriented within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said hot face of said blocks to control the effects of devitrification and shrinkage, said cold face of each of said blocks including a supporting member accessible from said hot face by a displacement of said resilient fibers at said hot face, said strip of resilient insulating fibers being adhesively bonded to said supporting member;   positioning each of said blocks at a desired location with said cold face adjacent the furnace wall; and,   attaching the supporting member of each of said blocks to the furnace wall by resiliently displacing the resilient fibers, inserting a tool through said hot face, and securing said supporting member to said furnace wall by   
     
     
        operating said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  The method of claim 25 wherein said block is comprised of a plurality of side-by-side strips adhesively bonded to said supporting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The method of claim 26 wherein said tool is inserted into a seam between adjacent strips. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The method of claim 25 and further comprising the step of embedding a fastener in each of said blocks to completely cover the fastener with resilient insulating fibers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. The method of claim 28 wherein said fastener is welded to the furnace wall by said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The method of claim 28 wherein said fastener is 
     
     
        screwed to the furnace wall by said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31.  A method of insulating an interior furnace wall at temperatures between 2000° F. and 2800° F., comprising the steps of: constructing a plurality of insulating blocks, each of said blocks having a first side defining a cold face and a second side remote from but generally parallel to said first side and defining a hot face, said cold face being adapted for attachment to the inside wall of a furnace without support hardware being preattached to the inside wall, and said blocks being comprised of at least one strip of resilient insulating fibers, the fibers being generally randomly oriented within a plurality of planes substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said hot face of said blocks to control the effects of devitrification and shrinkage, said cold face of each of said blocks including a supporting member accessible from said hot face by a displacement of said resilient fibers at said hot face, said strip of resilient insulating fibers being adhesively bonded to said supporting member;   positioning each of said blocks at a desired location with said cold face adjacent the furnace wall; and,   attaching the supporting member of each of said blocks to the furnace wall by resiliently displacing the resilient fibers, inserting a tool through said hot face, and securing said supporting member to said furnace wall by   
     
     
        operating said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32.  The method of claim 31 wherein said block is comprised of a plurality of side-by-side strips adhesively bonded to said supporting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The method of claim 32 wherein said tool is inserted into a seam between adjacent strips. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The method of claim 31 and further comprising the step of embedding a fastener in each of said blocks to completely cover the fastener with resilient insulating fibers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. The method of claim 34 wherein said fastener is welded to the furnace wall by said tool. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The method of claim 34 wherein said fastener is screwed to the furnace wall by said tool. .Iaddend.