What is Refractory Dryout?

The refractory material was not normally thermally cured at the factory. It is not uncommon for moisture to be absorbed by the refractory during final stages of in-shop fabrication, transit to the job site, and before the upstream combustion products are first passed through the unit. Therefore, residual moisture and any absorbed moisture must be removed after installation but prior to commencement of start-up operations. Otherwise, trapped moisture will steam, causing cracking, and in many cases, the refractory will separate from the metal in large pieces

To Protect the refractory from damage. see: refer to the following site http://www.banksengineering.com/Refracdryout.htm

I can recomend a company called Cooperheat if you need any Dryout services

Heat Treatment (PWHT)

Heat Treatment is most often associated with increasing the strength of materials, it also can be used to improve machining, enhance formability, and restore ductility after a cold working operation. Given varied applications, heat treatment is a valuable manufacturing process can improve product performance and yield other desirable characteristics.


Heat treatment is a method used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most common application is metallurgical. Heat treatments are also used in the manufacture of many other materials, such as glass. Heat treatment involves the use of heating or chilling, normally to extreme temperatures, to achieve a desired result such as hardening or softening of a material. Heat treatment techniques include annealing, case hardening, precipitation strengthening, tempering and quenching. It is noteworthy that while the term heat treatment applies only to processes where the heating and cooling are done for the specific purpose of altering properties intentionally, heating and cooling often occur incidentally during other manufacturing processes such as hot forming or welding.