Abstract: A porous fired granulated body is formed by consolidating numerous alumina particles to each other while letting mainly interconnected pores remain in network form across an entire cross section of a granulated body particle. The pores have an inner diameter controlled by a droplet diameter of a pore forming agent and have numerous precipitated alumina crystals formed on inner surfaces thereof. Manufacture is performed by spraying the pore forming agent (emulsion) onto a raw material to form a coating layer of the pore forming agent on a surface of the raw material particle and controlling the inner diameter of the pores. A porous fired granulated body of alumina having a high specific surface area and having higher strength for the same specific surface area can thus be provided by a simple manufacturing method.

Abstract: Provided are: a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good fluidity, the bed medium being usable in a fluidized bed furnace using biomass material and coal material as fuel; and a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good durability, the bed medium not easily forming an agglomerate of its particles, and being resistant to collapsing. The bed medium for a fluidized bed in a fluidized bed furnace for combusting or gasifying the fuel is formed of artificially-produced spherical refractory particles containing not less than 40% by weight of Al2O3 and not more than 60% by weight of SiO2 and having an apparent porosity of not more than 5%, and a ratio by weight of agglomerated particles in the bed medium is not more than 20% after three heat treatment tests on the bed medium at 900° C. for 2 hours under coexistence with the fuel.

Abstract: Provided are: a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good fluidity, the bed medium being usable in a fluidized bed furnace using biomass material and coal material as fuel; and a useful bed medium for a fluidized bed with good durability, the bed medium not easily forming an agglomerate of its particles, and being resistant to collapsing. The bed medium for a fluidized bed in a fluidized bed furnace for combusting or gasifying the fuel is formed of artificially-produced spherical refractory particles containing not less than 40% by weight of Al2O3 and not more than 60% by weight of SiO2 and having an apparent porosity of not more than 5%, and a ratio by weight of agglomerated particles in the bed medium is not more than 20% after three heat treatment tests on the bed medium at 900° C. for 2 hours under coexistence with the fuel.

Abstract: Providing a method of modifying refractory particles used to produce a casting mold by using a furan resin as a binder, so as to effectively improve a strength of the casting mold and to reduce a required amount of the binder. An artificial aggregate which is artificially produced and which has an apparent porosity of not more than 5% is used as the refractory particles, and the artificial aggregate is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature of 400-1500° C. for not shorter than one hour in a heating atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of not higher than 15%.