Abstract: Basic refractory shapes in selected critical wear areas of a working lining in a basic oxygen furnace are protected from spalling due to thermal shock during "burn-in" and initial operation of the working lining and during the early part of a furnace campaign. A plurality of securing means comprising relatively thin, elongated, flat, generally rectangular anchors are positioned in selected joints in the working lining during installation. The anchors extend a distance beyond the hot faces of the working lining. A reticulated reinforcing means comprising a metallic grid is fastened to the anchors in spaced relationship to the hot faces. A layer of a pulverulent basic refractory material having a thickness sufficient to cover the anchors and metallic grid is sprayed over the working lining in the critical wear areas. The layer of sprayed material provides an effective insulation over the basic refractory shapes in the critical wear areas during "burn-in" of the working lining in the furnace.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is detailed for cooling hot bulk material disposed in gas-permeable cooling buckets which travel from a charging zone to a discharge zone, with the cooling buckets in communication with a plenum chamber having integral blower means for forcing cooling gas through the bulk material. The volume of cooling gas forced through the bulk material proximate the charging zone is substantially less than the volume of cooling air which is forced through the bulk material over the rest of the travel path. This results in a substantial reduction in the particulate emission from the bulk material. A cooling gas throttling means is disposed in the plenum chamber between the charging zone and the discharge zone for restricting the volume of cooling gas at specific areas along the travel path.