In cement manufacturing, this is the dark, nodular material discharged from the rotary kiln after heating limestone and clay. In coal-fired furnaces, it refers to the fused, stony residue of ash and impurities that builds up on grates and refractory walls. Refractory linings in these zones must withstand severe abrasion and chemical attack from the moving nodules or molten ash.
The burner pipe is out of alignment and we're building up a massive clinker ring in the burning zone.
Do not mix it up with
- Grog: Grog is intentionally crushed refractory brick used as an aggregate, whereas clinker is the fused product or ash byproduct of the kiln.
Related terms
Ring
Circular buildup of material inside a rotary kiln that dams the flow, or one circular course of lining brick.
Coating
Layer of clinker that sticks to the burning zone brick in a cement kiln and shields it from heat and wear.
Slag attack
Chemical dissolution and penetration of a refractory by molten slag, the main wear mode in metal processing.