Patent ID: 8505335

Claim:
A method of preparing a refractory for a glass melting furnace, comprising: providing a first set of components comprising alumina and zirconia, wherein the first set of components comprises 10 wt % to 35 wt % alumina, 60 wt % to 85 wt % zircon, and up to 10 wt % silica, and wherein the zirconia comprises a first portion having a larger particle size, the first portion comprising zircon sand and a second portion having a smaller particle size, the second portion comprising zircon flour, and providing a colloidal silica binder at 5 wt % to 20 wt % of the dry weight of the first set of components, mixing the first set of components with the colloidal silica binder to form a refractory composition comprising about 15 wt % to 30 wt % alumina, 40 wt % to 55 wt % zirconia, and 25 wt % to 35 wt % silica; and forming a monolithic refractory composition on a surface of the furnace.