In recent years various types of periclase--carbon refractories have been developed for lining electric steel-melting furnaces and converters [i, 2].The present authors carried out work to produce wear-resistant periclase--carbon goods for lining the critical parts of steel-melting plant, including vacuum-treatment furnaces for steel.The raw materials consisted of fused periclase fractions 3-1, < 1 and < 0,063 mm, crystalline graphite, organic bonds, and also additions of complex, strengthening, and antioxidizing action. The binder consisted of phenol powder (SFP) in combination with water solutions of lignosulfonates (LST) which sharply improved the working conditions by ensuring high plasticity, fluidity, and pressing capacity in the body, high green strength, and resistance to deformation during heat treatment, Following laboratory and semi-industrial investigations, we selected the optimum batches which were used as the basis for making industrial batches. Preparation and shaping of the bodies containing graphite, as is known, involve certain serious drawbacks. The introduction of more than 10%* graphite increases the porosity and reduces the strength; it also affects the elastic deformation of the graphite.The quality of modern refractories depends on several factors. One of the main ones is the production of a perfect structure in the material which should be preserved throughout the life of the lining. An important role is also played by the lack of broken grains which are produced during pressing and other treatments; this affects the surface finish.To ensure high quality in refractories much attention is paid to mixing, and especially the combination of the components in the bond, using finely dispersed bodies, bonds that set, and small amounts of additives. Mixers of the planetary type, vortex, or combinations of these in a single unit are recommended. Mixing should be done in two stages: getting a uniformly mixed batch, and obtaining a homogeneous body with the bond.The body should as a rule be obtained in roller mixers or planetary mixers. The optimum design should provide a high quality mixing -close contact of particles and the optimum coating of the grains of refractory powder by the graphite, additives, and bond. Owing to the pressure of the mill rollers the mixing should be accompanied by preliminary compaction, which positively affects the shaping, especially of graphite bodies.At the Magnezit Combine bodies containing graphite are made with the existing mixing plant, but this does not provide the required quality. The cycle is: the dry granular powders (periclase fractions 3-1 and < 1 mm) are treated with additives (to obtain the best particle distribution); blenders are used for I min. A solution of lignosulfates is poured on to the resulting body (mixing i min), the graphite is fed in (mixing 3 min), then finely milled batch constituent is added (mixing 3 min). The final stage is to add SFP followed by mixing for a further I0 min. Total mixing time is 15-20 min. Prolonged blending is needed t...