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Types of Refractory Materials and

Their Applications
Sylvia Lee Follow
Manager at Luoyang Casting Tra… 72 17 5

Various refractory bricks in different sizes and shapes are now available for diverse applications.
The typical refractory materials include fireclay refractories, high alumina refractories, silica brick,
Magnesite refractories, Chromite refractories, Zirconia refractories, Insulating materials and
Monolithic refractory. Depending on temperatures and service conditions of the applications
such as boilers, furnaces, kilns, ovens etc, different types of refractories are used.

Fireclay refractories
Fireclay refractories are essentially hydrated aluminum silicates with 25% - 45% Al2O3 and 50% -
80% SiO2 and minor other minerals. As fireclay brick is relatively cheap and its raw materials are
widespread, it is the most common type of refractory brick and used widely in most furnaces,
kilns, stoves, regenerators, etc.
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Silica brick
Silica brick is a refractory material containing at least 93% SiO2. The raw material is quality rocks.
Silica brick has excellent mechanical strength at temperatures approaching their actual fusion
point. This behavior contrasts with that of many other refractories, for example alumino-silicate
materials, which begin to fuse and creep at temperatures considerably lower than their fusion
points. Various grades of silica brick have found extensive use in glass making and steel industry.

High alumina refractories

Alumina refractories containing more than 45% alumina are generally termed as high alumina
materials. The alumina concentration ranges from 45 to 95%. Commonly used refractory are
sillimanite (61%), mullite (70 –85%) and corundum (99%). The refractoriness of high alumina
refractories increases with increase in alumina percentage. The applications of high alumina
refractories includes the hearth and shaft of blast furnaces, lime and ceramic kilns, cement kilns,
glass tanks and crucibles for melting a wide range of metals.

Magnesite refractories
Magnesite refractories are chemically basic materials, containing at least 85% magnesium oxide.
These are made from naturally occurring magnesite (MgCO3) and Silica (SiO2). The physical
properties of this class of brick are generally poor, and their great value is primarily in their
resistance to basic slags, particularly to lime and iron rich slags. These constitute the most
important group of refractories for the basic steelmaking processes. In addition to metallurgical
furnaces, basic brick are now being successfully used in glass tank checkers and in lime and
cement kilns.

Chromite refractories
Chrome-magnesite material usually contain 15-35% Cr2O3 and 42-50% MgO whereas
magnesite-chromite refractories contain at least 60% MgO and 8-18% Cr2O3. Chrome-
magnesite refractories are used for building the critical paths of high temperature furnaces.
These materials can withstand corrosive slags and gases and have high refractoriness. The
magnesite-chromite products are suitable for service at the highest temperatures and in contact
with the most basic slags used in steel melting. Magnesite-chromite usually has a better spalling
resistance than chrome-magnesite.

Zirconia refractories
Zirconia refractories have a very high strength at room temperature which is maintained up to
temperatures as high as 15000C. Its thermal conductivity is found to be much lower than that of
most other refractories. Zirconia also does not react readily with liquid metals and molten
glasses. They are, therefore, useful as high temperature constructional materials for metallurgical
furnaces and glass furnaces.
Monolithic refractory
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Monolithic refractory, the name generally given to all unshaped refractory products, are
materials installed as some form of suspension that ultimately harden to form a solid mass.
Monolithic refractories are replacing the conventional type fired refractories at a much faster rate
in many applications including those of industrial furnaces.

Insulating materials
Insulating materials are high porosity refractories with low thermal conductivity used in order to
reduce the heat losses. Insulating materials has a lower density and offers higher thermal
resistance compared to firebricks. In all cases, thermal conductivity of the insulation increases
significantly as temperature increases. A wide range of insulating refractories with wide
combinations of properties are now available. It is likewise cheaper in contrast to the high duty
bricks.

Sylvia Lee
Manager at Luoyang Casting Tra… Follow

17 comments

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Rasim Tumkaya 2mo

Rasim --Chief Eng
Tumkaya
ı want to melt iridiom rhodiom platiniom etc so ı need an extra high tempered foundry
So may ı ask you what kind of refracter meterial to be needed to may diy foundry if you
answer ı will be very glad thks tumkayarasim@gmail.com
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Rasim Tumkaya 2mo

Rasim --Chief Eng
Tumkaya
ı want to melt iridioum rhodium
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Rasim Tumkaya 2mo

Rasim --Chief Eng
Tumkaya
 may ı be adviced what kind of refracter can ı use for ultra high degre of heat
Sign in Join now
(2000degre centigrate)as cast to the foundry . if ı cpuld get answer ı would be glad
thank you tumkayarasim@gmail.com
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Kambiz Rezaianpour 6mo

Kambiz Plant Director_Atoor Refractories Company
Rezaianpour
Is it possible for know about equipment and machinery of refractories brick?Focus on
press.
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Charles Kabwe 8mo

Charles Founder/ Operations Technical Officer at Macyfico Recycling Enterprise
Kabwe
Very good for my project 
Like Reply

Ijaz Ijaz Ahmad

11mo
Ahmad Looking For a Professional Organisation to Work

good effort 
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