When building houses, we use a large number of reddish-brown ordinary bricks. They are sturdy, inexpensive, and form the foundation of construction. However, if you carefully observe the interior walls of steel mills, glass kilns, or even the fireplaces in your home, you’ll find that the bricks used there are often lighter in color (such as pale yellow or white) and have a different texture. These are refractory bricks. So, what exactly is the difference between refractory bricks and ordinary bricks?
1. High-temperature resistance
First, the most crucial difference is their “high-temperature resistance.”
Ordinary bricks primarily serve load-bearing, enclosure, and insulation purposes, withstanding temperature changes in the natural environment. Although fired, their long-term temperature resistance generally does not exceed 800℃. Once placed in a high-temperature furnace, they quickly crack, pulverize, and become completely damaged.
Refractory bricks, on the other hand, typically have a refractoriness of no less than 1580℃, and many products can even operate stably in environments above 1400℃ for extended periods. They are specifically designed for extreme high-temperature environments.
2.Materials differ
Secondly, their materials differ.
Ordinary bricks are mainly made from clay or shale, with a relatively simple composition. Refractory bricks are made from carefully selected high-alumina bauxite, magnesite, silicon carbide, and other special refractory materials. These materials endow them with not only high-temperature resistance but also strong resistance to the chemical corrosion of molten metal and slag.
3.Differ in appearance and application
Finally, they also differ in appearance and application.
Ordinary bricks are mostly solid, reddish-brown or bluish-gray. Refractory bricks, to improve insulation, are often designed to be lighter and porous; they also come in a wider variety of colors. Due to their denser material, refractory bricks of the same size are usually significantly heavier than ordinary bricks.
In summary, ordinary bricks are the “skeleton” of buildings, providing us with comfortable living spaces; while refractory bricks are the “armor” of industrial kilns, protecting the “heart” of modern industry. They play irreplaceable roles on different battlefields.
Henan Ruitai Lianxin Refractory Materials Co., Ltd is a modern R&D-centered refractory manufacturer manufacturing enterprise integrated with refractories sales and marketing, furnace engineering construction, recycling and sales of waste refractories as well as refractory raw material, technology and goods import and export, and technical services. If you have any needs for refractory materials, please contact us and we will provide you with the best service.