The Facts about Fire Bricks
A fire brick or refractory brick is a block of refractory ceramic material used in lining furnaces, kilns, fireboxes, and fireplaces. They are used to withstand high temperatures but will usually have a low thermal conductivity.
Otherwise, dense firebricks are used in constructions which are subject to extreme mechanical, chemical, or thermal stresses such as the inside of a wood-fired kiln where to abrasion from wood or fluxing from ash or slag and high temperatures occur.
In less harsh situations, such as a natural gas fired kiln, more porous bricks are used. Though weaker they are much lighter, easier to form, and insulate far better than dense bricks. Firebricks should not spall under rapid temperature change and their strength should hold up well during rapid temperature changes. Fireclay is baked in a kiln until it is partly vitrified and for special purposes may also be glazed.
The composition of firebricks is commonly 30-40% aluminium oxide or alumina and 50% silicon dioxide or silica. For extreme refractory bricks, the aluminium oxide content can be as high as 50-80% and silicon carbide may be added. There are a few long established manufacturers in the UK offering a range of refractory products.
Look for a manufacturer with a wide range of products; fire cement, fire bricks, refractory setting cements/mortars, plastic mouldables refractories, zircon refractory products, acid resistant cements and refractory castables.
These are used in industries including steel plants to power stations; foundries, cement, lime, glass and ceramics to incinerators; renewable energy to chemical works; sugar refineries and the petrochemical industry to the manufacture of pizza ovens.
Look for BSEN ISO 9001:2008 accreditation certificates for reassurance that products and services are of a consistently good quality from a company of high reputation in the industry.
A fire brick or refractory brick is a block of refractory ceramic material used in lining furnaces, kilns, fireboxes, and fireplaces. They are used to withstand high temperatures but will usually have a low thermal conductivity.
Otherwise, dense firebricks are used in constructions which are subject to extreme mechanical, chemical, or thermal stresses such as the inside of a wood-fired kiln where to abrasion from wood or fluxing from ash or slag and high temperatures occur.
In less harsh situations, such as a natural gas fired kiln, more porous bricks are used. Though weaker they are much lighter, easier to form, and insulate far better than dense bricks. Firebricks should not spall under rapid temperature change and their strength should hold up well during rapid temperature changes. Fireclay is baked in a kiln until it is partly vitrified and for special purposes may also be glazed.
The composition of firebricks is commonly 30-40% aluminium oxide or alumina and 50% silicon dioxide or silica. For extreme refractory bricks, the aluminium oxide content can be as high as 50-80% and silicon carbide may be added. There are a few long established manufacturers in the UK offering a range of refractory products.
Look for a manufacturer with a wide range of products; fire cement, fire bricks, refractory setting cements/mortars, plastic mouldables refractories, zircon refractory products, acid resistant cements and refractory castables.
These are used in industries including steel plants to power stations; foundries, cement, lime, glass and ceramics to incinerators; renewable energy to chemical works; sugar refineries and the petrochemical industry to the manufacture of pizza ovens.
Look for BSEN ISO 9001:2008 accreditation certificates for reassurance that products and services are of a consistently good quality from a company of high reputation in the industry.
Where to buy fire bricks
- Vitcas Ltd - 204-208 Broomhill Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 5RG, 0117 911 7895
- John J. Doyle Ltd - 100 Great Patrick Street, Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 2LU, 02890 247864
