Are you considering investing in refractories for your business but would like to learn more about them before making the investment?  Investing in refractories is a huge investment for any business, and you need to make sure that you are able to make smart, educated decisions by seeking out expert advice from a team of highly professional individuals that can help walk you through the different options you have available, in order to find the one that makes the most sense.

Refractories are materials that are non-metallic, heat resistant and are most often used in the linings of furnaces, reactors, and other units that produce a large amount of heat.  Refractories have to be able to stand up to the stress that will be placed on them in a day-to-day basis, and withstand corrosion by chemical agents as well.  Depending upon what you will be using the refractories for, and the application of the materials, there may be different requirements that your company may have in order to get the right materials.  Refractories are necessary for heating applications that will get anywhere above 1000°F.  Refractories are generally much better at this than metal materials that businesses had used in the past.

The term ‘refractories’ refers to a broad spectrum of different materials that have the characteristics previously referred to.  They also must be able to provide the containment of substances at those high temperatures as well.  The composition of a specific type of refractory material will depend upon how it is going to be used.  Each refractory material may be different, and take on a wide variety of different shapes depending upon the number of different factors. Typically, refractories are going to be one of three different types of refractory materials; brick shapes, fiber or monolithic refractories.  Typically, the brick shaped refractories are going to be utilized in most furnaces, while monolithic refractories have very specific uses.  Most refractories resemble a brick shape, but here at BNZ Materials we work with companies to ensure that we are able to deliver a high-quality finished product, that is customized to the shape and style that you are looking for.

What Materials Are Used In Refractories?

There are a wide variety of different materials that can be utilized in combination with one another in order to create refractories. Typically, they are usually produced using natural materials, but synthetic materials are often added to the blend.  Refractories are always going to be nonmetallic, as metallic refractories are not able to stand up to the high temperatures that most refractories must undergo.  Typically, minerals such as alumina, bauxite, chromite, silicon carbide, zirconia and others are used within refractories, and are able to stand up to that level of heat.

In most refractory applications, the oxides that are provided by aluminum, silicon, and magnesium make up some of the most important ingredients within a refractory.  Also, calcium, which is present in limestone, is another ingredient that is usually found in most brands of refractories as well.  Fire clays are also quite prominent in the manufacturing of a variety of different refractories.

What Applications Require Refractories?

There are many different applications that could require the use of refractories.  At its most basic level, refractories are used to build or line structures that will produce high temperatures.  These types of applications could be as small as a lab furnace to as large as a steel producing stove, even the materials that are utilized on the space shuttle could be considered refractories.  Typically, refractories are most often used in boilers, glass and steel production and all high heat furnace applications.  This can include any style furnace, kiln, and even reactors.  Depending upon the type of business that you are running, there are many things that must be taken into consideration when you are determining what types of refractories are going to be best for your situation.

Refractories have to be resistant to the chemicals that will be released during the process, withstand molten metal and erosion, and similar adverse or conditions that are created in high-speed environments.  Depending upon the ingredients that are included within a specific refractory, there may be different performance characteristics that those materials bring out in that specific refractory.  This has led to refractories being created that deal with very specific types of conditions.  For larger companies, specific refractory ingredient combinations can be put together in order to give the best possible results for a particular application. With years of research and scientific progression for refractories, they have come a long way over the course of the last few decades.

Whether you are a small business owner looking to invest in refractory material or a purchasing agent for one of the largest international corporations, there are many factors that need to be considered when making your refractory choice.  Speak with us about the different products that we have available in order to determine which of our products will provide you with the best benefits for your business.  By taking your time, evaluating all of the available products, and helping us to walk you through the process we can point you in the direction of refractories that will certainly be to your benefit.