Properties of Good Refractory Bricks

- To serve the desired purpose the refractory bricks must be good in quality. Followings are the properties of good refractory bricks.

- Refractory bricks must resist stress developed at high temperature in furnace walls and arches.

- They must preserve their rigidity at high temperature.

- Irreversible volume change should not occur at the furnace temperature. Because shrinkage leads to the opening of joints and results in a leaky furnace.

- They must resist the tendency to crack and split off fragments when exposed to a sudden change of temperature.

- They must not easily form fusible products with slags.

- They must not react with furnace gases. Refractory bricks should weigh about 150 lbs per cubic ft (cft).

- They should take a compressive strength of about 20000 to 30000 psi.

- They should not absorb more than 6% of water by wt when kept in water for 24 hours.