Making refractory bricks is not an easy task! To make a good refractory brick, you need good materials and good craftsmanship. Unlike farming, refractory bricks must withstand a big fire without cracking or breaking, so that they can be used. Today I will talk to you about how to make refractory bricks.
You have to choose good materials. Refractory bricks must use things that are resistant to high temperatures, such as clay, ore with high alumina content, sand, and quartz. All of these must be prepared. Some places also use magnesia and dolomite to make bricks harder. These materials must be able to withstand high temperatures to make good bricks.
Once you have prepared the materials, you have to grind them into powder. This step cannot be skipped! If they are not ground finely, the bricks will not be strong and will crack easily. You see, large ores, clay, etc., must be broken first, and then slowly ground into fine powder like flour, so that the bricks made later can be strong.
The next step is to mix the ingredients. What is mixing ingredients? It means mixing the powders you have ground together in proportion. You can’t mix them casually, the proportions must be accurate. If you don’t mix them well, the bricks will not be resistant to burning. Generally speaking, materials with high aluminum content can resist high temperatures if added more; materials with high silicon content can make the bricks harder. After mixing well, you can proceed to the next step.
After mixing these powders evenly, you have to add some water to make them into mud. Adding water also needs to be careful, too much water is not good, and too little water is not good. Too much water will make the bricks not strong when they are formed; too little water will make them difficult to mix evenly. Therefore, the amount of water must be just right. After mixing it into mud, you have to let it sit for a while, so that the materials can be better mixed and the bricks made will be more durable.
After the mud is mixed, it is time to put it into the mold. Putting it into the mold is also a delicate job. It must be pressed firmly, otherwise there will be gaps in the bricks. If there are too many gaps, the refractory bricks will not be resistant to burning. After pressing, it has to be left for a while. It cannot be burned immediately. It has to be allowed to dry so that it is not easy to crack when burning.
There are also some particulars for burning refractory bricks. The fire must be enough! If the fire is too small, it will not burn through and the bricks will not be strong; if the fire is too big, it will crack easily. Therefore, when burning, the temperature must be controlled well, and it usually takes thousands of degrees to burn through. Some bricks have higher requirements and must be burned at higher temperatures. After burning, you have to check carefully to see if there are any cracks or crooked ones, and you have to pick them out.
Finally, the bricks are all burned, and they have to be packaged and loaded and taken away. These bricks are generally used in places with high temperatures, such as steel mills, glass factories, etc. The fire in those places is very strong, so the bricks must be particularly strong and fire-resistant to withstand the heat.
Refractory bricks are made. They look simple, but there is a lot of knowledge in them. Every step must be taken seriously. Only by following the steps can you make durable bricks. Otherwise, the bricks will have to be replaced in a few days, which is a big trouble.
To summarize:
Material selection: Refractory materials must be able to withstand high temperatures, such as clay, aluminum ore, quartz, magnesia, etc.
Grinding: All materials must be ground into powder. The finer the powder, the stronger the brick.
Ingredients: Mix the ground powder according to the proportion, add water and stir into mud.
Mold assembly: The stirred mud must be compacted, put into the mold to form, and wait until it is completely dry before firing.
Firing: The temperature must be controlled well. Usually, the high temperature of thousands of degrees can fire the refractory bricks.
Inspection: The fired bricks must be inspected, and cracked and damaged ones must be picked out.
Packaging: Finally, pack them and prepare for shipment.
Although refractory bricks may not look very impressive, they are extremely important in high temperature environments.
