Some refractory companies specialize in niche areas while others carry a wide variety of refractories. These products, made for fireplaces, blast and electrical furnaces, kilns and other foundry essentials like roofs and ladles, provide protection from extremely high temperatures.

Refractory material comes in many forms, such as fire bricks designed for specific metals and temperatures, mortars and coatings offering resistance to slag and liquid metal penetration. When looking for refractory materials consider the following:

1. Select industrial refractories from a company with a wide selection of material, customer support and one-stop shopping.

2. Buy refractory material based on function and form, with discounts on large orders.

3. Work with refractory construction companies to design, build or provide work crews to get the job done.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find industrial refractories for specific furnace applications

These companies supply a wide range of furnace refractories from bricks to ceramic fiber blankets.

I recommend: Scroll down the page for product number and description that includes plastic, gunning, various types of castables and others; click “Request for Quotation” by the pallet at F. S. Sperry Co., Inc. Email or phone Able Supply Co. for specialty products, castables, plastics, ramming mixes, mortars and coatings. Buy refractories that include bricks, castables, mortar and insulating board from Northwest Iron Works; click “View Details” for prices and types.

Buy refractory bricks for large or small operations

Bricks come in many shapes and sizes suitable for iron and steel furnaces. Shapes include straight, key, skew, jam and splits among others. Composition dictates function; for example, Magnesia Alumina and Magnesia Alumina Carbon brick applications include electrical furnace, ladle, VOD and VAD. Applications for fire bricks typically made from calcined clays include glass ovens and foundry cupolas.

I recommend: Get High Duty Firebrick at Alsey Refractories Co.; click “Contact US” with inventory number. Contact a specialist for your mortar-free high temperature zirconium oxide fire bricks at Zircoa, Inc. Select straight nine-inch fireclay bricks at Refractories West, Inc.

Get refractory cement for industrial or home fireplace applications

Some of these refractory materials withstand temperatures up to 3,000 degrees and contain abrasion resistance qualities. They feature good setting and bonding characteristics. Applications include industrial, commercial and residential.

I recommend: Get #36 refractory cement for high-alumina brick at tiered discount prices for 55 lb. pails at Empire-Refractory Specialists, Inc. Go to K’s Chimney/Fresh Air, Inc for 1/2 gallon pails of buff cement for fireplace firebrick, incinerators and furnaces. Buy castable refractory cement in 12.5 lb. buckets for small jobs at NorthlineExpress.com.

Purchase castable refractories based on temperature requirements

Castable refractories withstand high temperatures with strength and resistance to abrasion. Some products cure faster, others are designed for large areas and still others provide a choice of troweling or casting.

I recommend: ARMIL C.F.S., Inc. carries insulating, chem-bonded and fireclay castable and other high temperature refractory materials; fill in the form with your questions/comments; click “Products” then “Castables & Plastics” for additional information. Buy castable mortar, kiln cement and insulating castable refractory mortar at Sheffield Pottery, Inc.

Contact refractory construction companies for business solutions

Whether your business requires installation services, repairs or demolition, these refractory companies focus on finding the right solution.

I recommend: Contact Diversified Refractory Construction, LLC for refractory installation, repairs and specialty metal fabrication. Industry Services Co., Inc. offers engineering, design, demolition and refractory shotcrete/casting services; phone or email your requests. Phone the number at the bottom to speak with TFL, Inc. for complete refractory installation services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Know the upper temperature limits for refractories to maximize longevity for your specific application. For example, typical castable refractories designate temperature limits from moderate, around 1000 degrees F, to high, around 3,400 degrees F.