The continuous operation of a furnace, kiln, boiler, foundry equipment, heat treatment furnace, or any other industrial heating unit at very high temperatures requires that ordinary construction materials cannot provide sufficient protection. It is therefore important to use refractory materials. Fire bricks are materials that have been specially designed to withstand high temperatures while remaining strong and resistant to thermal shock, protecting surrounding equipment. There may be various materials which would be required in various industrial applications depending on the industry, including dense fire bricks, clay fire bricks, high alumina fire bricks, insulating fire bricks, refractory castables, mortars, etc. It is not just because a material is labeled as "fire brick" that it is selected; other considerations include the amount of alumina in it, its density, porosity, refractoriness, mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and chemical conditions. Industrial suppliers normally categorize products based on their thermal duty, compositions, and application. For example, there are commercially available IS-6 and IS-8 grades for various duties and high alumina grades for higher temperatures.
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