Fire brick

Description

A brick made from an infusible material, such as fireclay, that can withstand high temperatures without melting or cracking. The ability of a fire brick to resist heat degradation is directly related to its alumina content. In the United States, fire brick are given pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) ratings:

- Grade 1- super duty (PCE 33),

- Grade 2 -high duty (PCE 31.5),

- Grade 3-medium heat duty (PCE 29) and

- Grade 4 -low heat duty (PCE 15).

Fire brick are used for lining furnaces, kilns, and chimneys.

Synonyms and Related Terms

brique réfractaire (Fr.); tijolo refractário (Port.);magnesia brick;

Brand names: Alamo brick; Varnon brick; Kaosil firebrick; Korundal; Chromite brick; Firecrete; Insuline; Insulbrix

Authority

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000