Fireclay brick - what is it?
For manufacturing high-quality materials are used - powder-chamotte and ground refractory clay, merging and firing at high temperature. The quality of raw materials determines the future strength characteristics of the material. Apply brick chamotte in the industry and in places where masonry is exposed to alkalis and acids. There is no material that can replace this brick when laying the stoves, because it gives the opportunity to quickly and well warm up any room.
It is issued not only in a rectangular shape, but also complex. And this allows you to build from it intricate and complex designs. In addition, there are different brands of fireclay bricks, but more on this later. It can always be decorated with tiles or refractory tiles. Appearance has a sand tint, and its surface is rough, which gives it the effect of the solar surface. So it's safe to say that this is not only practical material, but also decorative.
Main characteristics of fireclay bricks
Fireclay bricks have the following advantages:
- withstands temperatures up to 1800 ° C;
- high thermal inertia( slowly heats up and cools long);
- high heat capacity( accumulates heat in itself);
- resistant to temperature differences;
- resistance to environmental influences.
The drawbacks of this material include:
- can not be cut due to strength;
- has a difference in size by 1 cm;
- price is higher than that of red brick.
Fireclay bricks are divided by porosity into such types: especially dense, dense, medium-dense, high-density, compacted, highly porous, ultra-lightweight and light-brick chamotte brick.
Stamps: what do they stand for?
In addition to porosity, the materials are divided into grades depending on the temperature of application and the physicochemical composition: SHAKE, SB, SHUS, PV, SHA, SHV, PB.In everyday life, more often for construction, a type is used that is marked with the letter "Ш", and the following designations indicate dimensions, for example, chamotte brick Ш-8 - 250х124х65.The elements are produced not only in a straight form, but also in a wedge shape. They are used for the laying of semicircular arches and other structures of rounded forms.
There is also a conditional segregation for use: ША and ШБ - general bricks( for example, chamotte brick ША-8), ШКУ - ladle, ШПД - blast-furnace, ШАВ - ваграночные, and ШЦУ - end bilateral.
The most common in private construction are refractory bricks for general use, that is, ShA and SB.Out of these, furnace furnaces and fireplaces are laid out. Unlike SB, having the Al203 content( 28%), the SA contain a higher quantity - 30%.This means that the chamotte brick SHA-5 has a fire resistance of not less than 1690 ° C. But the firebrick brick SB-8 has an index of refractoriness of 1650 ° C with other equal values of porosity.
It should be noted that during the laying, it is necessary that the elements are well stitched, then the seams will be the thinnest. A brick of chamotte ШБ-5 or any other such marking needs to be fastened with a solution consisting of refractory clay, which is mixed with crushed refractory brick.
This building material has earned its popularity due to its specific versatility and use in various areas of construction and industry. Simple production technology and relative cheapness make it an affordable material for laying fireplaces and stoves.