Housing and Refractory Brick

Ceramic Raw Materials for Housing Brick and Refractory Brick Production

Housing brick and refractory brick manufacturers need ceramic raw materials that can support efficient processing, reliable forming and consistent fired performance. Production often begins with locally sourced shale clays, which are typically harder and less plastic than other clay minerals but can often be used with limited formulation adjustment.

Manufacturers must manage crushing, grinding, water blending, extrusion, cutting, drying and firing while maintaining body consistency, dimensional control and finished appearance. For refractory brick, the requirements are even more demanding, because the finished product must withstand high-temperature service conditions in kilns, furnaces and other thermal processing environments.

Technical Challenges in Fired Brick and Refractory Brick Manufacturing

In housing brick and refractory brick production, body formulation must support both efficient processing and dependable fired performance.

Common technical needs include:

Forming behavior for extrusion, cutting and shape retention.

Plasticity adjustment when harder shale clays need improved workability.

Drying control to reduce cracking, warping or handling issues.

Firing response to support strength, color, density and dimensional consistency.

Surface appearance when an engobe is applied after extrusion to change the outer face color.

Thermal durability for refractory brick used in high-temperature ceramic or industrial environments.

Explore our full portfolio of products

STARCAST®

Ceramic Casting Kaolin

GRANUSIL®

High-Performance Industrial Silica

SPECTRUM®

High Alkali Ceramic Flux

VANTAGE®

High-Plasticity Clay

Materials and Formulas

Clay source, product type, forming method and firing cycle all influence brick formulation. Additional ceramic minerals can help adjust workability, appearance and fired performance when needed. The right material balance depends on the clay source, brick type, forming method, firing temperature and finished performance goals.

BALL CLAY
Ball clays can enhance plasticity and workability in shale-based bodies to improve forming performance.

FLUXES
Fluxes can influence vitrification, fired density and maturation, depending on the firing cycle and body composition.

KAOLINS
Kaolins can be used in body adjustments or engobe formulations where color, mineralogy or surface appearance matters.

SILICA
Silica can act as a filler or structural mineral, helping adjust body texture, fired behavior and formulation economics.

Covia Support to Meet Your Brick Formulation Challenges

Covia offers ceramic raw materials for manufacturers working with fired brick bodies, engobe systems and refractory brick formulations. Covia also supports ceramic manufacturers with technical expertise, customer service, packaging options and logistics capabilities to help align raw material selection with production requirements.