High Alumina Brick
Matched to Your Furnace Zone
Al₂O₃ 48–85%, service temperature up to 1790°C. Engineered for blast furnaces, hot blast stoves, cement kilns, ladle lining, and glass tanks. Five grades for different zones — because one alumina level doesn't fit every application.
"High Alumina" Is Not a Specification — It's a Category with Five Grades
$50K–$200K Emergency
Cost of emergency relining when high alumina brick fails prematurely in a blast furnace hot blast stove — including production downtime, crane rental, and rushed material. (Steel mill case)
Al₂O₃ Mismatch
Using 55% alumina brick in a 1550°C zone designed for 75% alumina. Result: brick softens under load, causing bulging and collapse. Generic suppliers don't guide zone selection. (Failure analysis)
Thermal Shock Cracking
Standard high alumina brick in rapid heating/cooling cycles (ladle preheater, hot blast stove) develops cracks within weeks. Anti-spalling grades cost 15% more but last 3× longer. (Comparative data)
Batch Inconsistency
Al₂O₃ content varies 48–58% in "55% grade" from volume suppliers. This causes unpredictable expansion rates, creating gaps or crushing stress in the same lining. (QC lab analysis)
Five Al₂O₃ Levels. Dozens of Furnace Zones.
We Map Them for You.
High alumina brick spans from 48% to 85% Al₂O₃, with different refractoriness, thermal shock resistance, and alkali attack profiles. The right grade depends on your furnace type and zone — not on what's in stock.
| Industry / Furnace | Zone | Temperature | Recommended | Why This Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blast Furnace | Shaft upper section | 900–1200°C | HAB-48 | Alkali vapor resistance, moderate refractoriness |
| Shaft lower section | 1200–1400°C | HAB-55 | Balance of thermal + alkali resistance | |
| Bosh area | 1400–1600°C | HAB-65 | High refractoriness, slag contact | |
| Hot Blast Stove | Combustion chamber | 1350–1500°C | HAB-65 Anti-spall | Rapid temp cycling, thermal shock critical |
| Checker brick | 1200–1400°C | HAB-55 / HAB-65 | Heat storage, moderate alkali attack | |
| Cement Rotary Kiln | Preheater section | 800–1100°C | HAB-48 Alkali-res | Volatile attack from raw meal |
| Feed end | 1100–1300°C | HAB-55 | Moderate temp, alkali environment | |
| Steel Ladle | Slag line | 1550–1650°C | HAB-85 (or Mag-C) | Severe slag corrosion, highest temp |
| Sidewall / bottom | 1500–1600°C | HAB-75 / HAB-85 | High temp, moderate slag exposure | |
| Glass Tank | Superstructure | 1400–1550°C | HAB-75 Sillimanite | Alkali vapor, thermal shock, crown load |
Not sure which grade fits your application? Tell us your furnace type and we'll recommend the right brick →
Steel Industry
- Blast Furnace ShaftHAB-48 / 55
- BF BoshHAB-65
- Hot Blast StoveHAB-65 AS
- Ladle LiningHAB-75 / 85
Cement Industry
- PreheaterHAB-48 AR
- Feed EndHAB-55
- Transition ZoneHAB-75
- Cooler LiningHAB-55 / 65
Glass & Other
- Glass SuperstructureHAB-75
- Aluminum FurnaceHAB-65 / 75
- IncineratorHAB-55 / 65
- Ceramic KilnHAB-48 / 55
High Volume ≠ High Quality Control
The high alumina brick market is flooded with volume suppliers who ship "55% grade" that tests anywhere from 48–58%. Vuulcan sources from Zibo heritage producers with tighter QC — not Henan volume mills.
HAB Series — High Alumina Refractory Brick
Five Grades for Different Furnace Zones
High alumina brick from 48% to 85% Al₂O₃ content. Higher alumina = higher refractoriness and slag resistance, but also higher cost. Match the grade to your zone requirements — not overkill, not underspec.
| Grade | Al₂O₃ | Fe₂O₃ | Density | CCS | RUL* | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAB-48 | ≥48% | ≤2.5% | 2.25 g/cm³ | ≥45 MPa | ≥1420°C | BF shaft, cement preheater |
| HAB-55 | ≥55% | ≤2.3% | 2.35 g/cm³ | ≥55 MPa | ≥1450°C | Hot blast stove, ladle bottom |
| HAB-65 | ≥65% | ≤2.0% | 2.45 g/cm³ | ≥65 MPa | ≥1500°C | BF bosh, kiln transition |
| HAB-75 | ≥75% | ≤1.5% | 2.55 g/cm³ | ≥75 MPa | ≥1550°C | Ladle sidewall, glass tank |
| HAB-85 | ≥85% | ≤1.0% | 2.70 g/cm³ | ≥90 MPa | ≥1650°C | Ladle slag line (critical) |
* RUL = Refractoriness Under Load (0.2 MPa). Temperature at which brick begins to deform under pressure.
Standard shapes: Straight 230×114×65mm (9"×4.5"×2.5") · Arch / Wedge / Custom
Compliance: ASTM C27 · GB/T 2988 · ISO 10081-1
Special Grades Available
Need a Lower-Cost Alternative?
Consider Fireclay Brick.
For applications where operating temperature stays below 1350°C and chemical attack is moderate, standard fireclay brick (SK30–SK36) can deliver acceptable performance at a significantly lower cost per ton.
Fireclay brick uses naturally occurring clay minerals with Al₂O₃ content between 30–45%. It's a proven solution for non-critical kiln zones, flue linings, backup layers, and general-purpose furnace construction.
However, fireclay brick should not be used where high alumina grades are specified — transition zones, slag contact areas, and any application above 1400°C will see rapid degradation with fireclay.
Not sure which grade you need? Tell us your application and operating conditions — we'll recommend the right material, whether that's high alumina or fireclay.
| Property | Fireclay (SK32) | High Alumina (HA-65) |
|---|---|---|
| Al₂O₃ | 38–42% | ≥ 65% |
| Max Service Temp | 1350°C | 1550°C |
| CCS | ≥ 30 MPa | ≥ 70 MPa |
| Slag Resistance | Low–Moderate | High |
| Thermal Shock | Moderate | Good–Excellent |
| Cost Position | 30–50% lower | Standard |
| Best For | Backup, flue, non-critical | Hot face, slag zones |
Fireclay brick available as part of our Zibo cluster sourcing. Not recommended as a substitute in zones where high alumina is specified by the kiln designer or EPC engineer.
HAB-85 grade for highest refractoriness zones
vs. ±5% typical from volume suppliers
48% to 85% Al₂O₃, plus AS/AR/LC variants
Cluster-direct scheduling from Zibo, FOB Qingdao
Before the Brand
Came the Kiln Line.
Vuulcan Refractories was founded by a team that grew up inside Zibo's refractory manufacturing industry. We did not enter refractories from the market side — we entered the market from inside the industry. Our experience began on production lines, beside kilns, raw material systems, and quality control laboratories. Over 20 years of manufacturing experience shaped how we evaluate materials, select production partners, and engineer refractory systems for demanding thermal environments.
High-alumina brick production has been a core capability of Zibo's refractory cluster for decades. The region's access to quality bauxite feedstock, established tunnel kiln infrastructure, and deep experience with alumina-silica firing regimes make it one of China's strongest production bases for dense refractory brick. Our understanding of high-alumina products comes from this manufacturing environment — where the critical variables are not just alumina percentage, but how that percentage performs under load at operating temperature.
Today, Vuulcan operates as a cluster-backed brand — matching each application to the right production partner within Zibo's qualified manufacturing network. Vuulcan owns the engineering interface and quality oversight. The cluster provides the manufacturing depth.
Credentials That Follow Every Shipment
Every high alumina brick order from Vuulcan includes Al₂O₃ verification, dimensional inspection, and RUL testing per ASTM C27 — so your QA team knows exactly what's going into the lining.
High Alumina Brick Works Best as Part of a System
HAB provides the structural hot face. Where thermal cycling demands flexibility, castable fills irregular geometry and joints. Where energy savings are the priority, ceramic fiber insulates the outer shell.
Low Cement Castable
LCC and ULCC for areas where brick geometry cannot seal — arches, transitions, repair patches. Al₂O₃ 60–90%, compatible with HAB backup systems.
View LCC SpecificationsCeramic Fiber Blanket
1260–1430°C rated fiber blanket for the outermost shell. 92% lighter than brick — reduces shell temperature and heat loss behind your HAB working lining.
View CFB SpecificationsFrom Inquiry to Delivered Brick — 4 Steps
Inquiry & Scoping
Share your furnace type, zone, operating temperature, and volume. We respond within 6 hours with initial grade recommendations.
Application Matching
Our engineer maps your furnace zones and recommends the right HAB grade for each — with anti-spalling or alkali-resistant variants where needed.
Sample & Validation
Sample bricks shipped for your inspection. Full COA with Al₂O₃, RUL, CCS, and dimensional data included.
Production & Delivery
Cluster-direct production from Zibo with QC tracking. Full containers shipped FOB Qingdao or CIF destination with batch COA.
Tell Us About Your Furnace
Share your furnace specification and we will respond within 6 hours with application-matched HAB grade recommendations and FOB pricing.