Material selection as an investment decision: when ceramic fibre is the right choice

Material selection is an investment decision — not a question of price. In a recent project we relined the lid of an industrial furnace with ceramic fibre modules, installed as a plug-in system, with a renewed anchor system.

What matters

• Ceramic fibre cuts energy consumption by 20–40 % compared with a conventional brick lining. Its low heat storage shortens heat-up cycles — particularly economical in cyclical temperature operation.
• The weight is only 10–15 % of a comparable brick lining. That relieves the supporting structure and shortens installation time.
• Fibre is no cure-all: where there is mechanical load, abrasion or slag attack, solid bricks or castables are the better choice.