Where are fireclay bricks used in blast furnaces and coke ovens?

Fireclay bricks, also known as firebricks, are essential refractory materials used to line the interiors of blast furnaces, blast-furnace stoves, and coke ovens.1

In the context of blast furnace construction, these bricks are utilized for the lining of the furnace's upper sections. While the hearth and bosh—areas subjected to the highest temperatures and the corrosive action of molten iron and slag—are typically lined with carbon bricks, fireclay bricks are used for the remainder of the lining. Specifically, the alumina content of the firebrick is tailored to the section of the furnace: bricks containing approximately 45 percent alumina are used for the stack, while those with higher alumina content (up to 63 percent) are employed in the bosh parallel.2