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  • Pyrolite Fire Bricks

    Hello Everyone,

    I am about to embark on building a Pizza oven and am very excited about getting stuck in. I live in New Zealand and the costs of Clay Fire bricks here is a bit crazy I have various quotes but nothing under $4.50 NZD (Approx $3.70 USD) a brick and thats for seconds. I have found a manufacturer of what they call Pyrolite and they make these in the regualr fire brick size but also to pretty much any size you want. For a standard firebrick they charge $2.50 NZD. This is what they claim

    230 x 115 x 75mm
    (50 x bricks for auction)
    Weight: 2.4Kgs ea

    Ideal for wood fires, pizza ovens, BBQ's, fire place linings, free standing fire places, umu's, hobby kilns, thermal walls and insulation.


    * Compare our price ONLY $2.50ea!
    * Will heat quicker (use less fuel) than ovens of clay brick construction, and hold sufficient heat suitable for domestic cooking purposes (Temps in excess of 500 C recorded within x 2 hours. Temps at dome centre est circa 1000 C )
    * Light and easy to work with.

    Customers throughout NZ have found this product excellent value for money and brilliant for building pizza ovens and the like.

    They also have a picture of one that they say they heated to 1000F and put straight into cold water and no deformation or, degradation occured.

    Has anyone heard of such things? Is it all to good to be true? The price is attracting me as I could save a lot getting these instead.

    Thanks

  • #2
    Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

    It looks suspiciously like a concrete paver, which will not work. Can you find out what they are made of?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

      Hello temata,

      It appears that the bricks lack thermal mass when compared to a full size fire brick. A fire brick made of clay and refractory materials should weigh roughly 3.5kg. Lighter bricks are used for insulating kilns.

      I'd be suspicious of any claim of "hold sufficient heat suitable for domestic cooking....." If that is what you want then go for it, but I'd hold out for real fire brick that is proven to hold heat for hours or days after a firing. Just my opinion.

      Cheers,

      Cheers,
      Bob

      Here is the link to my oven number 1 construction photos!

      Here is the link to my oven number 2 construction photos!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

        Hi TemaTa,
        This product sounds interesting. Try to find out more information from the manufacturer. It could be that they are more suitable than clay bricks for our application. Firebricks are designed to withstand much higher temps than we use, but they don't like the rapid heating that we give them. Ie 300 C /Hr In industry they don't push the refractory like this. The rapid heating and resulting Uneven expansion is not good for the material. If it were me I think I'd be inclined to give them a shot. They are a little bit less dense than firebrick, but not by much and you could always add a little more thermal mass over the dome.
        Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

          It looks suspiciously like a concrete paver
          yes, but with fireclay added maybe? Ring an existing customer that can substantiate the manufacturer's durability claims. Sounds too good to be true!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

            Good old Google.

            Pyrolite? - Rex Materials Group

            Its made of ceramic fibre so is an insulator.

            Edit: and here it is.
            Originally posted by temata View Post
            Ideal for wood fires, pizza ovens, BBQ's, fire place linings, free standing fire places, umu's, hobby kilns, thermal walls and insulation.
            Last edited by brickie in oz; 06-25-2011, 03:00 PM.
            The English language was invented by people who couldnt spell.

            My Build.

            Books.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

              [QUOTE=brickie in oz;115792]Good old Google.

              Pyrolite? - Rex Materials Group

              "Its made of ceramic fibre so is an insulator."

              Good find Brickie.
              However, just because it contains ceramic fibre does not make it an insulator. Glass insulating fibres are used to make fiberglass insulating bats, but can also be used to make reinforcing for concrete, which is definitely not an insulator. It is the air surrounding the material that creates the insulation. I think this product sounds good and if I had access to some I'd love to try them. These manufacturers seem to know their stuff and presumably have created a suitable product.
              Last edited by david s; 06-25-2011, 04:30 PM.
              Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                The density of these bricks is way too high for them to be classed as an insulator.
                Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                  I have been in touch with a guy here in NZ that does training course on how to make brick pizza ovens and he thinks that they would not hold heat and he would be inclined to stick with th tried and true. I still trying to track down somone that has used them to see if they are happy.

                  Here is a link to the same company with a bit more info on what they are made of


                  PIZZA OVEN/BBQ/INCINERATOR BASE(S) | Trade Me

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                    It sounds to me like they are using an insulating castable. Sounds a bit backwards to me. I think it's better to use a dense material facing your fire and insulation behind it. But maybe their system works. They are describing a material that is different to the bricks.
                    Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                      Guys, they are insulating bricks.
                      Ceramic fibre composition, appear very porous, lack any weight. Which part do you not understand????
                      Dont use them, they will not work. Have a look at the photo after water immersion, they look like sponges.
                      Last edited by Johnny the oven man; 06-26-2011, 05:43 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                        Originally posted by stoveup View Post
                        It looks suspiciously like a concrete paver, which will not work. Can you find out what they are made of?
                        They appear to be too dark to have much alumina in them....You want a good proportion of alumina.
                        Lee B.
                        DFW area, Texas, USA

                        If you are thinking about building a brick oven, my advice is Here.

                        I try to learn from my mistakes, and from yours when you give me a heads up.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                          Originally posted by temata View Post

                          Here is a link to the same company with a bit more info on what they are made of
                          If you can hold them in your hand with a blow torch on the other side like in pic 4 of the link then they are definitely insulating bricks.

                          Just get some solid bricks for the oven if you cant find firebricks at a reasonable price.
                          The English language was invented by people who couldnt spell.

                          My Build.

                          Books.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Pyrolite Fire Bricks

                            Thanks everyone,

                            I will avoid them.

                            Comment

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