Refractories are ceramic materials designed to withstand extreme temperatures above 1500°C. They are used to construct kilns, furnaces, incinerators and other heat resistant structures for a wide range of industrial applications including metallurgy, cement, glass and ceramic manufacturing. In such intense environments, despite their durability, they gradually degrade over time and all refractories have an active service life after which they are replaced or repaired to maintain thermal efficiency.

Due to the limited geographical occurrence of most virgin refractory minerals and their escalating cost, the last two decades have seen a significant growth in the infrastructure and supply chain for the recycling of refractories. Demolished kiln linings are sorted, categorised by their chemistry, crushed and screened to be re-sold in standardised forms for the production of new refractory products. Alongside their re-use in new refractories, recycled refractories can also be used as a filler or grog addition in traditional ceramics.

(O'Driscoll, 2020)