/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1107214

Face it, bro: Everyone wants to fuck that bunny.

>>1107233

"Refractory", in this case, is simply referring to the insulating structure that keeps the heat in the furnace.

It's basically a consumable. There just isn't any material that is the right combination of heat tolerant, insulating, and durable. The high required temperatures and mechanical stress of the heating/cooling cycle degrades it over time, and its replaced as necessary.

That being said, good refractory material does last more-or-less indefinitely when working relatively low-melting-point metals (such as aluminum or zinc). Anything involved in melting any sort of iron alloy, however, will need regular maintenance.