Refractories utilized in cremation units must withstand conditions of high heat, alkali attack, mechanical wear, and thermal cycling. The most aggressive wear area in a cremation unit is on the floor directly under the unit’s primary burner, where flame impingement and temperature variation will be greatest. As this area wears, the high-alkaline fluids of the cremation process will puddle below the burner, leading to further penetration of the refractory materials.

A wide range of floor refractory products can be used with good success depending upon the level of cremation work performed and the service life desired. Popular products include 60 percent alumina monolithics such as MIZZOU^® CASTABLE PLUS and andalusite-containing castables such as VERSAFLOW^® 57A PLUS. Crematory walls are typically brick construction using firebrick products like CLIPPER^® DP.