Refractory Materials Beyond Thermal Resistance: Engineering Functionality, System Integration, and Sustainable Evolution in Advanced High-Temperature Systems — A Comprehensive Review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Refractory materials have traditionally been used as thermally stable and chemically resistant structural linings in metallurgy, energy generation, glass production, and chemical processing. They remain essential components of high-temperature industrial systems. However, increasingly demanding operating conditions, environmental restrictions, and performance requirements have shifted refractory design from an empirical, operation-oriented approach towards multifunctional, system-integrated, and sustainable solutions. This paper critically reviews the evolution of refractory materials from conventional heat-resistant ceramics to advanced high-temperature composites with tailored functional properties and engineered microstructures. The review examines mechanical load-bearing behaviour, thermomechanical and thermochemical stability, wear and corrosion resistance, thermal-shock performance, and functional transport properties. Microstructural engineering strategies including spinel bonding, grain-boundary tailoring, carbon optimisation, fibre reinforcement, and hierarchical porosity design are discussed in relation to degradation mechanisms and service-life extension. Emerging technologies, including additive manufacturing, multiscale computational modelling, materials informatics, and digital twin-based predictive maintenance, are evaluated for their potential to accelerate materials development and improve reliability. Sustainability considerations, including life-cycle assessment, recycling, energy-efficient processing, and circular-economy strategies, are also examined as drivers of future innovation. Finally, the review identifies current challenges, knowledge gaps, and research priorities for upgrading refractories from passive thermal-barrier components to smart, performance optimised elements of integrated high-temperature engineering systems.
Authors: Idi, S.U, Otanocha, O B
Language: English
Subfield: Ceramics and Composites
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225388184