Abstract
From an historical introduction to brickmaking, the development of the Dinas refractory silica brick, its creation by William Weston Young and its usage in blast furnaces and ore smelting in the industrial revolution is reviewed. The singular properties of silica bricks and the interpretation of their properties from chemical analyses are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
G. Agricola, De Re Metallica, Libri XII (J. Froben & N. Episcopius, Basel, 1556)
M.A. Alnawafleh, Mechanical and physical properties of silica bricks produced from local materials. Aust. J. Basic Appl. Sci. 3, 418–423 (2009)
J.A. Anderson, Derby Porcelain and the Early English Fine Ceramic Industry. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leicester, UK, October, 2000
V. Biringuccio, Li Diece Libri Della Pirotechnia, Nelli Quali Si Tratta non Solo la Diursite Delle Minere, 1st edn., P. Gironimo Gigli, Venice, 1550 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1996)
H. Chester, Refractories, Properties and their Applications (Iron and Steel Institute, London, 1973)
L.W. Dillwyn, Notes on the Experimental Production of Swansea Porcelain Bodies and Glazes. Made by Lewis Weston Dillwyn with Samuel Walker at the Swansea China Works Between 1815 and 1817. Presented to the Library of the Victoria &Albert Museum, South Kensington, London by John Campbell in 1920. Reproduced in Eccles & Rackham, Analysed Specimens of English Porcelain, 1922, see reference below
H. Eccles, B. Rackham, Analysed Specimens of English Porcelain in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1922)
H.G.M. Edwards, Swansea and Nantgarw Porcelains: A Scientific Reappraisal (Springer, Dordrecht, 2017)
H.G.M. Edwards, Nantgarw and Swansea Porcelains: An Analytical Perspective (Springer, Dordrecht, 2018)
H.G.M. Edwards, P. Colomban, to be published (2019)
G. Grant-Francis, The Smelting of Copper in the Swansea District from the Time of Elizabeth to the Present Day:1881 (H. Sotheran & Co., London & Manchester, 1881)
K, Hudson, Building Materials: Bricks and Tiles (Longmans, London, 1972), pp. 28–42
H. Insley, A.A. Klein, Constitution and Microstructure of Silica Brick and Changes Involved through Repeated Burnings at High Temperatures, Department of Commerce Technologic Papers of the National Bureau of Standards, No. 124 Government Printing Office, Washington, July 11, 1919
R. Jenkins, The silica brick and its inventor, William Weston Young, 1776–1847. Trans. Newcomen Soc. XXII(1), 139–147 (1942)
F.L. Knapp, Chemical Technology: Chemistry in its Application to the Arts & Manufactures, ed. and trans. by T. Richardson, H. Baillie (London, 1848)
P. Mohanty, N. Singh, D. Smith, Silica—a critical study. Refract. J. 12, 5–9 (1986)
E.M. Nance, The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw (Batsford, London, 1942)
M.J. Owen, The Dinas silica brick. Silicon 6, 91–92 (2014)
J.V. Owen and M.L. Morrison, Sagged phosphatic Nantgarw porcelain (ca. 1813–1820): Casualty of overfiring or a fertile paste. Geoarchaeology, 14, 313–332 (1999)
J. Percy, Metallurgy: The Art of Extracting Metals from their Ores, and Adapting Them to Various Purposes of Manufacture of Fuel, Fire Clays, Copper, Zinc, Brass, Etc. (J. Murray, London, 1861)
D.W. Ross, Silica Refractories: Factors Affecting their Quality and Methods of Testing the Raw Materials and Finished Ware, Department of Commerce Technologic Paper of the Bureau of Standards, No. 116, Issued April 19th, 1929 (Government Printing Office, Washington, USA, 1929)
T. Savery, The Miner’s Friend: Or, An Engine to raise Water by Fire Described and of the Manner of Fixing it in Mines (S. Crouch, London, 1702)
J. Taylor, The Complete Practical Potter (Shelton, Stoke-upon-Trent, 1847)
W. Turner, The Ceramics of Swansea and Nantgarw (Bemrose & Sons, Old Bailey, London, 1897)
G. White, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne and a Garden Kalendar (White Cochrane & Co., London, 1813)
W.W. Young, The Diaries of William Weston Young, 1776–1847 (1802–1843), 30 vols., West Glamorgan Archive Service, Swansea, SA1 3SN. https://arcgiveshub.jisc.sc.uk/data/gb216-d/dxch/ddxch/i/hub
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Edwards, H.G.M. (2019). The Dinas Refractory Silica Brick. In: Porcelain to Silica Bricks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10573-0_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10573-0_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10572-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10573-0
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)