Fireclay

Fireclay, a special kind of clay capable of resisting the action of fire. It is much used where protection from such action is desirable, and firebricks of various kinds are employed extensively in furnaces, chimneys, etc., that are composed chiefly of fire-clay. It is found in thin beds in the coal measures, occurring in most places where coal is obtainable. The chief British centres of supply are in the neighbourhood of Stourbridge in Worcestershire, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Gartsherrie near Glasgow, and Poole in Dorsetshire. Stourbridge fire-clay is largely exported.