Tuesday, 5 February 2008

IBSTOCK BRICK FACTORY VISIT: BIRMINGHAM AND WALSALL





We visited the Ibstock brick factory in Staffordshire where blue bricks are made. These bricks are also called engineering bricks as they have a very hard surface and a high crushing strength. The bricks are made from the local red clay to which a small amount of Manganese (Mn) is added. When fired in the long "drive-through" kiln at about 1120 degrees C in a low-oxygen atmosphere (induced by adding carbon monoxide) they turn into deep blue coloured bricks.

IBSTOCK BRICKS WEBSITE
WALSALL ART GALLERY WEBSITE

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