For steelmaking equipment, the most basic performance requirement of refractory materials is to ensure that they do not deform or soften during use, and maintain a certain strength. Therefore, the cold crushing strength, load softening temperature and reheating wire shrinkage of the refractory material must first be considered. Secondly, the reaction atmosphere of steelmaking equipment should be considered. The final factors to consider are the bulk density and apparent porosity of the material.

Refractory materials for electric furnaces basically use magnesia carbon bricks as the working layer material of the furnace wall. At present, the working layer of domestic refining ladles mainly uses magnesia-carbon material, magnesia-aluminum spinel, chromium corundum, etc., which have relatively stable high-temperature properties. Zirconium-mullite refractory materials can be used in the working layer of the tundish.