Firstly, in terms of material properties, refractory castables have a certain degree of plasticity and can be directly poured without the need for preparation. On the contrary, refractory brick products need to be processed by pressing or extruding during the preparation process. Therefore, refractory castables are more suitable for complex shapes and structures, while refractory brick products are suitable for building structures with relatively fixed specifications and sizes.

       Secondly, in terms of construction difficulty and efficiency, refractory castables are superior to refractory brick products. Due to the direct pouring of refractory castables, large-scale construction can be completed in a relatively short period of time, while refractory brick products require certain processing and splicing, resulting in a longer construction period. Moreover, refractory castables have good castability and can fully fill small gaps and voids, thereby better protecting the structure. However, fire-resistant brick products are difficult to completely fill some very small gaps due to their shape and size limitations.

        The share of refractory castables continues to increase in all application fields of refractory materials. However, certain application areas still belong exclusively to refractory brick products. The so-called functional refractory materials are a typical example. Refractory bricks dominate in this field. For example, functional refractory materials play a role in controlling steel flow during continuous casting processes. In most cases where alkaline refractory lining is used (dolomite, magnesia, magnesia carbon, magnesia chrome), refractory brick products are preferred for refractory materials. These materials belong to the lining of converters, slag line bricks of ladles, furnace walls of electric furnaces, firing and transition zones of cement rotary kilns, and furnace linings for smelting non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc, etc.). Usually, traditional habits play a decisive role, which is why refractory brick products are still used for furnace linings designed according to tradition.

       Recently, refractory castables have not only been used to manufacture new amorphous refractory linings, but also extensively used for repairing and maintaining refractory linings in service. There are various construction methods for refractory castables, including pouring with and without vibration (self flowing material), spraying, pounding, and pressing. Some construction methods have become and will continue to be the main construction methods for refractory castables. According to traditional methods, refractory castables are used as the bottom of traditional electric arc furnaces (alkaline refractory materials), gun mud, blast furnace iron trenches, and some repair and maintenance materials. In some cases, complex shaped products have been replaced by amorphous refractory materials, resulting in composite linings.  

From the perspective of construction costs, the cost of refractory castables is relatively lower. Because the raw material price of refractory castables is relatively low, and the production process is simple, it can be mass-produced, thereby achieving better economic benefits. However, fire-resistant brick products require more manpower and material resources for processing and splicing, resulting in relatively higher costs.