Refractory people are difficult to deal with or control, for example because they are unwilling to obey orders. refractory priests who refused to side with the king. = recalcitrant. adj. Material that is not deformed or damaged by high temperatures, used to make crucibles, incinerators, insulation, and furnaces, particularly metallurgical furnaces. Refractories are produced in several forms: molded bricks of various shapes, bulk granular materials, plastic mixtures consisting of moistened aggregates that are rammed into place, castables composed of dry aggregates and a binder that can be mixed with water and poured like concrete, and mortars and cements for laying brickwork
Non-metallic materials suitable for use at high temperatures; usually composed of aluminas, silicas, etc
A ceramic material used in high-temperature structures and equipment; potentially vulnerable to damage when used in ultra-high-power transformers in steel plants (Source: Mintzer, 1992)