The primary difference between red brick and blue brick lies in their manufacturing process, which affects their properties, strength, and resulting color.
Understanding Brick Differences
Bricks come in various colors and strengths, which are determined by the manufacturing process they undergo. This process is specifically altered to change the properties of the brick.
Manufacturing Process
- Red Bricks: Red bricks are typically the standard color of brick produced with no additional special work during firing.
- Blue Bricks: Blue bricks are fired at significantly higher temperatures and in an environment with low oxygen levels. This distinct firing process is what gives them their characteristic blue hue.
Properties and Classification
Due to the difference in manufacturing:
- Red Bricks: Are usually classified as Class A. They represent the standard strength and properties for general brickwork.
- Blue Bricks: Are usually classified as Class B. The higher firing temperature and low-oxygen environment make them even stronger than red bricks.
The variation in color is a direct result of how the clay reacts to the different firing conditions, altering the brick's composition and properties.
Here is a summary of the key differences:
| Feature | Red Brick | Blue Brick |
|---|---|---|
| Usual Class | Class A | Class B |
| Manufacturing | Standard firing, no additional work | Fired at higher temperatures with low oxygen |
| Strength | Standard | Stronger (due to higher temperature/low oxygen fire) |
| Resulting Color | Standard red | Blue |
| Reason for Color | Standard firing process | High temperature, low oxygen firing changes properties |
In essence, the specialized, high-temperature, low-oxygen firing process transforms a standard brick material into a much stronger, blue-colored brick compared to the standard red brick.
