They measure different things and are frequently confused. Softening point is a property of the glass itself, describing where the material begins to lose structure. Refractoriness is a performance measurement, describing the temperature at which a shaped sample deforms under its own weight with no load applied.

For refractory applications, refractoriness is the more meaningful figure because it describes behaviour rather than composition. Our chopped yarn has a refractoriness of not less than 1580 degrees Celsius, which is the recognised threshold for classifying a material as refractory rather than merely heat resistant.

It depends on your process rather than on your temperature. Cut length is the main variable controlling how evenly the fibre disperses, and the right figure differs substantially between wet forming, dry mixing, needling and injection moulding.

A length that disperses beautifully in one process will clump or bridge in another. Tell us what you are making and how the fibre enters the process, and we will recommend a length rather than supply a default that may work against you.

Not usually, because they solve different problems. Continuous fibre carries load along its length and is specified where directional strength matters. Chopped fibre is specified where the reinforcement needs to distribute through a matrix in all directions.

If your application currently uses continuous fibre and you are considering chopped as a cost saving, look carefully at whether the strength is directional. If it is, the substitution will underperform regardless of how good the chopped fibre is.

In reducing atmospheres, such as those inside blast furnaces and certain petrochemical reactors, carbon monoxide can penetrate a porous refractory material and deposit solid carbon inside it. That carbon expands and cracks the lining from within.

The reason this failure mode catches operators out is that it is invisible from the surface. A lining can look sound while being progressively destroyed internally, until it fails without obvious warning. If your process involves a reducing atmosphere, this resistance is not an optional extra.

The same base fibre chemistry, at 96 percent SiO2 or above, but presented completely differently. The cloth is woven fabric for insulation and protection applications. The chopped yarn is cut fibre for dispersion through a matrix.

They are rarely alternatives to one another. If you are covering a surface or wrapping a component, you want the cloth. If you are reinforcing or bulking a material you are manufacturing yourself, you want the chopped yarn.

Yes, and for this product we strongly recommend it. Dispersion behaviour is difficult to predict from a specification sheet, and the only reliable test is running the material on your own line.

Tell us the process when you request a sample so we can supply the cut length most likely to suit it. A sample in the wrong cut length tells you very little except that the wrong cut length does not work.

Batch consistency matters more in chopped yarn than in almost anything else we produce, because our customers are feeding it into continuous production. A batch that behaves differently from the last one does not just underperform, it disrupts a production run.

We maintain consistent SiO2 purity and cut quality across batches for exactly that reason. If your quality process requires batch level documentation, request it at the quotation stage and we will supply it with the goods.

High silica is hydration stable, so it does not degrade through reaction with atmospheric moisture the way some refractory materials do. That is a genuine advantage for buyers holding stock rather than consuming deliveries immediately.

Packaging still matters for handling and contamination rather than for chemical stability. Tell us your storage conditions and volumes and we will specify packaging accordingly.

It depends on whether you need a standard or custom specification. A custom cut length or diameter needs its own production run, which raises both the minimum and the lead time compared with something we already produce.

Tell us the specification and your rough annual volume and we will confirm the exact figure with your quotation. If you are trialling first, say so, and we will treat the trial quantity separately from the production requirement.

No. High silica chopped yarn is non-asbestos, environmentally friendly and pollution free. It is a manufactured inorganic glass fibre with the non silica oxides chemically removed.

This matters increasingly as older refractory fibres face restriction in various markets. If your customers or regulators require documentation on composition, request it at the quotation stage.

Some of them. We produce nano-microporous insulation board and fiberglass needle mat ourselves, alongside a full range of high silica woven and coated products.

If you are currently buying chopped yarn to make something we already produce, it is worth comparing the two routes. Sometimes manufacturing in house is the right answer and sometimes buying finished is, and we would rather have that conversation openly than quote you fibre for a product you could simply purchase.

Payment is normally by T/T, structured as a deposit with the balance settled before shipment. We confirm the exact split with your quotation.

EXW, FOB, CIF and DAP terms are all available, so you can pick whichever fits how your freight is already arranged. If you have a nominated forwarder we will work with them directly.