Kyanite is a super-duty refractory material with very high resistance to thermal shock. It is widely employed in insulating brick, kiln furniture, refractory shapes, etc. and in body formulations used in porcelain, tile bodies, and casting mixes. The material reduces fired shrinkage, increases mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance and allows products to be made with thinner walls, better resistance to dunting, deformation and chipping. Kyanite's long jagged particles tend to form an interlocking no-shrink crystal matrix (like a felt) in bodies fired to low heat (potters use it up to 30% in raku bodies). Its large grain sizes make an excellent high temperature grog. It is volume stable and has excellent hot load strength. Because of its expansion characteristics it makes an excellent crack filler.