5000°F Ceramic Coating

5000°F Ceramic Coating: The Only Temperature Rating That Matters for Industrial Refractory

Search for "high temperature ceramic coating" and you'll find page after page of products rated to 1200°F, 1500°F, maybe 2000°F. Those are automotive coatings — designed for exhaust headers, engine blocks, and brake calipers. They work fine at those temperatures. But if you're running a furnace, kiln, forge, or foundry, they're going to fail.

ITC 100HT is rated to 5000°F (2760°C). Not because we inflated the number for marketing — because it's a true refractory ceramic formulated from the same class of materials that make up the refractory linings it's designed to protect. It has been the industry standard for refractory surface protection since 1982.

Why Temperature Rating Matters

The temperature rating of a coating isn't just a specification on a data sheet — it's the line between a coating that works and one that burns off, degasses, or fails structurally.

When a coating is exposed to temperatures above its rating, several things happen. Organic binders decompose. Pigments break down. The coating oxidizes, blisters, or simply vaporizes. In a best-case scenario, you're left with a discolored, non-functional residue on your refractory. In a worst case, the decomposition products contaminate your process — metal castings, ceramic ware, glass, or heat-treated parts.

Most industrial thermal processes operate well above what automotive coatings can handle:

Heat treatment: 1400°F–2200°F — above most "high-temperature" coatings
Aluminum melting: 1300°F–1400°F — borderline for many products
Glass working: 1800°F–2400°F — well beyond automotive-grade coatings
Steel forging: 2000°F–2400°F — requires true refractory-grade protection
Foundry melting: 2600°F–3000°F+ — only ITC-class ceramics survive
Pottery and ceramics: 1800°F–2400°F (cone 06 through cone 10) — above most coatings
Specialty ceramics: 2800°F–3200°F — needs the full 5000°F rating

ITC 100HT's 5000°F rating provides a comfortable safety margin for every one of these applications. You're never operating near the edge of the coating's capability.

What Makes ITC 100HT Different from Other "High-Temp" Coatings

True Refractory Ceramic — Not a Paint

Most high-temperature coatings are silicone-based paints with ceramic fillers. The silicone binder limits their useful temperature to about 1200°F before it begins to break down. Adding ceramic particles to paint doesn't make it a ceramic coating — it makes it paint with ceramic particles.

ITC 100HT is a water-based ceramic coating in which the ceramic component is the coating. After curing at temperature, the binder burns away and the remaining ceramic matrix is a true refractory material — chemically similar to the refractory brick, castable, and fiber it's designed to protect. This is why it survives 5000°F: there's nothing in it that can decompose at those temperatures.

Emissivity Above 0.95

Emissivity measures how efficiently a surface radiates thermal energy. A perfect black body has an emissivity of 1.0. Uncoated refractory brick typically has an emissivity of 0.7–0.85, depending on composition and surface condition. ITC 100HT raises the surface emissivity above 0.95.

The practical impact: a coated refractory surface reflects radiant heat back into the furnace or kiln chamber far more efficiently than bare refractory. This is the mechanism behind the 20–30% fuel savings operators consistently report. The coating isn't just protecting the refractory — it's actively improving the thermal performance of the equipment.

Chemical and Slag Resistance

In furnace and foundry environments, refractory degradation is as much chemical as thermal. Molten metal splash, slag, flux, and combustion byproducts all attack the refractory surface. ITC 100HT creates a dense, chemically resistant barrier on the hot face, slowing the penetration of corrosive materials and extending the useful life of the refractory lining.

Bonds to Any Refractory Substrate

ITC 100HT bonds permanently to all common refractory materials: firebrick, castable refractory, ceramic fiber blanket, ceramic fiber board, silicon carbide, and mullite. It's applied as a water-based slurry that penetrates the refractory pore structure and, upon firing, forms a mechanical and chemical bond with the substrate. This is fundamentally different from paints that sit on the surface and can peel or flake.

Applications Across Industries

Foundries and Metal Casting

ITC 100HT protects the refractory linings of induction furnaces, reverberatory furnaces, ladles, tundishes, and crucibles used in aluminum, iron, steel, copper, and precious metal casting. The coating extends refractory campaign life and reduces the frequency of costly relines.

Furnaces and Heat Treatment

From small batch furnaces to large continuous heat treatment lines, ITC 100HT delivers fuel savings and refractory protection. See our detailed guide to ceramic coating for furnaces for application-specific information.

Kilns — Industrial and Studio

Pottery kilns, glass kilns, brick kilns, and industrial ceramic kilns all benefit from ITC 100HT. The coating replaces kiln wash, improves firing uniformity, and reduces energy costs. Our ceramic coating for kilns page covers kiln-specific applications in detail.

Forges and Blacksmithing

Gas and coal forges see some of the most extreme thermal cycling of any refractory application. ITC 100HT hardens the surface of ceramic fiber forge linings — preventing fiber erosion, extending lining life, and improving forge efficiency. The coating is standard equipment in the blacksmithing community for good reason.

Incinerators and Thermal Oxidizers

Waste incinerators and thermal oxidizers operate in chemically aggressive, high-temperature environments. ITC 100HT protects the refractory from the corrosive combustion byproducts while improving thermal efficiency.

Glass and Ceramic Manufacturing

Glass tank furnaces, day tanks, and ceramic firing kilns benefit from the chemical resistance and thermal efficiency improvements. The coating is inert in glass-contact applications and does not contaminate the melt.

Temperature Rating Comparison

To put ITC 100HT's 5000°F rating in context against commonly marketed "high-temperature" coatings:

Automotive header coatings: 1200°F–1500°F. Designed for exhaust systems. Will fail in any furnace or kiln application.
Exhaust/manifold paints: 1500°F–2000°F. Better, but still well below furnace operating temperatures.
Industrial "high-temp" paints: 1200°F–1800°F. Often silicone-based with ceramic fillers. Limited to low-temperature industrial applications like ductwork and stacks.
ITC 100HT: 5000°F. True refractory ceramic. Engineered for the inside of furnaces, kilns, and forges — not the outside.

If your application operates above 1500°F, you need a coating designed for refractory environments, not one adapted from automotive or general industrial use.

Proven Since 1982

ITC Coatings has manufactured refractory ceramic coatings in the United States since 1982. ITC 100HT is specified by refractory engineers, recommended by furnace and kiln manufacturers, and used in foundries, heat treatment plants, ceramic studios, and forges on every continent. It's not a startup product or a rebranded automotive coating — it's the original high-temperature refractory coating, backed by over four decades of industrial field performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ITC 100HT really rated to 5000°F?

Yes. ITC 100HT is a refractory-grade ceramic material, not a paint or polymer coating. After curing, its composition is entirely inorganic ceramic — the same class of materials used in the refractory linings themselves. There are no organic components to decompose at high temperatures. The 5000°F rating reflects the material's actual capability, not an inflated marketing number.

What's the difference between ITC 100HT and high-temp spray paint?

High-temperature spray paints are silicone- or polymer-based with the primary purpose of providing color and corrosion resistance at moderate temperatures (typically up to 1200°F). ITC 100HT is a refractory ceramic coating designed to protect refractory linings, improve thermal efficiency, and resist chemical attack at temperatures up to 5000°F. They serve fundamentally different purposes for different applications.

Do I need the full 5000°F rating if my furnace only runs at 2000°F?

The 5000°F rating means the coating provides a substantial safety margin at your operating temperature. You'll never be near the edge of its capability, which means no degradation, no breakdown, and consistent performance over thousands of thermal cycles. Choosing a coating rated only slightly above your operating temperature means any temperature excursion or hot spot can push the coating past its limit.

How do I apply ITC 100HT?

ITC 100HT is a water-based coating applied by brush, roller, or spray. Clean the refractory surface, apply two coats with drying time between, and fire to operating temperature to cure. Most operators apply it themselves during scheduled shutdowns. No specialized equipment needed. See our application guides for furnaces and kilns for detailed instructions.

Where can I buy ITC 100HT?

ITC 100HT is available direct from ITC Coatings and through our network of authorized distributors. Most orders ship within 1–2 business days from our warehouse in San Angelo, Texas. Contact us for pricing and availability.

Get Started

Tell us about your application — equipment type, operating temperature, and what problems you're trying to solve — and we'll recommend the right ITC product and quantity for the job.

Call: 325-223-1882
Email: info@itccoatings.com
Online: itccoatings.com