Technology Dissemination in Modern Building Materials Under East Asian Colonialism: The Case of Refractory Bricks in Northeast China

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, advances in refractory brick production improved fire-resistant construction and enabled the expansion of high-temperature processes in the steel and chemical industries. Focusing on the broader evolution of the modern building materials industry in Northeast China, this study analyzes and compares the spatial distribution of refractory brick production. By examining the processes of standardization, specialization, and mechanization inherent in industrial production, the research traces the technology dissemination of modern refractory brick production and related knowledge across the region, and explores how these technologies were implemented and adapted locally under colonial conditions. The findings highlight the scientific and organizational transformation of the kiln industry in Northeast China, demonstrating its shift from traditional brick-making practices to modern industrial production. In doing so, the study underscores a broader trajectory of modernization in construction materials and industrial development, shaped not only by industrial manufacturing logics but also by colonial power structures and technological control.