There is a huge difference! This difference is a whole industrial Range: Fireclay refractory materials. Fireclay is a calcined powder (not only clays, but also many others), which is then mixed with fresh clay. During sintering of such a mixture produces a porous ceramic (refractory), which has very different properties when compared with "normal" ceramics. In a single-phase ceramic sinter all the material, but in a two-phase fireclay ceramic sinter only the binder of fresh clay (previously calcined powder remains "dead").
By this difference, the fireclay refractory products experienced virtually no shrinkage, which is very important for them. Other properties are olso different: remain porous and have high heat isolation. Strength, however, is lower than that of single-phase ceramic same composition.