As a major player in the alumina industry for over a century, Alteo strengthens its leadership by offering more efficient specialty aluminas to its customers.To support refractory producers in their growth, Alteo develops its new, dedicated range of products.
Refratechnik Steel GmbH (Düsseldorf/DE) is pleased to enter a production joint venture with Horn & Co. Minerals & Products Management GmbH (Siegen/DE), and in this context to further expand and operate the Horn Group’s factory for magnesia carbon bricks in Hünsborn near Siegen as Refratechnik Horn Produktions GmbH. Refratechnik Steel, majority shareholder in the joint venture, and a company of the Refratechnik Group, has found an ideal partner for the production of MACARBON® bricks for the steelmaking industry.
From humble beginnings to a world leader in refractories, Allied’s/US focus is “being there worldwide” for customers with their people and products. This commitment is proven through adaptive manufacturing, timely deliveries, and on-site product installations. “We started with the idea of being there for our customers and will continue on into the future. It’s who we are to our core,” said Jon R. Tabor, Chairman and CEO. Allied’s formula for success is People + Products = Solutions. This has been the right chemistry for providing innovative solutions to the refractory industry for 60 years.
Elkem/NO has successfully commissioned its industrial pilot for battery materials in Kristiansand/NO starting industrial scale pilot production for customers. As the next step towards large-scale production, Elkem is now establishing Vianode as a new company and brand dedicated to develop and produce sustainable and high-quality active anode materials to meet the needs of the exponentially growing electric vehicles marketplace.
The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) honoured end of March 2021 the outstanding scientific contribution of the publication „On the Nonlinear Behavior of Young’s Modulus of Carbon-Bonded Alumina at High Temperatures“. The international Freiberg research team of the CRC 920 “Multi-Functional Filters for Metal Melt Filtration – A Contribution towards Zero Defect Materials” published the paper in 2018 in the organization’s journal. Authors and winners of the award are Dr Bruno Luchini, Dr Jörn Grabenhorst and Dr Jens Fruhstorfer, as well as Prof. Dr Victor Pandolfelli, Mercator Professor at TU Bergakademie Freiberg/DE, and Prof. Dr Christos G. Aneziris, holder of the Professorship of Ceramics, Refractories and Metal-Ceramic Composites at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. Every two years, the Award Committee reviews scientific articles in the field of refractory ceramics and evaluates them based on their content and impact on current research.
There are a large number of companies worldwide that manufacture refractory products and offer kiln linings, e.g. for the production of aluminum, iron and steel, glass, ceramics or cement. Standards distinguish between “shaped products“ (bricks) and “unshaped products“ (which include castables and also ramming mixes or plastic mixes). Brick production has been steadily declining for decades, while unshaped refractory mixes production is on the rise. And the mixes are becoming more and more demanding. For the preparation of dry mixes based on alumina as well as magnesia, HSIN LIAN HSIN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, Taiwan, has chosen the best available mixing technology -– EIRICH, Germany.
Maire Tecnimont Group’s subsidiary NextChem/IT, and Paul Wurth/DE, a company of the SMS Group and leading technology provider for the steel industry, will join forces to promote the combined use of electrolysis and syngas production in the iron and steel industry. The cooperation between NextChem and Paul Wurth is aimed at developing an advanced technological solution to convert natural gas into synthesis gas, known as syngas, to be used during iron ore reduction. The utilisation of syngas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) allows for the decrease in the portion of fossil fuels required, thus reducing CO2-emissions in steel production process.
The Board of Directors of HarbisonWalker International (HWI), the largest supplier of refractory products and services products in North America, has promoted Brad Cramer to Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer. Brad Cramer previously held these roles as Vice President, and will continue providing advice and counsel to HWI’s Executive Management and Board of Directors while overseeing all legal and compliance matters for HWI’s domestic and international locations.
Trade fair events will once again be possible in the Free State of Bavaria/DE as of 1 September 2021. This new start is an important signal for the Bavarian economy and the events industry. As early as July, the TrendSet Symposium will take place in Munich as a pilot trade fair. The comprehensive hygiene and infection protection concept will be implemented there for the first time, with other events such as IAA MOBILITY, EXPO REAL, Outdoor by ISPO and productronica to follow in Munich in fall.
Initially the ceramitec conference + exhibition was announced for 22–23 June 2021. But end of April, the organizing committee decided to approach all active participants to shift the date to 15–16 September 2021 to get more visitors to come to Munich/DE. Working together with Fraunhofer HTL/DE, IAPK/DE and the Expert Group CIM/DE as partners, CERAMIC APPLICATIONS will organise a two-track conference in FORUM 1 and FORUM 2, which will be complemented by AM Ceramics organised by Lithoz/AT in FORUM 3.
Under the umbrella of Fraunhofer HTL sessions on Thermoprocessing Equipment, High-Temperature Materials and Process Innovations have been organized. An extract of the program is given here: