Refractories WorldForum - Hot Topics 2/2018
CALL FOR POSTERS: 61st International Colloquium on Refractories
The 61st International Colloquium on Refractories – ICR will be held 26–27 September 2018 at Eurogress in Aachen/DE under the motto “Refractories enabling High Temperature Technology”. For the 2nd time, a Poster Award Session sponsored by refractories WORLDFORUM will be organized. The posters will be examined by an expert jury during the ICR Conference, and the best nominated posters will be awarded.
International Aluminium Institute Appoints Gervais Jacques as Chair
Gervais Jacques, Managing Director Atlantic at Rio Tinto Aluminium, has been appointed Chair of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), at the 93rd meeting of its Board of Directors in Hong Kong. G. Jacques has over 25 years experience across all facets of Rio Tinto's aluminium operations.
RHI Magnesita’s Trading Up-Date
RHI Magnesita’s 1st quarter trading performance continues to reflect the benefits of the high level of vertical integration. Price increases promoted strong development in revenues, more than offsetting higher raw material input costs. Revenue for the three months to March 2018, was EUR 745 million, 23 % higher than the comparative period on a constant currency basis (14 % higher on a reported basis). Operating EBITA increased by almost 70 % on a constant currency basis, to EUR 113 million, with a 15,2 % operating EBITA margin (when adjusted proforma numbers).
Timab Magnesium Completed Acquisition of Grecian Magnesite’s Stake Magna Inversiones
Timab Magnesium (Timab), a leading global specialist in magnesia and a subsidiary of Groupe Roullier, and Grecian Magnesite S.A. (GM), one of the largest magnesia producers worldwide, jointly announced in April that Timab has acquired GM’s remaining stake in Magna Inversiones, the mother company of Magnesitas Navarras (together Magna). Magna is now wholly owned by Timab. Timab and GM acquired Magna in 2000 as a joint venture, blending resourcefully their mining, manufacturing and marketing skills.
Using Bionic Surfaces at a Blast Furnace
In blast furnaces, hot air at temperatures of around 1200 °C is blown into the reaction chamber for iron reduction and the smelting process. For this purpose, special water-cooled nozzles made of copper, called tuyeres, are used. These can be damaged or destroyed by glowing hot droplets of iron. Then energy- and cost-intensive repairs are necessary. Researchers have succeeded in designing the surface of these tuyeres so that liquid iron simply drips off. This new effect can be compared to the lotus effect on leaves.
New Masters Programme: Technology and Application Inorganic Engineering Materials (TAIEM)
The inorganic engineering materials such as steel and ceramics cover all the strategic industries and are key materials for transport section, energy technology, machine and plant construction, building industry. The true understanding of mechanical, thermal, chemical, and functional properties at nano-, micro- and macro-levels followed by the chemical and physical interactions at interfaces/surfaces of the inorganic engineering materials is an unlimited tool for their continuous development and technology optimization. The TAIEM Masters Programme at TU Bergakademie Freiberg/DE is tailored to gear the students up for the challenging tasks in the production and application-oriented industries such as iron and steel-making industry, metal processing industry, ceramic and refractory industry, recycling and extractive industry and etc.
BHS-Sonthofen Acquired AVA
Effective as of 4 April 2018, BHS-Sonthofen acquired all shares in AVA GmbH & Co. KG, which is based in Herrsching in the greater Munich Area. As the product portfolios of the two companies complement each another perfectly, this move strengthens BHS-Sonthofen’s market position in the field of mixing technology. It furthermore supplements the company’s competence in the field of solid-liquid separation with AVA’s drying technology.
