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M a n u f a c t u r i n g & Pe r f o r m a n c e o f H i g h - Te m p e r a t u r e M a t e r i a l s

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Keynote SpeakerRemco de Jong, Vice President and General Man-ager for Refractory Minerals Division, IMERYS:„Minerals to Materials: The Changing Face ofthe Global Refractory Industry“

Plenary SpeakersTom Vert, General Manager Primary Manufacturingat ArcelorMittal Dofasco: „How do SteelmakersPick Refractories – Logic, Emotion or Dart-board?“

UNITECR 2013

Inauguration of the European Centre for Refractories and Technical Ceramics

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Charles E. Semler, President/Consultant, SemlerMaterials Services: „Trends for the World’sMost Important, but Least Known Products“

UNITECR 2013, Victoria/CA, 09–13 Sept. 2013Further details available at:www.unitecr2013.org

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Unitecr 201313th Biennial Worldwide Congress on Refractories

The Unifi ed International Technical Conference on Refractories

Fig. 1 Prof. Dr Ralf Diedel (FGK); Doris Ahnen, Minister of Education; Eveline Lemke, Minister for Economic Affairs; and Prof. Dr Peter Quirmbach(ECREF) (f.l.t.r.) during the opening ceremonyof the new building of ECREF in Höhr-Grenzhausen/DE

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Numerous representatives from industry, science aswell as European, state and local politics attendedthe opening ceremony, including Eveline Lemke,Minister of Economic Affairs, and Doris Ahnen, Minister of Science, in the German state of theRhineland-Palatinate (Fig. 1). The road from the firstidea of a shared innovation centre to its realization,

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The European Centre for Refractories and Technical Ceramics in Höhr-Grenz-hausen/DE was officially inaugurated on 19.04.2013. Various institutions (Verband der Deutschen Feuerfest-Industrie e.V. – Association of the German Refractories Industry, European Centre for Refractories gem. Gmbh/ECREF,Forschungsgemeinschaft FEUERFEST e.V. – REFRACTORIES Research Foundation,Deutsches Institut für Feuerfest und Keramik GmbH/DIFK and Forschungsinstitutfür Anorganische Werkstoffe – Glas/Keramik – GmbH/FGK) are now based at theCentre. The Centre was a joint project of the Ministries of Economic Affairs, Science and the Interior, the local authorities in the German state of theRhineland-Palatinate and project promoters with an investment volume of aroundEUR 13,5 million. The Centre was financed primarily by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) and co-financed by the German state of theRhineland-Palatinate and the local players.

which was made possible thanks to the commitmentof its many supporters, was explained by Prof. DrPeter Quirmbach, Managing Director of ECREF. Hemade it clear that the new Competence Centre willfocus on innovation itself. In his welcoming speech,he said: “The concept ‘Innovation’ is certainly oneof the most overused terms in the modern day, like,

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for example, ‘efficiency’ at the current time. It istherefore all the more necessary to give it, innova-tion, a sense of its own based on a distinct inter-pretation rather than to surrender to the belief,innovation is something abstract or simply meanssomething new.In fact it is a matter of taking synergies and struc-tures as a basis to define all relevant factors for theenterprises in an industry and at the same time tofurther develop an interlinked strategy.A comprehensive and very interesting understandingof innovation was developed by Joseph Schumpeter,which I should like to share: the world famous econ-omist maintained that invention alone is not inno-vation, but that innovation is the technical andorganizational innovation in processes. For him, thecreative enterprise or the creative entrepreneur sym-bolizes innovation in that the enterprise or entre-preneur searches for new fields of activity, therebydriving the process of creative destruction. Thismeans getting rid of “old ways and customs” inorder to make “new advantages” possible.If, however, the application of new methods or toolsis the motivation for the action, this can only happenby generating knowledge or linking it with new pat-terns and passing it on with appropriate means of

communication to those who should have the ben-efit of it, namely the companies that, for instance,are organized in a trade association.This clearly indicates that we are ultimately talkingabout a collective need for knowledge and accord-ingly a collective innovation movement.For the community, it is then important that:• it must find out about the innovations,• it must be convinced of the innovations,• it makes a conscious decision for the innovations,• it sensibly integrates the innovations in its own

structure, and• it continues to use or reverse the innovation de-

cision.This list makes it abundantly clear that it is a matterof interaction between the companies and a centrelike the one we are setting up here today. Both sidestherefore contribute something essential to the suc-cess of innovations.The platform on which this takes place is the systematic application of the knowledge triangle between EDUCATION-RESEARCH-INNOVATION.Only if these three aspects complement each otherand permanently learn from each other will a knowl-edge and innovation community evolve from thiswhich can successfully establish itself on the mar-

IndiaRHI Acquires an Additional 26 % in Orient RefractoriesFollowing the acquisition of 43,6 % of the sharecapital of Orient Refractories Ltd. (ORL)/IN from thecore shareholders in early March, RHI/AT has com-pleted the mandatory open offer for an additional26 % of the ORL shares. As of 29 April 2013, RHIthus holds 69,6 % of the voting rights in ORL. Thetransaction price to acquire the 69,6 % stake to-taled roughly EUR 50 million.

Great BritainThe Refractories Industry Worldwide 2012–2017A new market report that provides with over 400pages and featuring 275 tables and figures com-prehensive data on the global refractories industryhas been published by Materials Technology Publi-cations/GB. It examines the current situation andfuture prospects for the refractories industry world-wide, providing comprehensive data on production,consumption, international trade and growth ratesfor the refractories industry, its raw materials sup-pliers and its end-user markets. Current steel production and forecasts through to2017 are analysed in the report by region/major pro-ducing country. While the short term outlook is oneof low growth because of the global economic situ-ation, the report predicts that there will be an up-turn in the second half of 2013, with realistic and

sustainable growth in steel production and in otherkey end-user industries through to 2017.Specific consumption of refractories per tonne ofsteel has fallen to about 7,8 kg in Japan and about10 kg in Europe and North America, mainly due tothe use of higher quality refractories with longer in-service life cycles; further declines in consumptionare likely to be slow and modest in these coun-tries/regions. In China, however, the consumption ofrefractories per tonne of steel is much higher, esti-mated to be around 23 kg. The report predicts that there will be considerabledeclines in the consumption of refractories per tonneof steel in China over the next five years as the Chi-nese steel industry moves to more sophisticated re-fractory materials and advanced steelmakingpractices.Beside the dominant steel industry (approx. 70 %)further end-user sectors are cement, glass, ceramicsand non-ferrous metals. While these consume loweramounts of refractories than the steel sector, theirinfluence on the refractories industry is considerable,and there are numerous refractories manufacturersthat offer high value products specifically tailoredfor these sectors. The report analyses refractoriesusage in the production of cement, glass, ceramicsand non-ferrous metals, with statistical data on con-sumption and forecasts for growth.Total world production of refractories was estimatedto be 41,5 Mt in 2012, valued at EUR 25 billion. Thelargest portion of this was in China, with production

estimated at 29,5 Mt, valued at EUR 14,3 billion.China is also a significant supplier of raw materials,most notably refractory bauxite, magnesia, graphite,brown fused alumina and silicon carbide, though ex-port restrictions have reinvigorated development ofnon-Chinese supplies of key raw materials, such asmagnesia. Trade (import/export) patterns for bothraw materials and finished refractories are analysedin the report.The European Union (EU) is the second largest pro-ducing region, with an estimated production of4,1 Mt of refractories in 2012, valued atEUR 3,9 billion, followed by North America, with1,4 Mt in 2012, valued at EUR 1,4 billion. The re-port forecasts that refractories production world-wide will rise to 46 Mt by 2017, with a value ofEUR 29 billion. The report breaks down forecasts byregion/major producing country.The refractories industry has been going through along period of consolidation, particularly withinWestern countries; in China and other developingeconomies this process is still at an early stage. Outside of China, about 70 % of sales of refractoryproducts are made by the world's top 10 multina-tional refractories companies, and all of these com-panies also have operations in China. There arenumerous opportunities for international refractorycompanies in developing regions, particularlythrough joint ventures.The report includes profiles of the world's major re-fractory manufacturers, giving their size, market

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ket. And this is the reason why we are building thiscentre, to venture and design, take up and realizenew ideas, to be creative and productive and towork together dynamically with the companies ac-tive in the REFRACTORIES knowledge and innova-tion community to achieve common, long-termprogress”.Prof. Dr Ralf Diedel, Managing Director of FGK, emphasized that thanks to the extension of the FGK with test, project and laboratory facilities as well as new technical possibilities, ground-breaking technologies can be developed and companies in the materials engineering sector sup-ported in the decade to come. From powder synthesis and raw materials preparation to the sintering processes, a closed process chain is nowavailable in a central location, enabling developmentof the focuses on technical ceramics and mineral resources. On a tour around the facilities of the ECREF and theFGK, the guests were able to find out about the newacquisitions and technical facilities of the two insti-tutes. In future, these will form an important focuswithin the Bildungs- und ForschungszentrumsKeramik e.V. (BFZK – Education and Research Centre for Ceramics) in Höhr-Grenzhausen. KS

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shshare and product range, with financial results. Rawmaterials suppliers are also listed, along with a va-riety of specialist refractory companies. In total, over180 companies are profiled.www.mat-tech.co.uk

Great BritainMayerton Announces Divestment of Production Facility in ChinaMayerton Holdings Ltd, a leading refractory engi-neering solutions provider and a high-qualitycastable and refractories brick manufacturer, an-nounces it has signed a definitive agreement for thesale of its 100 % equity interest in Dalian MayertonRefractories Co. Ltd. (DMR) to Magnesita Refratar-ios S.A. DMR is a refractory brick manufacturing fa-cility in Dalian, China (Liaoning Province).The divestment of DMR will support Mayerton’sstrategy to optimise capacity at its remaining pro-duction facilities and focus resources on perform-ance and service/support in addition to productdiversification. The divestment does not impactLiaoning Mayerton Refractories Co. Ltd (LMR) whereit retains sufficient capacity to manufacture in ex-cess of its current volume of refractory bricks. The application for approval of the transfer of theequity to Magnesita will be submitted to the Economic and Trade Bureau of Dalian DevelopmentArea in the People’s Republic of China. Mayertonexpects that the approval and consequent comple-tion of the acquisition will occur in Q3 2013.

AustriaRHI: Chapter 11 Proceedings of the US Companies Deconsolidated in 2001CompletedOn 11 March 2013, the competent district courtconfirmed the decision of the bankruptcy court re-garding a settlement with all insurance companiessuccessful in the appeals proceedings. After expiryof the objection period and the fulfillment of condi-tions precedent, the reorganization plans of the UScompanies have entered into force with effect from30 April 2013. This has been announced to thebankruptcy court. Consequently, the Chapter 11 proceedings of thecompanies deconsolidated as of 31 December 2001and the associated asbestos-related claims for dam-ages have been definitively completed with full legalsecurity after eleven years. RHI/AT receives a pay-ment of USD 40 million from the former owner ofone of the US companies.

GermanySusanne Klatten: New Chairperson of SGLCarbon Supervisory BoardDuring the Annual General Meeting of SGL CarbonSE/DE, a total of 10 new members were appointedto the Supervisory Board, including four shareholder

and six employee representatives. At the constituentmeeting following the Annual General Meeting, thenew Supervisory Board appointed entrepreneur Su-sanne Klatten as the new Chairperson, as proposed.Susanne Klatten has been a member of the Com-pany’s Supervisory Board since 2009. S. Klatten suc-ceeds Max Dietrich Kley, who had been Chairmanof the Supervisory Board since 2004. Dr Christine Bortenlänger, Chief Executive ofDeutsches Aktieninstitut e.V. (DAI)/DE, was electedfor the vacant shareholder representative mandate.In addition, three shareholder representatives werereappointed: Dr Daniel Camus, CFO of The GlobalFund, and Dr Hubert Lienhard, Chairman of theBoard of Management of Voith GmbH, for a termlasting until the 2018 Annual General Meeting aswell as Andrew H. Simon, advisor and supervisoryboard member to a number of companies, for a termlasting until the 2015 Annual General Meeting.

GermanyGerman Steel Federation Warns againstBack-loading of CO2 CertificatesHans Jürgen Kerkhoff, President of the Düsseldorf-based German Steel Federation, warns against“back-loading”, that is delaying the sale of CO2 cer-tificates, which is being discussed in the EuropeanParliament: “Within the framework of emissionsrights trading, the European steel industry is beingconfronted with limits that are beyond what is tech-nically feasible. It will therefore have to buy in a con-siderable number of additional certificates. A high certificate price aggravates this burden, dam-ages international competitiveness and will ad-versely affect future investments – includinginvestment in climate protection.” In addition, hesaid, the subsequent back-loading of certificateswould undermine confidence in emissions rightstrading and the further endanger the industry’s long-term planning and investment security. “The emis-sion goals of the trading system are met irrespectiveof the certificate price,” Kerkhoff reminds us. Hefears that the decision on back-loading would be in-fluenced by the wrong motives. “Emissions rightstrading was created for reasons of climate protec-tion, not as a source of government revenue. Any-one in Germany hoping that back-loading will bringhigher revenue for the Energy and Climate Fund isdiverting this instrument from its intended use.

WorldwideWorld Steel Association: Short Range OutlookThe World Steel Association (worldsteel) released itsShort Range Outlook (SRO) for 2013 and 2014.worldsteel forecasts that global apparent steel usewill increase by 2,9 % to 1454 Mt in 2013, follow-ing growth of 1,2 % in 2012. In 2014, it is forecastthat world steel demand will grow further by 3,2 %

and will reach 1500 Mt. The worldsteel EconomicsCommittee met 6–7 April in Düsseldorf, Germany.Commenting Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, Chairman of theworldsteel Economics Committee said, “2012 was achallenging year for the steel industry with apparentsteel use increasing at the slowest rate since 2009when demand declined by –6,5 %. This was mainlydue to the Eurozone crisis which persisted through-out 2012 and whose impact was felt further afield.On top of this, corrective macroeconomic measuresin major emerging economies also contributed to aconcerted slowdown globally. However, in the early part of 2013, the key risks tothe global economy – the Eurozone crisis, a hardlanding for the Chinese economy, and the US fiscalcliff issue – have all stabilised considerably and wenow expect a recovery in global steel demand tokick in by the second half, led by the emergingeconomies. Yet, the situation on the financial mar-kets remains fragile and the Eurozone crisis is farfrom being solved as the recent events in Cyprushave again shown. In 2014, we expect a furtherpickup in global steel demand with the developedeconomies increasingly contributing to growth.”Apparent steel use in China is expected to grow by3,5 % in 2013 to 668,8 Mt following a 1,9 % in-crease in 2012. In 2014, steel demand is expectedto grow by 2,5 % as the Chinese government’smeasures to control investment in an effort to re-balance the economy will remain in place. In India,steel demand is also expected to pick up and willgrow by 5,9 % to 75,8 Mt in 2013 following 2,5 %growth in 2012 as monetary easing is expected tosupport investment activities. In 2014, growth insteel demand is expected to further accelerate to7 % thanks to the reform measures aimed at nar-rowing the fiscal deficit, coupled with measures toimprove the foreign direct investment climate. Steeldemand in Japan is expected to decline for the sec-

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preview of issue 3/2013(extract)

Company Profiles/InterviewsRefratechnik/DE– RHI/AT – Refko/DE

Reports• ACerS Meeting St. Louis/US• Annual Meeting DGG/DE• XXII International Conference

“Refractories for Industry 2013”/RU

Technology

• Safe Operation and Long Campaign Life of BlastFurnace with Carbon Composite Bricks as Bottomand Hearth Structure (Shanxi Jianbang Group/CN)

• Bubble Formation in Contact of Glass Melt andRefractories (TU Freiberg/DE)

• Alumosilicate „Made in Germany“: High-tempe-rature Raw Material with Excellent Innovation Potential (EKW/DE)

• The Formation of Stratlingite in Calcium AluminateContaining Castable Systems? (Kerneos/FR)

• HT Tunnel Kilns in Lightweight Design (Riedhammer/DE)

• Non-oxide Binder Systems for Refractories Usedin Metal Melts (Steuler-KCH/DE)

Refereed Papers

• Use of Secondary Alumina Graphite as Raw Material of Alumina-Graphite-Silicon Carbide Refractories (CNRS-CEMHTI/FR)

• Influence of Different Testing Methods on theThermal Shock Resistance of Alumina CastableSamples (Wuhan University/CN)

• Life Time Analysis of Alumina Calcined Refractories (UFSCAR/BR)

Economy & Markets• Supply and Demand of High Alumina

Materials (Almatis/DE, Europe Commerce/LU)

Special Circulation at:UNITECR 2013, Victoria/CA, 09–13 Sept. 2013

Advertising Deadline: 18.06.2013Publication Date: 23.07.2013Please contact: Corinna Zepter, Advertising ManagerPhone: +49(0)7221-502-237E-mail: c.zepter@goeller-verlag.deFurther media information on volume 5 (2013):www.refractories-worldforum.com

ond consecutive year in 2013 by –2,2 % to 62,6 Mtdue to contracting shipbuilding and automotive sec-tors despite a positive boost from the constructionsector. In 2014, it is expected to contract again by–0,6 %. This is due to an end of fiscal stimulus andstructural factors, for example, increasing relocationof production by Japanese manufacturers overseas.In 2013, in the US, after growth of 8,4 % in 2012due to the automotive and energy sectors and anincreasingly resilient construction recovery, appar-ent steel use is forecast to grow by 2,7 % to99,3 Mt due to continuing fiscal concerns. In 2014, steel demand is expected to increase by2,9 %, thus exceeding 100 Mt with the help of pos-itive momentum from the construction sector. ForNAFTA as a whole, apparent steel use will grow by2,9 % and 3 % in 2013 and 2014 respectively. InCentral and South America, apparent steel use isprojected to rebound by 6,2 % in 2013 to 49,8 Mtfrom 2,6 % growth in 2012. The region’s steel de-mand is forecast to grow by 4,3 % to 52 Mt in2014. In Brazil, a rebound in investment coupledwith the end of the recent de-stocking process is ex-pected to bring apparent steel use growth of 4,3 %to 26,2 Mt in 2013 and further growth of 3,8 % to27,2 Mt in 2014.In EU27, the lingering uncertainties associated withthe euro crisis continued to weigh heavily on eco-nomic activities in the region, especially during thelast quarter of 2012. As a result, apparent steel usein 2012 fell by –9,3 % with a widening gap seen atthe country level. In particular, in Italy and Spain, ap-parent steel use contracted by over –18 % in 2012.With signs of stabilisation in the economic situation,recovery is expected late 2013, but the economicprospects for the region remains weak. Steel de-mand in EU 27 is expected to contract further by –0,5 % in 2013, but will return to growth of 3,3 %in 2014 to reach 144,1 Mt.Growth of apparent steel use in the CIS region isprojected to slow to 2 % reaching 57,6 Mt in 2013as the modest pickup in Russia is partially mitigatedby declining demand in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In2014, steel demand in the region is expected togrow by 3,8 % to 59,8 Mt with the improving ex-ternal environment. The resumption of energy proj-ects and improving construction outlook is expectedto support steel demand in Russia. It is forecast thatsteel demand in Russia will grow by 2,6 % to42,9 Mt in 2013 and will grow further by 3,9 % to44,6 Mt in 2014. Steel demand in the MENA region is expected togrow by 3,2 % to 65,2 Mt in 2013 after 2,2 %growth in 2012 aided by reconstruction activities inthe Arab Spring countries and Iraq as political tur-moil in the region phases out. In 2014, steel de-mand in the region will further accelerate to 7,1 %growth to reach 70 Mt supported by strong con-struction activities.

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M a n u f a c t u r i n g & Pe r f o r m a n c e o f H i g h - Te m p e r a t u r e M a t e r i a l s

UkraineMagnezit Group Launches New Line forFluxes Production Magnezit Group has successfully launched a tech-nological line in the framework of the project for or-ganization of magnesia fluxes production withannual capacity of 50 000 t at PanteleymonovkaRefractory Plant in Gorlovka/UA. Production facilitywas organized from zero point and will reach de-signed capacity in 2013. First pilot batch of un-formed refractories of grade PANSLAG P71(briquetted magnesia flux) of Panteleymonovka Re-fractory Plant has successfully passed full-scale in-dustrial tests. Production of magnesia fluxes is a new direction ofactivity of Panteleymonovka Refractory Plant and to-gether with the project for increasing capacities forproduction of magnesia-carbon bricks it is a part ofa large-scale investment strategy of the plant, aimedat diversification of the product range and manu-facturing of novel called-for products with high de-gree of added value. Panteleymonovka RefractoryPlant was made part of Magnezit Group structurein early 2012. Construction works for reconstructionand technical re-equipment of the Ukrainian enter-prise in the framework of investment program werebegun in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Construction ofthe new subdivision was done with the help of noveltechnologies of transportation, drying and treatmentof raw materials taking into consideration interna-tional standards of the integrated management sys-tem ISO in the field of environmental protection,quality of manufactured products and labour safety.Worn-out equipment, which was installed at theplant during industrialization of the USSR, was dis-mantled and new modern equipment was installedon the cleared sites. In the framework of the project,aimed at increasing capacities for production ofmagnesia-carbon bricks, construction of a new dos-ing line was begun at the plant. Following equipment was installed: weighing car, 30bunkers, three mixers Eirich/DE, and six dosing unitsfor liquid material. Assembly works of the dosingline equipment is done by specialists of the com-pany-manufacturer. In early April they began com-missioning works. New weighing equipment allowsto improve quality of preparation of masses for pro-duction of magnesia-carbon bricks of multicompo-nent composition and to optimize the technology ofproduction of novel and existing grades of bricks. Inthe nearest time it is planned to begin reconstruc-tion of thermal kiln drying chambers, installation ofa new system of feeding of drying agent (hot air), in-troduction of automated system of thermal unit con-trol. It is planned to commission the new productionfacility in the middle of 2013. Implementation of theproject will result in increase of magnesia-carbonrefractories production by the year 2016 up to thelevel of 25 000 t annually.

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