From the above analysis and comments the following is apparent: · The glass industry offers sustained, long-term business opportunities for refractory manufacturers. Demand will continue to be dominated by the container and flat glass sectors. Although high-performance plastics are attacking both these sectors, this will have only a limited impact on total glass sales and, hence, future refractory demand. · Of itself, a glass industry growth rate of approx 4 percent would, over the next decade, increase the total demand for refractories by approx 40 percent - to a total of more than 0.7 million tonnes a year. Most of this growth will be in the Asia-Pacific region - although Latin America and Eastern Europe will become increasingly important. · Continuing improvements in furnace life will reduce this potential increase by approx 50 percent. However, the glass industry will still represent an annual market for refractories worth in excess of 0.7 billions dollars, by the year 2012. · Within this, demands for ever longer furnace lives, further improvements in furnace performance, and the impact of oxy-fuel firing will create many opportunities for higher performance refractories. Of prime importance are improved materials for furnace sidewalls and crowns. This underlines the continuing need for close and effective collaboration between the glass and refractory industries, if both are to prosper in the future.
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