Refractory Advances and Applications

摘要

The "refractories world" convened in the Oceanside resort city of Cancun, Mexico, for the 7th Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories (UNITECR), November 4-7, 2001. The meeting was organized and hosted by the Association of Latin American Refractory Manufacturers (ALAFAR). The Technical Association of Refractories - Japan (TARJ), the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), and the German Refractories Association (GRA) were co-sponsors of the meeting. There were 431 registrants and 141 companions from 36 countries; the number of attendees was about half that of the previous UNITECR meetings. The reduced attendance had a dramatic effect on the technical program, with cancellation of roughly 30 percent of the papers scheduled for presentation. However, 158 papers are published in the three-volume Proceedings and CD-ROM.The opening session included invited speakers that discussed key issues pertinent to the refractories industry. R. Gutierrez from DeAcero (a steel/wire company) predicted that the world steel production for 2001 would be 1.5 percent higher than in 2000. He talked about he crisis in the steel industry, noting that more steel company bankruptcies can be expected if no changes are made, and suggested that an international agreement to reduce the excess steel capacity globally would be desirable. T. Richter, RHI America, gave an overview of the refractories industry, emphasizing that refractories are strategic materials that can't be replaced by other materials. Competitive pressures will continue due to numerous factors, such as increased raw materials prices, a continuing decrease in the refractory consumption rate, and no increase in product prices due to the effect of imports from China and East Europe. A serious overcapacity problem exists, as only 25 million tons of the 40 million ton worldwide capacity is being used. Further consolidation of the refractories industry should include centralization of the refractories industry should include centralization and reduction of capacity, and the trade laws between countries need to be liberalized. Also, more attention should be paid to environmental issues and recycling.