09:00 am
Reimagining refractories: How professional societies influence the perception of refractory technology and engineering
Eileen De Guire | The American Ceramic Society | United States
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Eileen De Guire | The American Ceramic Society | United States
Mark Mecklenborg | The American Ceramic Society | United States
The refractory industry forms the backbone of all thermal processing, from steel and aluminum making to petrochemical crackers to pizza ovens. Backbones, however, tend to be hidden from view by the body or industry they support, and this is especially true of the refractory industry. Because refractories fill a vital role in achieving sustainable manufacturing, improving efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions, adapting to hydrogen fuels, adapting to new high-performance alloy compositions, and more, the refractory industry offers straight-to-the-bottom line opportunities for engineers to impact today’s grand challenges. However, the industry competes for talent with emerging materials science technologies, and it suffers from an outdated perception as a dusty, staid industry. The American Ceramic Society and its Refractory Ceramics Division have taken on the challenge of raising the visibility of this “invisible” industry and of presenting the industry as an innovative discipline that solves urgent problems with global impact.
09:20 am
On Refractory Engineering Education Evolution
Prof. Dr. Michel Rigaud | École Polytechnique-Montréal, Canada | Canada
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Prof. Dr. Michel Rigaud | École Polytechnique-Montréal, Canada | Canada
This paper provides answers to stay tune with the '' Conceptual Age '' our customers and service providers are already facng
for the coming years.This '' New Age '' is a major change of paradigm, which is duly conceptualized
The answers given to consider how the new research and innovations, for new refractory solutioms. should be conducted, with the adequate human resources required for the purposes.
After a review of the education tools now available to-day. those to be further developped are then presented, which shoud involve the participation of all the refractory constituency.
09:40 am
EU ATHOR project (2017-2022) - Direct impacts on international refractory community
Prof. Dr. Marc Huger | CNRS-IRCER (Institute of Research for CERamics) | France
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Prof. Dr. Marc Huger | CNRS-IRCER (Institute of Research for CERamics) | France
ATHOR (Advanced THermomechanical multiscale mOdelling of Refractory linings) was an innovative, collaborative and interdisciplinary European project that brought together 6 academic beneficiaries and 8 private partners. The main objective was to develop high-end engineering technologies in material engineering and numerical simulations thanks to an intensive cooperation between academia, raw materials suppliers, refractory producers and end-users. Starting from material characterization, all significant properties were investigated, including fracture behaviour, tension and compression creep behaviour, corrosion and thermal shock resistance. The interdisciplinary aspects have been addressed thanks to a multiscale approach looking at the influences of micro-, meso- and macro-characteristics on each other. To conduct their research and interlink the different topics, the 15 recruited researchers have taken advantage of the most sophisticated numerical tools to model, design and predict the life of different lining configurations in critical operation conditions. The ATHOR network was deeply committed to provide a combination of research and training activities which has support and enlarge the initiative of the Federation for International Refractory Research and Education (FIRE). The different key impact achievements, on several levels for our international refractory community, of this EU project, will be here highlighted.
10:00 am
EU CESAREF project (2022-2026) - A coming contribution to European Green Deal
Prof. Dr. Marc Huger | CNRS-IRCER (Institute of Research for CERamics) | France
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Prof. Dr. Marc Huger | CNRS-IRCER (Institute of Research for CERamics) | France
The movement of the Iron & Steelmaking (I&S) industry towards Net-Zero emissions and digitalized processes through disruptive, breakthrough technologies will be achieved through the use of Hydrogen. The biggest challenge for the refractory industry is to continue to meet the performance expectations while, at the same time, moving to a more sustainable production direction. The complexity and urgency of these technology changes, highlighted by the European Green Deal, requires a Concerted European Action on Sustainable Applications of REFractories (CESAREF). A consorted and coordinated European network with steel, refractory, raw material producers and key academic poles will tackle the following key topics: efficient use of raw materials and recycling, microstructure design for increased sustainability, anticipation of hydrogen steelmaking, energy efficiency and durability.
While creating new developments in the I&S and refractory industries, the network will train highly skilled doctoral candidates capable of communicating and disseminating their acquired knowledge. CESAREF will create a core team across the European refractory value chain, accelerating the drive towards the European refractory industries push towards sustainable materials and processes, as well as Net-Zero emission Steel production. This will help to create and secure sustainable employment in the European refractory and I&S industries.
10:20 am
Exploration and practice of international education for refractory specialty in WUST
Prof. Dr. Ao Huang | Wuhan University of Science and Technology | China
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Prof. Dr. Ao Huang | Wuhan University of Science and Technology | China
Prof. Dr. Yawei Li | Wuhan University of Science and Technology | China
Prof. Dr. Huazhi Gu | Wuhan University of Science and Technology | China
As the basic material of high-temperature industries, composite refractory professionals with strong innovation consciousness and international vision need to be cultivated to support the development of global industry and commerce in refractories. Therefore, the concept of "Double Training and Four Coordination" for the international talent training on refractories was proposed by Wuhan University of science and technology (WUST), a pilot class of "international talents" was set up, and a new mode of international talent training of "Emerging Engineering Education" for refractories was explored; An international teaching and research team composed of internationally renowned professors was hired, international high-quality teaching resources were introduced, an international curriculum system was built, and an international talent training program was created; The international exchange and practice system has been strengthened. Through the national academic exchange fund, scholarships and academic exchange funds established by domestic well-known enterprises, university, school and individuals, international exchange of postgraduates, foreign summer schools and short-term overseas cooperative research have been carried out, and a normalized international academic exchange platform has been established. The international education community of Wuhan University of science and technology for refractories is emerging. Students have won international academic awards, and many international talents were cultivated for global companies. The university has become an important base for training innovative international talents in the field of scientific research and engineering technology on refractories.