The SAIMM is a professional institute with local and international links aimed at assisting members source information about technological developments in the mining, metallurgical and related sectors.
twitter1 facebook1 linkedin logo
 
  • You are here:  
  • Home
  • News

News

2008 Presidential address: How cool are refractory materials?

Details
Created: Thursday, 23 July 2009 07:35
A._Garbers-CraigBy A.M. Garbers-Craig
Without refractory materials most of the scientific and technological inventions and developments we know today would not have been possible. The existence of virtually everything we see around us, or use in everyday life, is in some way dependent on refractory materials. Refractories are therefore facilitating or enabling materials, and are essential to the successful operation of any industry in which high temperatures are used .
The word ‘refractory’ is derived from the Latin word, ‘refractarius’, which means stubborn . These materials resist high temperatures, have high-quality mechanical and thermomechanical properties, have high corrosion resistance, act as a heat buffer between the walls of the containing vessel and the hot charge, and conserve process heat.
Reliability and long service life are required from materials when put into operation. Refractory cost is therefore expressed in terms of tons of product produced, i.e. the cost of the refractory material is weighed against useful life and replacement cost. A refractory material is a type of engineering ceramic called an ‘industrial ceramic’ . Refractory materials, however, have
coarser grain sizes and higher porosities than engineering ceramics, and consist of aggregate particles, held together by a bonding (matrix) phase, where both the aggregate and the bond can be multiphased .
Download the full PDF here...
Read more ...

President’s message for the New Year...

Details
Created: Thursday, 01 January 2009 02:00
At the beginning of a brand new year, one automatically reflects on the past year, and contemplates what 2009 will bring. I am sure you will agree that 2008 was a very eventful year for our industry, which started with the South African power crisis in January, and ended with the global financial crisis that resulted in an economic slowdown, currency volatility, a sharp pull-back in commodity prices and rising unemployment. Economists predict that 2009 will be a tough year, that we need to tighten our belts, and that we will have our fair share of challenges. Fortunately the majority of economists remain optimistic about the resilience of our economy, and some even predict that by the end of 2009 the South African economy might be stronger than is considered possible at present.

My wishes for us who work in the mining and metallurgical industry for 2009 is therefore that we will seize the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, that we will persevere, strive towards excellence, capitalize on positive news and celebrate our achievements, notwithstanding the hardships. And on a more personal note: my wishes for you for 2009 are that you and your loved ones will enjoy good health, that you will find inspiration, meaning and happiness in your lives, and that you will savour the good times! May 2009 pleasantly surprise us! A.M. Garbers-Craig President

Other mining news

Mining Weekly | Africa

13 January 2026

The latest mining world news and project information from Africa. providing updates on the progress of future, new and existing projects. Developments in mining legislation, policies, investments and infrastructure will be highlighted
  • Ivanhoe rapidly scaling up output at Platreef amid ‘supercycle’ for prices
    TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines says development of its Platreef mine, in South Africa, is rapidly advancing after the first production of concentrate was achieved in November last year. The company advises that the ramp up of the Phase 1 concentrator on site is advancing on schedule, with the first sale of concentrate having been completed.
  • Call for Africa to turn fragmented mineral belts into coherent regional value chains
    Africa does not have the luxury of treating regional cooperation and regional beneficiation as afterthoughts. If the continent continues to negotiate in small, fragmented units, the result will be a patchwork of export restrictions and incentive schemes that strain investor confidence without building the connective tissue of shared infrastructure and industrial capacity. If, instead, leaders use projects such as the Lobito Corridor as prototypes for how to align geology, logistics, and industrial policy at a regional scale, the continent can begin to shape global value chains rather than simply feeding into them.
  • BHP is stuck on the sidelines of copper M&A frenzy it started
    BHP Group’s bold bid to buy rival Anglo American in 2024 was supposed to set it up as the clear winner in a copper boom it had long predicted. Two years later, the copper market is indeed booming. And yet the world’s biggest miner is left sitting on the sidelines of an M&A frenzy it began. People familiar with BHP’s thinking said the news that Rio Tinto Group and Glencore are closer than ever to a deal that would leapfrog BHP to become the world’s most valuable mining company has caused consternation within the Australian mining giant. However, some of the people played down the likelihood that it would respond with a move for Glencore, and said it’s watching from the sidelines for now.