Refractory Material Evaluation Framework

Bacground

Time: 1 0:00-11:00

Refractory material is crucial for the success of a smelting operation. The cost of failure is high, in terms of personnel safety, capital expenditure, and production loss. Consequently, producers often stick with familiar materials that have proven effective in their own and other plants, sometimes at the expense of improved operational efficiency.

In this talk, we will explore various reasons for considering alternative refractory materials and present an evaluation framework designed to reduce risk and provide the necessary insights to proceed with confidence. The key is to fail early and cheaply. By conducting the most inexpensive tests at the outset, we can eliminate infeasible options as early as possible. By thinking critically and applying the right tests at the right times, we can enhance the efficiency of our operations without compromising safety. If we look beyond the familiar, and analyse and test wisely, we can significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of our smelting processes.

SPEAKER

Heine Weitz
Managing Director, Ex Mente, Europe

Heine Weitz has been active in the pyrometallurgical industry for nearly two decades, serving in various roles in production, equipment technology, and consulting companies. He has experience with a range of commodities across the globe, including in Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
In 2018, Heine joined Ex Mente, a pyrometallurgical consulting and systems development company, where he currently leads the group’s process engineering team. For the past two years, he has been working on expanding Ex Mente’s presence in the European metallurgical industry from his base in the Netherlands.
Heine’s professional interests include thermochemistry, computational modelling, and process technology development. He is particularly passionate about establishing new methods to analyse and interpret processes, leveraging both quantitative and qualitative data to derive valuable insights.