Refractories or refractory products produced and supplied by the top 10 refractory companies in India play a very crucial role in almost all the operations in all types of manufacturing units. These products made of ceramics are the lifeblood of all production and manufacturing processes that are extremely heat-intensive. In other words, no such heat-intensive manufacturing process can even be imagined without refractories produced by the top refractory manufacturers in India.
Refractories can resist more heat than any other common metal
Be it the ambulances that we use in different medical emergencies every day, any medical tool or equipment used in the hospitals or clinics, or even the road that we take, nothing will exist if there are no refractories. The ceramic materials called refractories are designed to withstand even the most extreme range of temperatures of up to 538 Celsius. This temperature range is a common sight in most manufacturing units these days. Refractories are comprehensively used for the lining of the hot surfaces used across a large number of industrial processes. It is because refractories have many times more capacity to resist heat than any common metal.
A constant surge in the demand for refractory materials
The global refractory market is projected to reach a new high by the end of 2030. Market experts believe that it will go up to USD 30.3 billion within the predicted timeline. Infrastructure development taking place at a very rapid pace around the globe, and a never before surge in the demand, particularly from the global automobile industry are the factors that are driving the current refractory market. Apart from it, the ever-growing manufacturing and processing of iron and steel in developed countries have also caused a huge demand for refractory materials to serve thermal insulation purposes. Furthermore, the sudden increase in the demand for theme-based structures in the construction industry has increased the requirement for glass in the manufacturing of so many crucial building parts such as doors and windowpanes.
Refractories are imperative for manufacturing petrochemical products
Refractories have the ability to endure physical wear as well as consumption brought about by different chemical agents, apart from being impervious to heat pressure and other actual peculiarities prompted by heat. Hence, they are essential for refining fuel and producing petrochemical products. Refractories are characterized into two primary classifications because of their shapes like preformed shapes/unformed structures and called specialty/monolithic refractories. The other refractory fiber strands look like residential insulation; notwithstanding, it insulates at higher temperatures. Refractories can either be shaped or they can be squeezed for use on floors and walls as well.
Refractories are made up of natural as well as engineered materials. These typically incorporate the following:
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Non-metallic or mixes of mixtures and minerals
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Dolomite
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Alumina
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Bauxite
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Zirconia
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Fireclays
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Chromite
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Silicon carbide, and
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Magnesite.
Refractories for industrial furnaces
Furnace refractories are selected based on a large number of factors. Some of them include the following:
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Resistance to conductivity
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Physical wear
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Cost
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Maximum temperature exposure
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Resistance to chemical corrosion
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Thermal shock resistance, and
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Thermal conductivity, etc.
As for market categorization for industrial furnaces, it includes technology-driven solutions and non-technology furnaces. Technology-driven new-age furnaces are also on the scene. Technology-driven refractory solutions have been driving the market for the past few decades and some players are offering them with very innovative ideas and approaches. Moreover, there is a strong need for sustainable and long-term investments in the refractory for furnaces that can enable the companies to cut costs with the desired business outcome.
There is a comprehensive range of refractory compositions being manufactured these days, and the most commonly used ones include silica, alumina, and magnesium. Zirconia is also in use and preferred only when the material needs to withstand extreme temperatures. These refractory materials find applications in a large range of environments such as acidic atmospheres in which they are not prone to be attacked by alkalis. Silicon carbide or graphite is put into use in an oxygen-free atmosphere so that it can withstand high-temperature ranges. Although most refractory products often give a look and feel that they are a typical construction brick, there are so many shapes and forms they might be used in.
Current refractory market scenario in India
As per the information available, the refractory market in India is around 9000 crore with RHI Magnesita India as one of the leading companies offering high-performance refractory products. As of now, more than 75% of the refractory products manufactured and produced by the leading refractory manufacturers in India using magnesia and alumina find applications in the industries that use boilers, cement industry, ceramics, glass, and petrochemicals.
Refractory products VS capital investments
Refractory products are well known to protect a wide range of high-value industrial equipment. They not only help extend the lifespan of assets but also reduce thermal as well as chemical damages ensuring high ROI for the business owners. These products also help the industry sector to bring down their environmental impact. As the entire world is running to more innovative and sustainable products in all walks of life, refractory products have also experienced a complete transformation. The top 10 refractory companies in India are striving hard to ideate, innovate, and create new-age refractory solutions keeping in view the cost-effectiveness, sustainability, quality, durability, and reliability.
Concluding Remarks
Offering world-class products for heat management, RHI Magnesita India provides a wide range of high-quality refractory products and mixes to its customers in Steel, Cement & Lime, Non-Ferrous Metals, Glass, and other industries. Some of the specialty products manufactured and supplied by the company include refractories for electric arc furnaces, Isostatically pressed Continuous Casting Refractories, Ladle to Tundish Shrouds, Monoblock Stoppers, Submerged Entry Nozzle/ Submerged Entry Shrouds, Convertor Tap Hole Sleeve, Slide Gate Plates, Nozzles and Well Blocks, Tundish Nozzles, Bottom Purging Refractories and Top Purging Lances, Slag Arresting Darts, Basic Spray Mass for Tundish, working lining, Castables, High Alumina Bricks, and Magnesia Carbon Bricks.