Stress on quality and durable refractory production

Experts in steel sector across the country laid stress on quality and durable refractory for clean steel making in the country. In the international conference on advances in refractories and clean steel making in Ranchi, recently, experts reminded that the steel industry in India is on the verge of faster growth and steel makers have been facing serious challenges of stringent quality requirement of the market compelling them to develop smart refractory material and suitable refining technology. Inaugurating the conference, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) director (technical) S S Mohanty said that in the current industrial situation, it has become difficult to achieve the target of cost reduction and value addition.

He said the country now produces 76 million tonnes of steel which would go upto to 200 million tonnes by 2020. There has been a great challenge in steel sector to improve quality by reducing impurities in steel where refractory has to contribute a significant role.

According to Sridhar Varadarajan, executive director incharge R & D

Centre for Iron and steel of Sail the key to succeed in present scenario is not only focusing on productivity but also improvement in quality and development of new and special products, which necessitates the adoption of state-of-the-art technology and refractory are vital as quality starts from steelmaking.

Around 250 delegates from steel and refractory industries in the country and 35 others from abroad attended the three-day conference organized by the Sail units and Mecon Limited, Ranchi.