Refractories News

Related Ceramics Industry News

• January 2024: Nouryon announced the completion of a production capacity expansion of nearly 50% for its Levasil colloidal silica products at its manufacturing facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States. The expansion aims to address the rising demand for colloidal silica, particularly in North America, and strategically expand the company’s global colloidal silica manufacturing footprint to serve regional and global customers.
• February 2024: Evonik Industries AG undertook a significant investment in the expansion of its precipitated silica plant at the Charleston site in South Carolina to meet the escalating demand, particularly from the tire industry in North America, and enhance the resilience of supply chains for Evonik partners in the region by facilitating local silica sourcing.
• November 2023: Covia Holdings LLC announced that mining operations at its Gore facility in Virginia will be idled in Q1 of 2024. This facility's recent product portfolio focused on the glass and construction end markets, such as Glassil high-purity glass sand and Granusil high-performance industrial silica.

• May 2023: Nanostone inked an MoU with ACWA Power, a global powerhouse in power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants. The agreement, signed at Saudi Arabia's premier innovation hub, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), aims to assess Nanostone's ultrafiltration (UF) ceramic membranes and their process technology for seawater desalination.
• October 2022: METAWATER Co. Ltd announced the construction of the world's largest ceramic membrane filtration water treatment plant in the United Kingdom. The Hampton Loade Water Treatment Plant, located near Bridgnorth in the West Midlands, United Kingdom, can produce 210,000 cubic meters of water per day (equivalent to 55 million gallons daily) and supply up to 700,000 people. The plant is presently undergoing renovation, and upon completion, it will become the world's largest ceramic membrane water treatment plant.
• September 2022: Nanostone announced that its ceramic ultrafiltration membrane technology was approved for drinking water treatment in the United Kingdom under Regulation 31.

• July 2022: Sibelco acquired EchasaSA, a mining company that mines silica sand from the Laminoriaquarry near Vitoria in the Basque Country in northern Spain, 160 kilometers from Sibelco's nearest silica sand quarry in Ariya.
• April 2022: Source Energy Services has an agreement with Canadian Silica Industries Inc. and Contractor's Leasing Corp. Through this agreement, the company concluded the operation of its Peace River frac sand facility and increased its frac sand production with additional 400,000 metric tons, which will boost the company's business.

The final report will cover recent developments in the market studied.

• January 2023: RHI Magnesita GmbH announced the completion of its acquisition of Dalmia Bharat Refractories Limited's (DBRL) Indian refractory business is expected to add almost 300,000 tons of capacity annually to the existing production footprint in India, enhancing the company's business in the studied market.
• December 2022: Shinagawa Refractories Co. Ltd (Shinagawa) acquired the Brazilian refractory business and alumina-based wear-resistant ceramics business from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. (Saint-Gobain) in the United States. This acquisition was expected to help the company to enhance its product portfolio in the coming years.
• April 2022: Saint-Gobain acquired Monofrax, based in New York, and a manufacturer of fused cast refractories. This strategic move was expected to strengthen the company's position in the American market.

• In February 2022, Element Six UK Ltd collaborated with II-VI Inc. Through this collaboration, II-VI licenses Element Six's intellectual property and necessary equipment would produce high-quality single-crystal diamonds to expand its core competency in diamond technology.
• In July 2021, Element Six UK LTD and the University of Warwick entered a partnership to develop the next generation of synthetic diamond-enabled technologies. Under this partnership, Element Six applied its renowned expertise and capabilities in advanced material solutions.

• June 2023: ExxonMobil invested approximately USD 264 million in new projects in Baton Rouge area facilities. Under these projects, the company included a new production unit to produce high-grade isopropyl alcohol for microchip manufacturing and a new resin production facility at ExxonMobil’s Port Allen lubricants plant. The project investment decision is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2024.

• The recent developments pertaining to the major players in the market will be covered in the complete study.

• September 2023: PETRONAS Lubricants International, in collaboration with PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, signed a joint study agreement (JSA) to explore the possibility of developing new greenfield lube base oil in Refinery Unit (RU) IV Cilacap, Central Java. This collaboration is anticipated to provide a technical and detailed feasible study. It is further expected to cater to the demand of the Indonesian market along with the growing regional market, including China and Southeast Asia.
• July 2023: Chevron Corporation began making four centiStoke API group III base stocks at its refinery in Richmond, California. The change will boost the United States' output of group III stocks. It will help accommodate rising demand for the category while reducing dependence on imports.

• March 2024: Yara collaborated with GHC SAOC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acme Cleantech. Under this collaboration, ACME will provide YARA with ammonia with reduced CO2 emissions. This collaboration covers the supply of 100,000 tons per annum of renewable ammonia.
• December 2023: CF Industries Holdings Inc. completed the acquisition of Incitec Pivot Limited’s (IPL) Waggaman ammonia production facility for USD 1.675 billion. This acquisition added 880,000 tons of ammonia production annually to the company’s existing production capability.