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Better mining policy is the need of the hour to encourage the segment, says Chairman, IREFCON NEW DELHI, MARCH 11<\/p>\n
Considered to be a \u2018dying industry\u2019 till recently, domestic refractory makers are suddenly finding their place under the sun, thanks to the spurt in prices of Chinese imports.<\/p>\n
Earlier, apart from finished products, nearly 40 per cent of the raw materials for refractory bricks \u2014 such as magnesite, graphite, fused and calcined alumina and high grade clays \u2014 were imported from China. However, with China clamping down on mining and introducing stringent pollution control norms, the supply of raw materials has been impacted. This has shifted the focus on to domestic refractory makers, said Parmod Sagar, Chairman, India International Refractories Congress (Irefcon).<\/p>\n
Refractory products are vital in all high-temperature processes in the making of metals, cement, glass and ceramics. The steel industry is one of the biggest consumers of refractory products, accounting for nearly 60-70 per cent of the total production.<\/p>\n
\u201cTill about a year back refractory was considered a dying industry, everyone was ignoring it. But this China issue has brought a change in the way refractory is viewed as a product for steel and cement making,\u201d Sagar told BusinessLinerecently at an Irefcon conference.<\/p>\n
Despite refractory being a key component for the steel industry, it has hardly found mention in the government\u2019s steel policy, he said.<\/p>\n