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 recent developments pertaining to the major players in the market are being covered in the complete study.

• 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.

• July 2024: Graphite One, the developer of a graphite mine in western Alaska, has partnered with electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors. The agreement stipulates a supply of 5,000 tonnes of synthetic graphite annually, translating to over 30,000 pounds daily. This collaboration seeks to enhance the economy, fortify the domestic supply chain for critical minerals, and diminish dependence on foreign sources for materials essential in electric vehicle production.
• February 2024: Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a division of the Panasonic Group, has finalized a binding off-take agreement with NOVONIX Limited, a leading entity in battery materials and technology. The synthetic graphite sourced from NOVONIX will be utilized by Panasonic Energy at its EV battery manufacturing plants located in the U.S. Shipments from NOVONIX's facility in Tennessee are scheduled to begin in 2025. With these strategic partnerships, Panasonic Energy reinforces its dedication to attaining zero emissions and promoting a sustainable society.

• July 2024: BP PLC and Castrol announced their collaboration on co-engineering fuels and lubricants to maximize the performance of Audi's F1 Power Unit while meeting stringent environmental standards.
• Jan 2024: Shell Lubricants, a subsidiary of Shell plc, has acquired MIDEL and MIVOLT, both based in the UK, from M&I Materials Ltd., located in Manchester. These product lines will be manufactured, distributed, and marketed as integral components of Shell’s global lubricants portfolio.
• Oct 2023: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Chevron Brands International LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, entered into a long-term agreement encompassing the licensing, production, distribution, and marketing of Chevron’s lubricant products under the Caltex brand. It includes Chevron’s proprietary Havoline and Delo branded lubricant products in India.
• Sep 2023: ENSO Oils & Lubricants has partnered with Gazpromneft-Lubricants, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft PJSC, to bolster lubricant distribution across South Asia. ENSO is set to import and distribute Gazpromneft's diverse range of oils and lubricants, catering to various industries in India.

• June 2024: TotalEnergies introduced its innovative Quartz EV3R lubricant for passenger cars and the Rubia EV3R lubricant tailored for trucks. Both lubricant ranges are crafted from premium regenerated base oils and have received endorsements from numerous vehicle manufacturers.
• September 2023: Liqui Moly GmbH launched Dual Clutch Gear Oil 8100. It can be used in almost all wet dual-clutch transmissions. The unique blend of highly stable viscosity index improvers, protective wear additives, and durable friction modifiers guarantees smooth shifting in any situation.
• October 2022: TotalEnergies and MG Motor have inked a deal to create a fresh line of lubricants in Chile. The flagship product, MG Oil, will be MG Motor's inaugural oil, tailored specifically for vehicles. Notably, this lubricant line will be produced wholly in Chile, a move poised to bolster TotalEnergies' foothold in the region.

• January 2024: Equinor and Linde signed an agreement to construct the H2M Eemshaven low-carbon hydrogen project in the Netherlands.
• November 2023: Air Products announced Europe’s largest blue hydrogen plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The plant is expected to go online by 2026 and will serve ExxonMobil’s (Esso) Rotterdam refinery and other customers.
• July 2022: Air Products and VPI (a power generator company) signed a joint development agreement for driving the 'Humber Hydrogen Hub' or 'H3,' which seeks to develop an 800 MW low-carbon hydrogen production facility in Immingham, United Kingdom.