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[June 2005]
Rising Production and Sales for Indian Refractories
IRMA, the Indian Refractory Manufacturers' Association, collected data on refractories production and sales for the period April to September 2004, relative to the same period in 2003. This indicated that overall production increased by 51% while the value of sales increased by 64%.
However, in a comparative study of production and sales for the period October 2004 to March 2005 - compared to the previous six months - figures showed there had been a noticeable deceleration in production rising in aggregate by 13% and sales volume by 18%. The growth of high alumina refractories was however maintained, compensating for the relative fall in fireclay refractories production.
Considerable work was also done in the second half of 2004 on the standardisation of the major physical and chemical characteristics of commonly used fireclay, high alumina and basic refractories of standard dimensions. Data was also collected on some typical current prices of refractory products. These data were circulated to IRMA members for their information and also to the user industries such as steel, cement, aluminium etc, so as to assist in proper planning.
Outgoing IRMA Chairman, Dr M Mukhopadhyay additionally sought and obtained members' approval for a collaborative study by the faculty of the College of Ceramic Technology in Kolkata on the characterisation of alternative resin-bonding systems for refractories manufacture. The necessary government approvals are being sought to take this up. Secondly, proposals are being framed for a research project for the development of high alumina aggregates using lower grades of Indian bauxite sources.
ENDS