In recent years, RHI Magnesita has conducted several practice-oriented courses aimed at enhancing customers’ understanding of refractory materials and their impact on pyrometallurgical process performance. These courses—held either on-site at customer facilities or at major international conferences—provide participants with the skills needed to evaluate, select, and optimise refractory solutions with confidence.
Refractories are ceramic materials engineered for use in high-temperature processes, reaching up to 1800°C. Although they may appear to be just “a brick” or “a mix” in everyday life, every refractory solution for a furnace involves a complex interplay of mechanical, chemical, and thermal factors. These elements must be carefully balanced to optimise the expected service life of the furnace.
To illustrate how these courses are structured and what participants can expect to learn, recent examples are highlighted below.
The Metallurgy and Materials Society (MetSoc) of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) hosted the 62nd and 63rd Conference of Metallurgists (COM 2023 and COM 2024) in Toronto and Halifax, respectively. Approximately 500–700 metallurgists and material scientists participated at these premier events in Canada.
As part of these conferences, the MetSoc Pyrometallurgy Section invited RHI Magnesita to deliver a day-course titled “A Journey Through Refractory Design Development—How to Evaluate the Best Techno-Economical Solution for My Process”. The co-led the sessions were attended by 15–20 participants from industry (e.g., Gopher Resource, Hatch Ltd., XPS (Glencore), Umicore, Atlantic Copper, Kennecott, Nevada Gold Mines, and Kosaka Smelting and Refining), as well as academia.
The courses offered a valuable opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of the refractory industry. It equipped attendees with the ability to evaluate refractory materials and lining concepts in terms of their suitability for pyrometallurgical processes within the nonferrous sector. Participants also gained insights into common wear mechanisms, potential failure modes, and design strategies to mitigate these issues.
The training was divided into two main components: A theoretical section and a practical section. The theoretical part covered the following key topics:
The highlight—and key to the courses’ success—was the hands-on practical experience. This allowed participants to apply the theoretical knowledge they had gained in a real-world context, such as lining an industrial furnace (e.g., a top submerged lance furnace). During group work sessions, the advantages and disadvantages of specific refractory products were discussed collaboratively. Each group then presented their final lining concept, guided by their team leads.
Due to the great success of the course, particularly the practical sections, and the highly encouraging feedback, MetSoc has invited RHI Magnesita and Hatch to host it again at the 65th Conference of Metallurgy and Materials in Calgary, on August 17–20, 2026. For further details about the course content and how to register please contact Dean.Gregurek@rhimagnesita.com