Abstract

"Development of a new generation of intelligent chromium-free refractory materials for the copper industry"

Dr Eng. I. Jastrzębska

Stanislaw Staszic Academy of Mining and Metallurgy in Krakow, Mickiewicza Ave. 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

*Corresponding author: ijastrz@agh.edu.pl

What are refractory materials? Why, without them, would it not be possible to produce a number of objects of common use as well as the civilisational and economic development of societies? This presentation will provide answers to these questions and then present the ongoing project to develop new refractories for the copper industry entitled: "Development of a new generation of intelligent chromium-free refractories for the copper industry". The project is being implemented under the LIDERXII programme, National Centre for Research and Development (LIDER/14/0086/L-12/20/NCBR/2021, Project Manager Dr Eng. I. Jastrzębska).

This project aims to develop new refractory materials - without chromium - to meet environmental requirements. At present, there is no alternative chromium-free refractory material in industrial practice to replace chromium refractories in copper metallurgy. So far, there have been unsuccessful attempts to develop alternative materials that would have a realistic chance of replacing the chromium materials currently used in the copper industry. As a consequence, chromium materials are constantly there as refractory linings in most thermal equipment. On the other hand, copper is a key raw material for Poland and the world, and is of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the economy and for satisfying the living needs of society, i.e. for which a sustainable supply must be ensured. The paper will present the assumptions, development directions of the project and the management strategy for a large, innovative R&D project.