U.S. Steel has completed a $350 million blast furnace reline at its Gary Works operation in Indiana, returning more than 2 million tons of annual hot metal production capability to service. The project replaced the furnace’s refractory lining and restored critical systems supporting high-temperature ironmaking operations and long-term steel production.
Blast Furnace No. 14 has returned to service following completion of the reline project. The furnace is the largest at Gary Works and in U.S. Steel’s operating footprint.
The reline included replacement of the furnace’s refractory lining as well as restoration of critical systems designed to support safe, reliable operation and extend the furnace’s productive life. During the outage, teams also completed maintenance on supporting infrastructure, including the furnace gas, cooling water, hoisting, and stove systems.
The project required more than 1 million labor hours from employees and contractors, with a peak workforce of approximately 1,000 contractors on site per day.
David Burritt President and CEO U.S. Steel
“The return of Blast Furnace No. 14 is a great example of disciplined execution at U.S. Steel and is a testament to the skill, dedication, and unwavering focus on safety demonstrated by our employees, contractors, and partners,” said David B. Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel. “This investment positions Gary Works to continue serving [clients], supporting American manufacturing, and creating value for years to come.”
Blast Furnace No. 14 is capable of producing more than 2 million tons of hot metal annually. The furnace incorporates large carbon block refractory produced by NDK, and it uses iron ore pellets sourced from U.S. Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations as part of the company’s integrated steel supply chain.
The project comes as U.S. Steel continued hot strip mill and related steel shop upgrades at Gary Works intended to enhance capabilities, environmental performance, and operational reliability.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A new production facility for lightweight refractory materials has opened in Missouri, increasing supply for furnace-lined industrial processes that operate at elevated temperatures. The materials support thermal insulation and durability in equipment used across sectors such as petrochemicals, aluminum, and power generation, where reliable furnace performance is essential to high-temperature manufacturing and other heat-intensive processing operations.
The new lightweight monolithics production facility in Fulton | Image Credit: HWI
HWI, a member of Calderys, has opened a lightweight monolithics production facility in Fulton, Missouri. Built on existing HWI property at the company’s Rotary Kiln complex, the greenfield investment increases production capacity for lightweight refractory materials used to line heaters, reformers, boilers, crackers, and furnaces in a range of industrial applications.
The facility has direct access to local clay reserves, enabling vertical integration intended to support raw material consistency and supply reliability. Operational features include a furnace system used to produce GREENLITE® aggregate, along with robotic automation for packaging and material handling, as well as updated packaging capabilities.
Michel Cornelissen President and CEO Calderys Group
The added capacity is expected to shorten lead times, support make-to-stock inventory, and allow the company to pursue larger projects that were previously limited by supply constraints. Premium GREENLITE® products, including the GREENLITE®-45-L family of monolithics and GREENLITE® 115 AR brick, are now shipping through the company’s distribution network.
“Demand for these high-performance, energy-saving lightweight refractories continues to grow rapidly while global supply chains remain under pressure,” said Michel Cornelissen, president and CEO of Calderys Group.
Monolithic refractories provide insulation and structural stability for equipment operating in high-temperature environments. HWI’s GREENLITE® lightweight monolithics provide insulation with optimized strength-to-density ratios that help minimize heat loss, reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, extend campaign life, and enable longer service intervals. These, in turn, help clients lower operating costs and improve energy efficiency while maintaining productivity and reliability.
Press release is available in its original form here. Main image shows the ribbon cutting with local officials at the Fulton plant. Image Credit: HWI
TFL Incorporated, a Houston-based provider of refractory materials and precast shapes, has been acquired in a move that strengthens resources and technical support for high-temperature industries. The acquisition enhances service capacity and product availability for clients operating in demanding thermal-processing environments, including sectors that rely on consistent refractory performance to maintain uptime and efficiency.
Click the image above to read more about a related refractory acquisition.
TFL has long specialized in the distribution and manufacturing of refractory materials and precast refractory shapes for industrial applications requiring durable, heat-resistant solutions. Its expertise supports operations across energy, petrochemical, and other high-heat industries throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Plibrico Company, a manufacturer of monolithic refractories and engineered refractory solutions, completed the acquisition as part of its continued growth strategy. The addition of TFL expands Plibrico’s geographic footprint, particularly in Texas and the Southern U.S., and strengthens its ability to deliver comprehensive refractory products and technical services to customers facing increasingly complex thermal processing demands.
John Paul Surdo President and CEO Plibrico Company
“This combination enhances the technical and operational strengths that matter most in the field,” said John Paul Surdo, president and CEO of Plibrico. He noted that TFL’s established customer relationships, combined with Plibrico’s engineering depth and precast abilities, provide broader solution options and strengthened technical collaboration for clients across key industrial markets it serves.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Atlantic Fire Brick & Supply has been acquired in a move that strengthens refractory solutions for industrial thermal processing operations across the southeastern United States. The acquisition expands access to refractory materials, technical expertise, and field services critical to heat treating and other high-temperature manufacturing sectors, supporting increased uptime, safety, and performance in thermal systems.
Founded in 2004 and based in Charleston, South Carolina, Atlantic Fire Brick & Supply provides refractory products and installation services to industrial customers operating furnaces, kilns, and other heat-intensive equipment. The acquisition was completed by Plibrico Company, LLC, a global manufacturer and supplier of refractory materials and engineered solutions. Atlantic Fire Brick & Supply will integrate into a broader network while maintaining its regional presence and customer relationships.
John Paul Surdo President and CEO Plibrico Company, LLC
For heat treaters and other thermal processors in the region, the acquisition is expected to improve refractory availability and service responsiveness, helping facilities maintain equipment reliability as production demands and efficiency requirements continue to rise.
“This combination is centered on delivering greater value to customers,” said John Paul Surdo, president and CEO of the Plibrico Company. “Atlantic Fire Brick & Supply has earned the trust of clients through responsive support and strong partnerships. By reinforcing that foundation with Plibrico’s technical depth and expanded product capabilities, clients across the Southeast are better supported in solving complex refractory challenges and improving performance.”
Press release is available in its original form here.
Industrial Ceramic Products, Inc. (ICP) has been acquired by Allied Mineral Products, LLC (Allied). The acquisition includes all ICP’s product lines, equipment, facilities, grounds, and employee base. The deal will increase Allied’s capacity, applications, and expansion into precision, high-fired refractory shapes markets.
Paul Jamieson CEO Allied Mineral Products
“We have been each other’s’ customers and we have partnered with ICP on various projects for over 50 years. They have a strong management team, a highly tenured workforce and expertise in precision high-fired ceramic shapes. Their skill in manufacturing high quality ceramic refractory shapes is well known in our industry. Culturally we are very aligned,” said Paul Jamieson, president and CEO of Allied. “With this acquisition, we add a highly skilled workforce and plenty of room to grow and expand at ICP’s current location in Marysville. We will continue producing products under the ICP name for the foreseeable future.”
John Odenthal President ICP
“We recently celebrated ICP’s 89th year of quality manufacturing. We are proud of what we and our employees have accomplished over the years,” said John Odenthal, president of ICP. “As the marketplace continues to be more competitive, we realized we needed to align with a strong company to ensure we could continue to serve our customers and provide security for our employees. With this sale, we know our customers and employees will benefit, and that is especially important to us.”
ICP’s production facility in Marysville, OH, joins Allied’s existing U.S. manufacturing operations in Columbus, OH; Brownsville, TX; and Pell City, AL. Allied Mineral Products, LLC is a global manufacturer of monolithic refractories and precast, pre-fired refractory shapes. Headquartered in Columbus, OH, Allied serves a wide variety of industries with refractory solutions.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Chiz Bros., which provides solutions for refractory and high temperature applications in the metals industries, recently completed the acquisition of Advanced Material Science, a thermal and electrical insulation material distributor and a long-term vendor of the company.
Mark Rhoa, Jr. Vice President of Sales Chiz Bros
In addition to distributing insulation material out of its southwestern Pennsylvania location, Advanced Material Science focuses on custom CNC machining. Chiz Bros. plans to invest in improvements to machinery, inventory, and safety practices relating to its refractory applications which also serve the power, glass, and ceramics industries.
“The acquisition of Advanced Material Science will help us expand our offerings in regard to induction insulation and utilize their quick turnaround and precise machine services,” said Mark Rhoa, Jr., vice president of Chiz Bros. “We are excited to welcome them into the Chiz Bros. family. We pride ourselves on supplying high quality materials and AMS certainly fits that mold.”
“Advanced Material Science has always enjoyed working with Chiz Bros. as a customer, and now we can take a step further and work together as one company,” said John Pertinaci, who has been plant manager of AMS for more than seven years and will remain in that role. “I look forward to this new relationship and the mutual benefits it will bring to the industry.”
Sometimes our editors find items that are not exactly “heat treat” but do deal with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing. To celebrate getting to the “fringe” of the weekend, Heat TreatToday presents a Heat TreatFringe Friday with this press release which describes the energy and sustainability benefits of a recent partnership between a supplier of refractory elements and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Allied Mineral Products is providing refractory expertise on a new project that will collect and store unused renewable energy. They’ve teamed up with NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) on the ENDURING project, which focuses on long-duration energy storage using heated particles. Funding was awarded from ARPA-E, a government agency advancing high-impact energy technologies in the early stages of development with the idea that some could be transformative and powerful for the future.
The process in development can collect excess electrical energy and convert it into thermal energy. With the help of refractories in a holding vessel, this thermal energy can be efficiently stored for days. When it is needed, the stored thermal energy will go through a heat exchange process and be converted back into electricity for use by commercial or residential customers.
Reducing heat loss is critical as the proposed facility would provide electricity for several days with low-cost particle thermal energy storage. Allied is also selecting innovative products for use in other areas of the proposed plant that would experience high temperatures and wear. Specimens and testing of different refractory materials are being provided by Allied in support of these goals.
A Columbus, Ohio-based global manufacturer of monolithic refractories and precast refractory shapes combined two of their recently acquired facilities into one larger location.
Allied Mineral Products purchased Riverside Refractories in 2017, which included two Alabama locations – Anniston and Pell City. Allied moved the Anniston operation to the now expanded Pell City facility in hopes of better serving their local customer base in the southeast region.
Parker Morris
Upon completion of the Pell City facility, a fountain was dedicated to the Morris family (operators of the former Riverside Refractories) for their service to the refractory industry, local community and their employees. A plaque was presented to Parker Morris, one of the family members who operated Riverside Refractories for decades.
Allied has three other US manufacturing operations: Columbus, Ohio; Brownsville, Texas; and Chehalis, Washington.
A supplier of refractory products and services in North America recently celebrated the completion of its phase one facility expansion plan.
HarbisonWalker International (HWI) hosted a ribbon-cutting event at its manufacturing operations in White Cloud, Michigan, to celebrate completion of the first phase of an expansion that increases the floor space of the facility by 35%. The project is part of a $9 million investment being made this year to significantly increase warehousing space along with the addition of new, advanced manufacturing and hydraulic press technologies.
Carol Jackson President & CEO HarbisonWalker International
“White Cloud is an extremely important facility that has been vital to our company and the community for more than four decades,” said Carol Jackson, chairman and CEO at HWI. “Historically, and especially in the past two years, the team at White Cloud has helped fuel our steel industry customers’ success by consistently delivering on their tremendous demand for the refractory products we produce here. We’re so proud of the great work our White Cloud employees do every day for our company and our customers.”
HWI’s White Cloud operations primarily produces refractory products that are utilized by the steel industry.
A large North American supplier of refractory products and services is responding to domestic steelmakers’ increased capacity and solving their refractory challenges through several new initiatives.
Mirroring its steel customers’ investments to boost production capabilities and upgrade facilities, HarbisonWalker International (HWI) is investing to increase capacity by 25 percent in 2019 at key steel refractory facilities. In fact, approximately one-half of HWI’s capital investment dollars will have a direct positive impact on its steel industry customers. Much of the investment will be at its White Cloud, Michigan facility, which manufactures refractory products primarily for steelmakers.
HWI Announces Investments and Digital Refractory Transformation at AISTech 2019
This is the latest in a series of capital investments that HWI has made at White Cloud over the past three years. In 2018, HWI integrated new equipment and technologies to modernize the facility.
The 2019 investment includes expansion to accommodate new warehouse and shipping space, which is being constructed with American-made steel. Additional manufacturing space will house new production technologies, including a new brick press and packaging line, manufacturing technologies that improve production efficiency and worker safety.
“The improvements will further optimize production, product quality, and delivery efficiencies for our steel customers,” said Carol R. Jackson, Chairman and CEO, HarbisonWalker International. “The new press and warehouse increase our capacity to supply our industry-leading products including mag carbon brick for steel ladles, electric arc furnaces (EAF), and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). The new packaging line allows for increased handling safety and provides quality control benefits associated with our product.”
One year after announcing its plan to significantly invest in monolithic refractories manufacturing, HWI built and opened a new, state-of-the-art facility in South Point, Ohio in 2018. It is North America’s most technologically advanced refractories plant and one of the top globally. Featuring state-of-the-art processes and technology, the South Point plant is now fully operational and supplying steel industry products.
In addition to physical expansion and technology integration in its plants, HWI is evolving the refractory industry for the 21st century by taking a holistic approach to advancing its use of data. HWI is aggressively initiating programs to help customers transition numerous decision-making processes from experienced-based to data-based, through use of various sensor and data acquisition systems, for instance.
Through the expertise of its team and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, HWI is employing sensor technologies, such as infrared cameras, and also utilizing three-dimensional laser measurement to make digital twins of physical assets. These technologies, along with ‘edge’ software that can access datasets from various plant level sources, are helping HWI develop tools to increase product campaign life and improve worker safety. Performance data will also benefit future generations of HWI products.
The outcomes for steelmakers include closer collaboration for customized products and continuous improvement, optimizing throughput and analytical insights to find even more significant cost savings.
“HWI is working to transform data into process improvements and business intelligence that help steel industry customers work safer and smarter, with even better tools for knowledge sharing,” noted Jackson. “Combining our digital transformation with HWI’s proven products and the industry-leading expertise of our field services team, we’re effectively positioned to deliver for our steel customers today and in the future as our industries evolve together.”
HWI has also recently innovated and patented new functional product solutions that are helping steel customers further reduce downtime and increase performance. These solutions allow for faster, easier installation with improved ergonomics.
In addition to its products, HWI also provides around-the-clock support from the most extensive service team in the U.S. and offers dedicated iron and steel application specialists who provide highly customized solutions.
