Conference Themes 2026
This year’s conference focused on three strategic themes driving Chinese refractory industry transformation:
- Green Manufacturing: Carbon-neutral production processes, energy-efficient sintering technologies, and waste heat recovery systems in refractory manufacturing facilities. Multiple Chinese producers have committed to 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
- Low-Carbon Transition: Refractory solutions supporting steel, cement, and glass industry decarbonization pathways. This includes hydrogen-resistant DRI refractories, EAF-optimized MgO-C bricks, and longer-service-life materials reducing replacement frequency.
- High-End Products: Development of premium-grade refractories for advanced applications including hydrogen DRI, EAF high-oxygen service, AZS 41# blocks, and complex composite brick systems. Chinese manufacturers are investing in R&D to compete in premium product segments.
Industry Targets 2030
According to public statements from CARI leadership at the conference, by 2030 China’s refractory industry is expected to fully achieve green and intelligent transformation, providing a “Chinese solution” for global high-temperature industrial applications. Specific targets include:
- 30% reduction in manufacturing carbon emissions
- 50% increase in premium product share
- Digitalization of production processes
- International standards leadership in select product categories
- Expanded global market presence beyond China
Market Segmentation Insights
By end-user industry, iron and steel manufacturing captured approximately 62% of global refractory consumption in 2025, cement industry accounts for around 12-14%, non-ferrous metals 8-10%, glass 6-8%, with the remainder distributed across energy, chemicals, and other high-temperature processing industries. This dominance of iron and steel reflects the scale of global steel production and the diverse refractory requirements across blast furnace, steelmaking, and continuous casting operations.
By product type, clay refractories historically led the market with around 54% share, though non-clay refractories (MgO-C, Al2O3-based, AZS, SiC-based) are growing faster due to higher performance requirements in modern steel and glass production. Shaped bricks remain dominant in volume, while monolithic products (castables, gunning mixes, plastics) are gaining share due to installation efficiency and hot repair capabilities.
CH Refractories Conference Participation
As an active CARI member, CH Refractories participated in technical sessions covering:
- 3D CFD simulation for hot blast stove optimization
- Low-NOx combustion sleeve burner technology for nonferrous smelting
- Multi-material composite brick engineering for blast furnace tuyeres
- Hydrogen DRI refractory compatibility research
- Solidworks 3D modeling for ladle working layer optimization
Asia-Pacific Green Manufacturing
The conference highlighted that Asia-Pacific green manufacturing regulations are tightening, with India and China enforcing stricter emission and waste management mandates. These regulatory shifts create both challenges and opportunities for refractory manufacturers — requiring investment in cleaner production technologies while opening premium market segments.
Chinese refractory exports continue to expand, with CARI reporting year-over-year growth in Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa markets. Quality upgrades in Chinese production have enabled export expansion into premium product categories traditionally dominated by European and Japanese suppliers.
Industry Outlook
The conference emphasized that refractory manufacturers must align with downstream industry’s decarbonization and digitalization goals. Engineering services, not just material supply, are becoming the competitive differentiator. CH Refractories’ one-stop engineering approach — combining CFD simulation, Solidworks modeling, on-site installation supervision, and lifetime after-sales service — directly addresses this trend.
The future of the refractory industry is engineering-driven, low-carbon, and globally integrated. Chinese manufacturers and global suppliers like CH Refractories must deliver complete engineering solutions, not just products.
Contact CH Refractories for the latest industry insights and engineering consultation.
CH Refractories Engineering Team
40+ years of refractory engineering experience · Steel · Cement · Glass · Nonferrous