New refractory materials have been the greatest inventions in every age and have been key to the security and prosperity of human life since time immemorial. Refractory materials are pivotal in bringing forth new technological advancements in metallurgy, chemical, mechanical, electrical, civil, nuclear, construction, agricultural, and aeronautical engineering.
Material engineering shapes our lives every time we use a new machine, technology, or device.

What Are Refractory Materials?

Refractory materials are a category of metallic and nonmetallic elements that are highly resistant to the effects of corrosion, pressure, heat, or chemical attacks and remain stable at high temperatures. Refractory metals are more resilient and durable than standard metals and typically have a higher melting point.

Moreover, refractory metals offer a range of other benefits as well, including excellent heat and electrical conductivity, low thermal capacity, high hardness at room temperature, and resistance to deformation.
Due to their highly durable and stable nature, refractory metals are alloyed with other metals for high-performance and demanding applications since the beneficial characteristics of refractory metals are transferred to other metals as well.

Why is In-house Material Engineering in Steel Important?

Material engineering is the design and construction of new materials, including refractory metals. The quality of refractory materials and their engineering determines whether you will remain competitive in the industry or not.

In this guide, we will look at the characteristics of high-quality refractory metals and why it is important for the steel industry to engineer these products in-house:

High Melting Point: Good quality material engineering refractories will have a very high melting point.
Thermal Expansion: A high-quality refractory metal will remain stable when exposed to very high temperatures. If the metal experiences high expansion, it will result in surface scaling.
Dimensional Stability: A high-quality refractory will not change in volume or stretch when exposed to high temperatures for a long time.
Thermal Conductivity: A quality refractory will be able to conduct or transfer heat from a hot surface to a cold surface when exposed to high temperatures. The faster a refractory metal does this, the better its thermal conductivity.
Thermal Shock: If the refractory is not high quality, fluctuating temperatures will reduce its strength and cause flaking of its service. A good refractory will show resistance to thermal shock when exposed to alternating hot and cold cycles.
Corrosion Resistance: A good quality refractory should be highly resistant to corrosion since they will directly come in contact with slag and hot gaseous fumes.

FRC Global's contribution to materials engineering

To ensure high-quality refractory, FRC Global performs material engineering in-house via its expert engineers and technicians. High-quality material engineering ensures each product produced is also high quality. 

At FRC Global, we are committed to ensuring that only premium quality products make their way into the hands of our customers. That is because how the material has been engineered affects the performance of the product at all levels.

We have a team of in-house material engineers and designers who can help create perfectly personalized products for clients. We do not sell cookie-cutter products but ensure each of our products fits our clients’ requirements to the T.

We have over 25 warehouse facilities located in various countries around the globe, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America.

If you are interested in our top-quality customized products, give us a call or reach out to us online.