On May 8-9, the 8th International Refractory & Abrasives Summit, hosted by Asian Metal and strongly supported by Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd., was grandly held in Jiangcheng, Wuhan. Under the theme of “Reform and Going Global,” the summit attracted over 150 representatives from China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Oman, Germany, and other countries and regions, who traveled from afar to Wuhan to jointly discuss the current status and future development trends of the refractory and abrasives industry. During the conference, delegates engaged in in-depth exchanges on supply and demand conditions as well as price trends across various raw materials and finished products. They also thoroughly explored emerging trends in green production and intelligent manufacturing.

At 8:50 AM on May 9, Mr. Jiang Jiawei, Content Director of Asian Metal and the host of this summit, officially announced the opening of the conference, extending a warm welcome and sincere thanks to all industry friends in attendance.

In the opening remarks session, Mr. Jiang first invited Mr. Zhao Jingzhe, Group President of Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd., the sponsor of this summit, to deliver the opening speech. Mr. Zhao warmly welcomed all industry colleagues and guests, and sincerely congratulated the successful convening of the summit.

In his speech, Mr. Zhao emphasized that the refractory and abrasives industry serves as the “armor” of high-temperature industries and the “cornerstone” of manufacturing. More importantly, it is an invisible force driving the high-quality development of modern industry. He stressed that industry progress is not the responsibility of any single company, but the result of wisdom shared and collaboration achieved by global peers. This summit offers an excellent opportunity to jointly explore technological frontiers, pursue green transformation, and share market opportunities.

Then, the summit’s special guest, Mr. Cheng Niansheng, Distinguished Vice President of the China Refractory Materials Industry Association, delivered an inspiring opening speech. Mr. Cheng warmly welcomed industry guests and colleagues from around the world, and congratulated the grand opening of the event.

He emphasized that as a vital cornerstone of industrial development, the refractory and abrasive materials sector faces significant pressures due to rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and fluctuating market demand. The timing of this 8th International Refractory and Abrasive Materials Summit is thus particularly meaningful. More than just a platform for sharing experience and wisdom, this summit is a crucial opportunity to build consensus and seek breakthrough solutions. Every insightful opinion and every intellectual exchange during the discussions will serve as guiding lights for the industry’s future, offering new ideas and strategies to overcome development bottlenecks. Mr. Cheng expressed his confidence that this summit will mark a milestone in driving the transformation and high-quality development of the refractory and abrasive materials industry. With the joint efforts of all attendees, he believes the summit will be a complete success and inject strong momentum into the global industry, opening up a new chapter for its growth.

Following the opening speech, Mr. Sun Xizhong, Vice President of Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd., presented an in-depth report titled “2024 Survey of Magnesia Production Capacity in Liaoning and Market Trends.” Drawing upon detailed statistics and charts, Mr. Sun thoroughly introduced the number, mining volume, reserves, and distribution of magnesite deposits in China. He further analyzed the quantity of various magnesia producers, kiln counts, production capacity and output data, and the price trends of magnesite and related products over the past five years. Finally, Mr. Sun discussed current policies affecting magnesite mining in Liaoning, capacity replacement regulations, and the latest electricity pricing policies. Founded in 1996, Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd. is a leading enterprise specializing in the deep development and comprehensive utilization of magnesite resources. Its main products and annual capacities include: 1 million tons of magnesite ore, 600,000 tons of magnesite concentrate, 200,000 tons of light-burned magnesia, 200,000 tons of high-purity magnesia, 120,000 tons of fused magnesia, and 50,000 tons of magnesia carbon bricks. On March 30, 2023, the company was officially listed on the Beijing Stock Exchange under the stock name “Donghe New Materials” and stock code 839792.

Then, Mr. Zhao Gang, Deputy General Manager of Qingdao Baoxin Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of Qingdao Jinhui Graphite (Group) Co., Ltd.), delivered an insightful presentation titled “Current Status of China’s Graphite Industry and Global Adjustments.” Using detailed charts, he introduced the graphite industry chain and current export regulatory policies, analyzed the global distribution of graphite resources, and provided 2024 production data for various countries. He also covered the distribution of flake graphite resources in China, production trends over the past seven years, and operational status and cost structures of overseas graphite projects. Finally, Mr. Zhao analyzed lithium-ion battery anode material production data over the past three years and shared his outlook on the future development trends of the graphite industry. Qingdao Jinhui Graphite (Group) Co., Ltd., established in 1999 and located in Pingdu City, Shandong Province — a prime region for flake graphite — operates multiple subsidiaries, including Qingdao Baoxin Materials Technology Co., Ltd., Changyi Senhui New Materials Co., Ltd., and Luobei Yunshan Carbon Industry Co., Ltd. With total investments exceeding 300 million RMB and nearly 800 employees (including over 240 at headquarters and around 100 core technical staff), the group boasts nearly 30 years of expertise in mining, beneficiation, graphite deep processing, and purification, maintaining a complete graphite industrial chain.

After that, Mr. Cheng Niansheng, General Manager of Guizhou Botong Special Refractory Co., Ltd., gave an excellent presentation on “Technology for Developing and Utilizing Low-Grade Bauxite and Concentrator Tailings to Produce High-Quality Refractory Raw Materials.” He began by outlining China’s bauxite resource overview and issues related to bauxite tailings. He then analyzed the status and challenges facing the refractory materials industry. From the perspectives of technical principles and innovations, he detailed technologies for processing low-grade bauxite and tailings into premium refractory raw materials. Mr. Cheng further elaborated on production processes and workflows, the proportion of reducing agents, production equipment, application fields, economic benefits, environmental value, market outlook and cooperation prospects. Guizhou Botong Special Refractory Co., Ltd. primarily produces refractory-grade sintered bauxite and brown fused alumina, and is a major supplier of aluminum-based refractory raw materials in Guizhou. The company’s products have consistently ranked among the top in industry sales. As the president of the Guizhou Refractory Materials Industry Association, Mr. Cheng has devoted efforts to resolving developmental bottlenecks and production issues within the province, contributing significantly to the growth of the local refractory materials sector.

After the tea break, Mr. Miao Yalei, General Manager of Henan Jinbo New Materials Co., Ltd., delivered an insightful report titled “Production Process and Market Analysis of White Fused Alumina.” Mr. Miao provided a comprehensive overview of the current domestic white fused alumina industry from six key aspects: production process summary, key quality concerns of end-users, recent trends in alumina prices, detailed breakdown of production costs, major challenges faced by manufacturers, and policy guidance along with industry development. He also offered valuable recommendations for the industry's future growth. Mr. Miao pointed out that Chinese white fused alumina companies still have significant room for improvement in production technology, quality management, and brand building. He then presented detailed suggestions for Chinese white fused alumina enterprises looking to expand overseas, covering investment logic, operational support, and overseas organizational structure. He particularly emphasized that companies expanding into international markets should increase R&D investment, optimize production processes centered on customer needs, enhance core service capabilities, and strengthen the scalability of key products. Henan Jinbo New Materials’ production facility is located in Shangqiu. The project began construction in 2022 and was completed and put into operation by the end of 2023. The company plans to operate 16 tilting furnaces and 6 electric fusion furnaces with a capacity of 10,000 kWh each, complemented by advanced processing lines for granular sand, granular segments, and fine powder. The company mainly supplies high-quality raw materials such as white fused alumina, fused mullite, fused magnesia-alumina spinel, zircon mullite, zirconia corundum, dense corundum, tabular alumina, alumina hollow spheres, and chrome corundum to its customers.

Finally, Ms. Li Huanying, General Manager of Xiaoyi Chunpeng Mining Co., Ltd., delivered an excellent report titled “Current Supply Status and Development Trends of Shanxi Bauxite.” Ms. Li focused on three core topics: the characteristics of Shanxi’s bauxite resources, current supply status, and future development trends. The report highlighted that China’s bauxite reserves are approximately 710 million tons, accounting for about 2% of the global total and ranking seventh worldwide. Shanxi Province alone has cumulative proven bauxite reserves of 1.441 billion tons, with 1.366 billion tons of available reserves, of which 214 million tons are currently being utilized, and 1.152 billion tons remain untapped. Based on the current mining conditions in Shanxi’s bauxite mines, it is expected that the bauxite supply will inevitably decline by 2025. The future price of bauxite clinker will mainly depend on the actual demand from the alumina industry and the refractory raw materials market. Therefore, despite the persistent tight supply, the price of bauxite clinker in 2025 may remain weak due to subdued demand.

Xiaoyi Chunpeng Mining Co., Ltd. is an integrated production and sales enterprise specializing in the processing, storage, and distribution of bauxite. The company’s annual production capacity exceeds 100,000 tons of various rotary kiln clinkers and iron skin shaft kiln products of different grades.

At 2:00 PM, the summit continued with an exciting session. First, Mr. Zhang Yixian, Deputy General Manager of Technology at Haicheng Lier Maigesita Materials Co., Ltd., delivered an insightful presentation titled “Green and Intelligent Transformation Practice in Magnesia-Carbon Brick Production.” Mr. Zhang provided a detailed overview of the company’s practical experience in implementing green and intelligent production processes in the magnesia-carbon brick manufacturing sector. He emphasized that green intelligent production not only conserves national mineral resources and energy but also reduces environmental pollution, lowers costs for refractory materials and steelmaking, and effectively enhances China’s technological level and competitiveness in the refractory materials industry. Haicheng Lier Maigesita Materials Co., Ltd., established in April 2002, operates specialized production lines for intelligent unburned refractories, unshaped refractories, and high-temperature fired refractories, with an annual production capacity exceeding 500,000 tons. Its main products include ramming mixes, dry mixes, alkaline fired bricks, and unburned bricks. These products are widely used in domestic industries such as metallurgy, construction materials, non-ferrous metals, and chemicals, and are exported to more than twenty countries and regions across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Their applications cover a broad range of high-temperature furnaces, including electric furnaces, converters, RH and AOD processes, ladles, tundishes, glass kilns, non-ferrous metal kilns, and cement kilns.

Next, Mr. Wang Zhenjie, General Manager of the Refractory Raw Materials Department at Chongqing Bosai Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech titled “Current Supply Status and Price Trends of Chinese Brown Fused Alumina.” Mr. Wang’s presentation covered three main aspects: an overview and development history of China’s brown fused alumina industry, the current challenges it faces, and future development directions along with industry recommendations. The report highlighted several key challenges in the brown fused alumina industry, including slow technological advancement, increasing environmental pressures, raw material shortages, and excess low-end production capacity. To address these challenges, Mr. Wang recommended that companies focus on driving technological innovation and industrial upgrading, emphasize market expansion and brand building, strengthen supply chain integration and collaborative development, and actively promote environmental protection and sustainable growth. He also stressed the importance of enhancing product research and development to continuously improve product competitiveness by aligning with customer needs. Chongqing Damei New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chongqing Bosai Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., is located in the Shuijiang cluster of the Nanchuan Industrial Park. Established in May 2022 with registered capital of 100 million RMB, the company is undertaking a high-alumina clinker project with a total investment of 1.3 billion RMB, covering 218 acres. The project includes plans for a 400,000-ton annual production line and supporting facilities. This initiative is the first in China to use high-grade trisodium soft bauxite sourced internationally to produce high-quality high-alumina clinker. It aligns with the "14th Five-Year Plan" for raw materials industrial development and systematically promotes the utilization of overseas bauxite resources. The project’s first phase commenced construction in October 2024, has completed foundational civil engineering, and is currently progressing with main plant construction and installation of key equipment such as rotary kilns. Completion is planned for May 2025, with trial production scheduled for June 2025.

Following this, Mr. Shao Changbo, Chairman of Shandong Hengjia High-Purity Aluminum Technology Co., Ltd., gave a detailed speech on “Current Supply Status and Price Trends of Chinese Tabular Alumina.” Mr. Shao began with an accessible explanation of tabular alumina’s production process, core technologies, and primary application areas. He then reviewed the development history of China’s tabular alumina industry, its capacity distribution, and capacity utilization. Finally, he offered an in-depth analysis of future development trends based on recent alumina price movements. Mr. Shao emphasized that tabular alumina remains in a rapid growth phase. Currently, China accounts for approximately 65% of the global production capacity of tabular alumina, with significant room for improvements in both product quality and industrial scale. He expects continuous optimization and expansion in the future. Founded in 2007, Shandong Hengjia High-Purity Refractory Raw Materials Co., Ltd. is a high-tech private enterprise specialized in the research, production, and sales of high-quality refractory raw materials in Shandong Province. Located in Guozhuang Industrial Park, Linchi Town, Zouping County, Binzhou City, the company has long focused on the in-depth study of the performance requirements of high-temperature alumina micro-powders for various casting systems. They have developed targeted high-temperature alumina micro-powders with different original grain sizes (1–5μm), different particle size distributions (monomodal and bimodal), and adapted to different usage environments (calcined, active, spinel-containing). The company currently boasts an annual production capacity of 25,000 tons of high-temperature alumina micro-powder, 5,000 tons of aluminum-rich spinel micro-powder, and 50,000 tons of tabular alumina.

After the tea break, Mr. Jiang Xiaoling, Deputy General Manager of Danjiangkou Hongyuan Silicon Carbide Co., Ltd., delivered an insightful presentation titled “How Silicon Carbide Enterprises Can Break Through Under the Dual-Carbon Goals.” Mr. Jiang highlighted that under the ongoing push for the "dual-carbon" objectives, the silicon carbide smelting industry faces dual pressures from production demands and environmental regulations, marking a critical phase of "green transformation" for the sector. In the short term, rising environmental governance costs are likely to accelerate industry consolidation and reshuffling. In the long run, technological upgrades and policy support will guide the industry toward high-efficiency and low-carbon development. Mr. Jiang predicted that by 2030, companies with comprehensive environmental governance capabilities and advanced technological reserves will dominate the market, while traditional high-pollution capacities will gradually exit. Hanjiang Hongyuan Xiangyang Silicon Carbide Special Ceramics Co., Ltd., a wholly state-owned subsidiary of Hanjiang Water Conservancy and Hydropower (Group) Co., Ltd., is a full-industry-chain enterprise integrating silicon carbide raw material production, product manufacturing, and slurry pump applications. It currently operates two major production bases in Xiangyang and Danjiangkou. Leveraging the excellent wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature tolerance of silicon carbide materials, the company has successfully developed multiple series of energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and high-performance silicon carbide slurry pumps, significantly extending product lifespan and operational efficiency. Additionally, the company masters a variety of forming processes such as additive manufacturing, casting, injection molding, extrusion, dry pressing, and tamping, which enable it to meet the personalized and diversified demands of clients across different industries for silicon carbide components.

The final speaker, Mr. Hu Zunkui, General Manager of Shandong Jinmeng New Materials Co., Ltd., presented a specialized report titled “Current Supply Status and Price Trends of Green Silicon Carbide in China.” Mr. Hu systematically covered three main topics: the development history and industry status of green silicon carbide, its smelting process and performance characteristics, and its market applications and future trends. He particularly emphasized the strong growth potential of green silicon carbide in high-end sectors including new energy vehicles, daily-use and sanitary ceramics, traditional kiln furniture and refractory boards, bulletproof ceramics and aerospace military parts, as well as the semiconductor industry. The demand for green silicon carbide raw blocks is expected to steadily increase to around 400,000 tons annually within the next 3 to 10 years. Shandong Jinmeng New Materials Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise focused on the production of fine silicon carbide micro-powders. The company possesses advanced production lines and mature technologies, with annual capacities of 10,000 tons of silicon carbide grit, 9,000 tons of silicon carbide micro-powder, and 3,500 tons of ultra-fine silicon carbide powder. It has a professional quality inspection center equipped with high-precision testing instruments. The products are manufactured strictly according to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), European Standards (FEPA), Chinese National Standards, or customized to meet special client requirements. The company’s products are exported to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other countries and regions.

As evening fell, the 8th International Refractory and Abrasive Materials Summit concluded on a high note with a warm and festive gala dinner which started at 18:30. Mr. Zhao Quan, Vice President of Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd.—the summit’s official sponsor—delivered the opening speech, extending a heartfelt welcome and sincere gratitude to all attendees. In his remarks, Mr. Zhao emphasized that the success of this summit was made possible by the enthusiastic participation and strong support of professionals across the industry. Following Mr. Zhao's address, Mr. Liu Bangxian, analyst for magnesia and graphite at Asian Metal, and Mr. Shi Jiahao, analyst for silicon carbide, alumina, and bauxite, also expressed their deep appreciation to the sponsors of the event and to all guests who had traveled from near and far to join us in Wuhan.

The atmosphere shifted from the day's intense discussions to an evening of relaxation and enjoyment. After a productive day of insights and exchange, attendees were able to unwind and indulge in a delicious feast, while reconnecting with peers and partners from around the world. To add to the festivities, Asian Metal thoughtfully arranged a series of captivating cultural performances showcasing the rich traditions of Chu culture, including vibrant dance shows and a ceremonial toast, elevating the evening’s ambiance to its peak. With laughter, toasts, and shared memories, the 8th International Refractory and Abrasive Materials Summit came to a successful close.

Committed to professionalism, integrity, and in-depth industry service, Asian Metal will continue to deliver authoritative market intelligence and world-class events for the global refractory and abrasive materials community. We look forward to seeing you again next year!