Tides surge at Qiantang, rising in the East; elites gather, composing a splendid chapter. On May 7-8, the 9th International Refractories & Abrasives Summit, hosted by Asian Metal and co-sponsored by Inner Mongolia He-Mag Green Materials Technology Co., Ltd. and Jinan Yuxiao Group (DH Grafite Processing Co., LDA.), was grandly held. Under the theme “Capacity Reduction, Capacity Going Global,” the summit attracted over 120 corporate representatives from China, Japan, India, Russia, Germany, and other countries and regions. During the conference, participants exchanged detailed views on the supply/demand situation and price trends of various raw materials, and also engaged in in-depth discussions on the current status and development trends of the refractories and abrasives industry, especially analyzing the advantages of green and intelligent production under the dual carbon policy.

At 8:50 a.m. on May 8, Mr. Ben Jiang, Content Director of Asian Metal, as the host of the conference, announced the grand opening and extended a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to all industry friends attending the conference.

During the opening address, Mr. Ben Jiang first invited Mr. Jingzhe Zhao, President of Liaoning Donghe New Materials Co., Ltd., the parent company of the summit’s sponsor, to deliver the opening speech. Mr. Jingzhe Zhao first welcomed all industry colleagues and guests attending the conference and expressed sincere congratulations on the convening of the summit. In his speech, Mr. Zhao pointed out that refractories and abrasives are the hardcore foundation of the global high temperature industry, a key support for high end manufacturing, and an invisible force driving the high quality development of modern industry. From metallurgy and building materials to aerospace, from new energy equipment to high end equipment manufacturing, every technological leap and industrial advancement relies on the innovation and quality underpinning of refractories and abrasives.

Subsequently, Mr. Ben Jiang invited Mr. Zhongli Cheng, Chief Engineer of DH Grafite Processing Co., LDA. of the co-sponsor Jinan Yuxiao Group, to deliver the opening speech. Mr. Zhongli Cheng first expressed sincere thanks to the conference organizers and extended a warm welcome to industry friends from home and abroad. Mr. Cheng noted that refractories are a key support for the high temperature industry, and natural flake graphite is an indispensable core raw material for refractories. Jinan Yuxiao Group has been deeply engaged in mineral resources in Mozambique, Africa for over 20 years, discovering and jointly building a complete industrial chain from mining to beneficiation in Niassa Province, ensuring a stable and high quality supply of natural flake graphite resources. Mr. Cheng also stated that this summit is a platform for exchange and a bridge for cooperation, and expressed his willingness to join hands with all colleagues to deepen supply demand connections, expand cooperation space, jointly promote industrial chain synergy and upgrading, and create a new future for the industry.

Following the opening speeches, the conference began with an excellent report by Mr. Xizhong Sun, Chairman of Inner Mongolia He-Mag Green Materials Technology Co., Ltd., titled “The Green Path of Fused Magnesia Under the Dual Carbon Policy.” Mr. Xizhong Sun first detailed the current carbon emission policies in China and Europe and analyzed the necessity of green production. He then shared the carbon emission status of various types of fused magnesia produced under the company’s existing business model using detailed charts and data. Inner Mongolia He-Mag Green Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as “He-Mag Green Materials”) was established in May 2025 and is located in the Green Power Industrial Park, Hure Banner, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the load end of the “400,000 t/y Fused Magnesia and 300,000 kW Source Grid Load Storage Integration Project,” He-Mag Green Materials has planned a total capacity of 400,000 t/y of fused magnesia, to be built in two phases. Phase I has already arranged an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes (including 100,000 tonnes of large crystal fused magnesia); Phase II will replicate the mature technology and scale of Phase I. Upon full completion, it will become a leading domestic base for producing high end fused magnesia using green electricity.

Next, Mr. Zhaoyuan Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Jinan Yuxiao Group Graphene Technology Co., Ltd., presented an excellent report titled “A Brief Discussion on the Current Development Status of the African Graphite Industry.” Mr. Zhaoyuan Zhang first detailed the supply situation and development trends of the African graphite industry using detailed charts and data, and then provided a detailed introduction to the project details of its Mozambican subsidiary, DH Grafite Co., LDA. Jinan Yuxiao Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Jinan, Shandong. DH Grafite Processing Co., LDA., initiated by Jinan Yuxiao Group and built with international capital investment, focuses on the mining and deep processing of natural flake graphite. Phase I, with an annual capacity of 240,000 tonnes of natural flake graphite concentrate, was completed in Mozambique in January 2026 after 12 years of exploration and construction. Phase II, with a capacity of 120,000 tonnes, is under accelerated construction and is scheduled to be completed by December 2026. Phase III, with another 120,000 tonnes, is currently being planned. As capacity is gradually released, DH Company will become an important supplier of natural flake graphite in the international market.

Subsequently, Mr. Yalei Miao, General Manager of Henan Jinbo New Materials Co., Ltd., delivered an excellent report titled “2026 Global White Fused Alumina Market and Corporate Strategy Panoramic Analysis.” Mr. Yalei Miao comprehensively introduced the current status and future development suggestions for the global white fused alumina industry from five aspects: product characteristics and core application areas of white fused alumina, overall global market size and trends, current status and position of the Chinese white fused alumina market, analysis of white fused alumina markets in major foreign regions, and the application and strategy of AI technology in international B2B industrial goods customer acquisition. Mr. Miao noted that Chinese white fused alumina companies still have huge potential for development in production technology, quality management, and brand building. He then gave detailed suggestions on investment logic, operational support, and overseas structuring for Chinese white fused alumina companies going global, emphasizing that going global companies should strengthen R&D investment, enhance production processes focusing on customer needs, improve core service capabilities, and increase the scale advantage of core products. Henan Jinbo New Materials’ plant is located in Shangqiu; construction began in 2022 and was completed and put into operation at the end of 2023. Henan Jinbo New Materials has planned 16 tilting furnaces and 6 10,000 kVA electric melting furnaces, equipped with advanced production lines for granular materials, segment sands, and fine powders. It mainly supplies high quality raw materials such as white fused alumina, fused mullite, fused magnesium aluminate spinel, zirconia mullite, fused zirconia corundum, dense fused alumina, tabular alumina, alumina hollow spheres, and chromium fused alumina.

After the coffee break, Mr. Shifang Zhao, Sales Director of Ningxia Beixing Ceramics Technology Co., Ltd., delivered an excellent report on “Supply Status and Development Trends of the Black Silicon Carbide Market in China.” Mr. Shifang Zhao gave a detailed introduction from six aspects: market supply, demand, competition landscape, development trends, challenges, and suggestions. The silicon carbide smelting industry faces increasingly prominent dual challenges of production and environmental protection, and is now in a critical period of “green transformation.” In the short term, rising environmental compliance costs may accelerate industry restructuring; in the long term, technological upgrades and policy support will drive the industry towards high efficiency and low carbon iteration. By 2030, companies with full process environmental capabilities and technological reserves are expected to dominate the market, while traditional high pollution capacity will gradually exit. Ningxia Beixing Ceramics Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 1988. Its headquarters is located in Bo’ai Industrial Zone, Jiaozuo, Henan, covering 200,000 square meters. The company focuses on the R&D and manufacturing of refractory ceramics and precision ceramics, and is a vice president unit of the Refractories Association. It has about 350 employees, including about 100 technical personnel. The company has a Smelting Division (Zhongning County, Ningxia), a Refractories Division (Jiaozuo), a Precision Ceramics Division (Jiaozuo), an Import/Export Division (Shanghai, UK), and two municipal level engineering R&D centers. Capacities: Smelting Division: silicon carbide (30,000 t/y), industrial silicon (20,000 t/y); Refractories Division: silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide products (20,000 t/y), thermal insulation products (30,000 t/y), monolithic materials (50,000 t/y); Precision Ceramics Division: SiC micro nano powder (600 t/y), reaction bonded SiC (600 t/y), reaction bonded Si N (100 t/y), CVD Si N (20 t/y); Import/Export Division products: cathode graphite (5,000 t/y), anode graphite (20,000 t/y).

Next, Mr. Hong Zhang, Sales Director of Tianjin Zexi Mineral Processing Co., Ltd., delivered an excellent speech titled “Current Status and Challenges of China’s Refractory Grade Bauxite Exports.” Mr. Hong Zhang first introduced the core advantages and main challenges of China’s refractory grade bauxite exports, then analyzed the impact of three major factors – resources, policies, and the market – on exports, and discussed the technology for developing low grade bauxite and beneficiation tailings to produce high quality refractory raw materials from the perspectives of technical principles and innovation. Tianjin Zexi Mineral Processing Co., Ltd. was established in 1993 as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. It is a manufacturing trading company with an annual processing and sales capacity of 250,000 tonnes. Its main businesses include the processing and sales of refractory materials and non metallic mineral products, covering fused alumina, fused magnesia, bauxite, mullite, flint clay, brown fused alumina, silicon carbide, spherical alumina, refractory mixes, and precision casting sands. The company owns several factories and a mine in China, including Guizhou Zexi Mineral Processing Co., Ltd., and many other subsidiaries. It has strong innovation capabilities and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of refractory raw materials.

In the afternoon, Mr. Changbo Shao, Chairman of Shandong Higiant High-purity Alumina Technology Co., Ltd., gave an excellent presentation on “Tabular Alumina Production Process and Market Development.” First, Mr. Changbo Shao explained the production process, technical core, and application areas of tabular alumina in an accessible manner. He then introduced the development history, capacity distribution, and capacity utilization of tabular alumina in China, and finally gave a detailed forecast of future development trends in China’s tabular alumina market in light of recent alumina price movements. Mr. Shao emphasized that tabular alumina is still in a period of rapid development. Currently, China accounts for about 65% of global tabular alumina capacity, and both product quality and industry scale in China will continue to improve. Shandong Shandong Higiant High-purity Alumina Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 2007 and is a high tech private enterprise in Shandong Province specializing in the R&D, production, and sale of high quality refractory raw materials. The company is located in Guozhuang Industrial Park, Linchi Town, Zouping County, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. Through in-depth research on the requirements of different castable systems for high temperature alumina fines, it has developed targeted high temperature alumina fines with different primary crystal sizes (1–5 μm), different particle size distributions (unimodal, bimodal), and different application environments (calcined, active, spinel-containing). It now has an annual capacity of 25,000 tonnes of high temperature alumina fines, 5,000 tonnes of alumina rich spinel fines, and 50,000 tonnes of tabular alumina.

Subsequently, Mr. Daniel Rivas Peres, Deputy General Manager for Silicon Carbide Production and Sales at Carborundum Universal Limited, delivered an excellent report on “Analysis of Silicon Carbide Demand in the European Market.” Mr. Peres first briefly introduced the history of silicon carbide development in Europe, then gave a detailed description of the production process and flow of European silicon carbide, using the example of Carborundum Universal Limited’ PJSC ‘Volzhsky Abrasive Works’ in Russia. Europe’s annual silicon carbide demand is approximately 300,000–350,000 tonnes, 60% of which is imported. Germany, Russia, Italy, Poland, and Norway are the top five silicon carbide consuming countries. By application, 55% of silicon carbide is used in the metallurgy and foundry sectors, 32% in refractories, and 12% in grinding. Finally, Mr. Peres detailed the application of silicon carbide waste recycling technology and EU environmental and carbon emission policy requirements. PJSC ‘Volzhsky Abrasive Works’ was founded in 1961 and has been a member of the European Association of Abrasives Producers (FEPA) and the Silicon Carbide Manufacturers Association (SiCMA) for over 20 years. It produces 100,000 tonnes of silicon carbide, 7,000 tonnes of silicon carbide abrasives, and 5,000 tonnes of refractory grade silicon carbide products annually.

After the coffee break, Mr. Gang Zhao, General Manager of Qingdao Baohua New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (Jinhui Graphite Group), presented an excellent report titled “How Graphite Beneficiation Enterprises Can Transform and Break Through Towards Deep Processing.” First, Mr. Gang Zhao used detailed data charts to introduce the current global graphite supply landscape, then deeply analyzed the difficulties and challenges facing China’s graphite industry. He then gave a detailed overview of frontier applications and research in various graphite-related fields, and finally conducted an in-depth analysis of possible breakthrough directions for graphite beneficiation enterprises. Qingdao Jinhui Graphite (Group) Co., Ltd. was founded in 1999 and is located in Pingdu City, Qingdao, Shandong Province – the main production area for high quality flake graphite in China. The group has several subsidiaries, including Qingdao Baohua New Material Technology Co., Ltd., Changyi Senhui New Material Co., Ltd., and Luobei Yunshan Carbon Co., Ltd., with a total investment exceeding RMB 300 million and nearly 800 employees (over 240 at the headquarters, with about 100 key talents). Jinhui Graphite Group has nearly 30 years of professional experience in mining, beneficiation, and graphite deep processing, possessing a complete industrial chain of graphite beneficiation, deep processing, and purification.

Finally, Mr. Jialiang Ma, Sales Director of Haicheng Lirr Magnesite Material Co., Ltd., shared an excellent report on “Exploration and Practice of Green & Intelligent Refractory Materials at Haicheng Lier.” Mr. Jialiang Ma shared the company’s experience in green and intelligent transformation in the production of various refractory materials, detailing the necessity and advantages of such transformation. Haicheng Lirr Magnesite Material Co., Ltd. was established in April 2002. It has specialized production lines for intelligent unburned refractories, monolithic refractories, and high temperature fired refractories, with an annual production capacity exceeding 500,000 tonnes. Its main products include ramming masses, dry vibratable mixes, basic fired bricks, and unburned bricks, which are widely used in domestic industries such as metallurgy, building materials, nonferrous metals, and chemicals, and are exported to more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The products are widely used in various high temperature furnaces such as electric furnaces, converters, RH degassers, AOD converters, steel ladles, tundishes, glass furnaces, nonferrous metal furnaces, and cement kilns.

At around 6 p.m., as night fell and a gentle evening breeze swept across West Lake, the 9th International Refractories & Abrasives Summit ushered in a warm and grand appreciation banquet. Mr. Ze Wang, General Manager of the summit sponsor He-Mag Green Materials, took the stage to deliver a speech, congratulating the successful conclusion of the summit and extending a warm welcome and sincere thanks to all the distinguished guests. Subsequently, Mr. Zhongli Cheng, Chief Engineer of DH Grafite of the co-sponsor Yuxiao Group, took the stage to extend the warmest welcome and most sincere gratitude to all guests attending the evening banquet, and to express the highest respect to the organizing team for their hard work.

The atmosphere at the banquet was warm and friendly. The intense agenda and in-depth discussions of the daytime had seamlessly transitioned into a relaxing and joyful evening gathering. Guests from home and abroad, enriched by the day’s gains, enjoyed authentic cuisine and lively conversations about industry friendships.

To give back to the guests, Asian Metal specially arranged artistic performances as beautiful as West Lake, including wonderful traditional dances and enthusiastic toasts, bringing the banquet atmosphere to a climax. Amidst laughter and the clinking of glasses, the 9th International Refractories & Abrasives Summit came to a successful close.

Adhering to its consistent, rigorous, professional, and pragmatic service philosophy, Asian Metal will continue to dedicate itself to providing the industry with the most authoritative and cutting-edge information, building a world-class professional exchange platform. Thank you for your support and trust – we look forward to seeing you again next year!