Industry Resources

Glass powder, derived from recycled soda lime glass, has become an essential component in modern paint formulations.

Iron pyrite (FeS₂), commonly known as fool's gold, is a naturally occurring sulfide mineral that has found significant industrial applications due to its unique properties.

Coal dust, a finely ground form of coal, plays a critical role in the foundry industry. Its unique properties, including its thermal resistance, high carbon content, and ability to generate a reducing atmosphere, make it an essential material in various foundry processes.

Hematite (α-Fe2O3), a naturally occurring iron oxide mineral, has long been valued for its unique properties and versatile applications across various industries.

When recycled and processed into fine powder, this material offers unique properties such as high chemical stability, thermal resistance, and inertness, making it invaluable in areas ranging from construction and manufacturing to environmental sustainability.

Heavy media separation using magnetite is a reliable technology chiefly used in the beneficiation of coal, that relies on the density properties of magnetite in water.

Already discussed in this series of articles, Mn2O3 already has myriad applications in water treatment/remediation, sensors and in energy storage. Perhaps one of the most promising ongoing and future uses for manganese (iii) oxide is in the production of hydrogen.

Ensuring both clean water ingress for domestic/municipal supplies and effective outflow/sewerage treatment are crucial for localities everywhere. Activated carbon is one of many tools used to enable high quality domestic supplies - whilst also minimising the dumping of untreated wastewater.

Adding further to its myriad arsenal of uses, pyrite is an effective and essential part of the production and recovery of lead.

As crucial as understanding the refractory material itself is how it is formed. The modern foundryman needs to select the right refractory - both material and shape - for the right job to ensure an optimal process.

Most powdered glass is sourced from used glass and then ground down. This makes it a more cost-effective resource. There are however milled glass products which are sourced from new glass or reject glass containers for specialised applications.

Coal dust is the powdered variety of coal created by pulverization or grinding of coal into fine and smooth grains. Lets examine its applications.

Haemetite, most commonly known as rust, is a chemical compound of iron and oxygen. In the industrial realm it is known as red iron oxide.

Fools gold and brown bottles are just a few of the interesting aspects of Pyrites. We’ll explain all it’s uses, benefits, where to find it and identify it.

Iron Chromite's many industrial uses, is because of its high-heat stability, resistance to thermal shock, and resistance to corrosive gasses & slags.

With the global push away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of electricity well underway, the question of energy storage comes to the fore. Recent research shows the potential of pyrite as a material in batteries, allowing potential production of high performing battery cells without the need for excess expensive or hard-to-use materials such as cobalt and cadmium.

Modern mining and industry has made great strides in recent years in terms of pollution minimisation - but more can be done. Contaminants in industrial runoff and mining tailings - such as volatile organic compounds, amines, oxides of metals etc. - can be better removed with the help of activated carbon filtration.

Far from being an obvious choice for modern industry, manganese oxide - specifically Mn2O3 - finds a wealth of uses from water purification to removal of radionuclides.

Coal is used in all types of industries ranging from power, construction, furnace, farming and more. The purest form is Anthracite.

All you need to know about Refractory, the simple guide to refractory and refractory materials. The definition, types and typical applications

Chrome flour (also known as iron chromite, chromite powder, chrome flour 325, and chromite flour) is an inorganic compound that is used as a pigment.

Building on the use cases for manganese sesquioxide - Mn2O3 - in purification and remediation systems, more ‘high tech’ uses for the compound include in rapidly expanding and economically important sectors around energy storage, transfer and gas/substance detection.

It is widely known that the outcome of certain biological materials entering or persisting in the water supply: illness. Made easier to remove via the use of activated carbon filtration, this third article in a series of activated carbon for water purification, looks at just that. Clean potable water supplies are essential for life - it’s that simple. Additionally, using activated carbon as a support for biological material may be useful.

Far from being an obvious choice for modern industry, manganese oxide - specifically Mn2O3 - finds a wealth of uses from water purification to removal of radionuclides. Coupling low toxicity with broad applications, Mn2O3 is a highly valued commodity.

In the second in a five part series on the applications of activated carbon, the use of activated carbon to sequester heavy metals is examined. Heavy metals, for example cadmium and lead, are notoriously difficult to remove from solution and there are serious consequences if these make their way into water courses, drinking water or the sea. Activated carbon is part of the solution.

Spodumene is a mineral with an important role to play in modern ceramics: the addition of resistance to thermal shock and expansion - making for a longer ceramic lifetime.

The modern foundry producer is interested in the production of the best quality product without compromise - wetting can be a cause of some problems in the metals casting process.

Coal as mined is not a worthy material for modern combustion, owing to its large quantity of sulfur compounds amongst others. When burned, these release toxic gases. Coal washing reduces the amount of these gases released on burning - by helping to remove them from the coal. The addition of zinc chloride to a coal beneficiation process can lead to the production of activated carbon products.

Crucial to the identity of the refractory material itself is how it performs in elevated temperatures - but this isn’t the only area where a refractory needs to excel. Certain applications require elevated levels of compressive strength and specific porosity profiles.

Charcoal briquettes are the economical choice when it comes to domestic solid fuel - and are desirable from a manufacturing point of view too.

Addition of glass powders can increase production efficiency, cost and the quality of bricks and ceramic glazes.

Not all refractories are created equal: the acidic, basic and neutral classifications help the user in their choice of optimal refractory material.

Iron pyrite is an inexpensive and widely available material that finds use in iron production, affording interesting enhancements to process efficiency and final products.

Ground glass powder is the most common additive in the manufacture of rock/mineral wools for insulation products and other applications.

Foundry burn on is a name given to a wide variety of surface defects that are produced at high heat during the metal sand casting process. Carbonaceous materials in the mold, such as high-anthracite coal dust can prevent such defects from forming.

Bentonite is a form of clay that has found numerous uses over its thousands of years of use - but perhaps most notably in foundries from the 1900’s onwards, alongside powdered coal.

Porcelain, whose origin can be traced back to China, can be described as a ceramic material formed by heating various materials together. These materials, including Kaolin which is heated in a kiln to high range temperatures between 1200 and 1400ºC.

Chrome sand is used in high-quality castables for producing precision castings when held together using organic resin- or inorganic type- binders.

Some important properties of feldspar is the alumina and alkali content. Thus they have many applications in the paint, glass, and ceramic industries.

Yellow ochre (limonite), a hydrated form of iron oxide hydroxide, is a naturally occurring ore of iron with uses beyond pigments.

Anthracite is one of the hardest forms of coal and is known for its high carbon content. Aside from as a fuel, anthracite finds use in high temperature applications - especially when calcined - due to its relatively high resistance to thermal shock, strength and chemical inertness.

A paver is used for external flooring, often in the form of a stone, tile or brick. Roads, patios, driveways, and walkways are mainly where pavers are used.

Chrome flour is a leading pigment in the manufacture of green glass - chiefly used in containers, it finds other uses such as in the automotive sector.

Glass powder isn’t just good for making new glass - it also has applications in the furnaces used to make glass and beyond.

The ideas of coloured glass and oxidised versus reduced glasses go hand in hand - the choice of additives in the glassmaking process has profound impacts on colour, as well as the manufacturing process itself.

Coal dust (powdered anthracite), a relatively inexpensive and useful material, has a wide variety of uses in the refractory environment.

There are five common types of clay, namely; kaolin, stoneware, ball clay, fireclay and earthenware. The different clay types are used for varying purposes.

Calculating the batch redox number is a useful tool for glassmakers to help ensure that their desired colour is achieved when creating glass products.

Filler sands are without question a necessity in steel production. Furthermore, chromium-based filler sands are preferred and widely used in the foundry industry.

Refractory materials are an integral part of foundries and other high-temperature operations; chrome compounds can add useful properties to well-established materials.

A technique used in sand casting is green sand. It is a mixture of silica sand, chromite or zircon sand, bentonite, water, inert sludge, and coal dust.

Green sand is a compound mixture used for casting of metals, the most widely used moulding type in furnace and foundry applications.

Soda-lime has a host of applications. In fact, it is the most common form of glass produced and is used in 90% of all glass applications.

Sand casting is an efficient and economical process of producing geometrically complex components and shapes using non-reusable molds. However certain defects can occur in the process.

If you want to get a better idea about what is ladle sand and how and why it is being used in the foundries for pouring metal then this is the time for you to learn about the process from a basic level.

Although, Petrobond and clay dust sands share several properties in common, coal dust according to a recent study has been shown to possess some characteristics that gives it an upper hand in a casting process.

Hematite is commonly seen by us in the form of rust. This occurs as a chemical compound of oxygen and iron. In the industrial world, it is known as red iron oxide and it is one of the most important chemical compounds.

Brick is a term that refers to a small unit used as building material. These are often made with fired clay and are secured in places with mortar, which is a mixture of water, cement, and sand.

This article is going to highlight all the features and benefits of manganese dioxide. Including its chemical composition, cost, benefits, and why it’s an essential additive for the production of ceramic, tiles, pavers and bricks.

Clay roofing tiles come in various shapes and colours. K37 Black pigment, Manganese Brown pigment, and Grey pigment to name a few.

Blue oxide pigments are often derived from minerals. They are used in paints, inks, plastics, fabrics, cosmetics, and food, to name a few examples.

Everything you need to know about Manganese oxide. Its chemical formula and why it’s used as an additive for made bricks, tiles, and pavers.

Black brick pigment, also known as, black ceramic oxide, black clay oxide, or simply K37, is one of the most striking new colours to use in new builds.