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ISO TC 33 is meeting during UNITECR 2009


The ISO TC 33 meeting is restricted to accredited delegates from national standards associations that support the Technical Committee.    If you would like more information on this subject please let us know and we will be able to put you in contact with the ISO TC 33 Secretariat.

ISO/TC 33 Refractories

Monday 12th October
WG 14 09.30 – 13.00h *Modulus of elasticity"
WG 17 14.00 – 18.00h *Chemical analysis"

Tuesday 13th October
09.30h to 14.30h ISO/TC 33 "Refractories" (plenary)


Background
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards comprising a network of the national standards institutes of 161 countries.

ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. Many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. Other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.


Business Environment

ISO/TC 33 has developed a portfolio of standards for the classification, sampling and testing of refractory products and materials, including shaped and unshaped products and ceramic fibres, and is continuing to develop further standards for classification and environmentally sensitive analyses in conjunction with the European Committee CEN/TC 187 "Refractories and refractory products".

Refractory materials are essential for the production of steel, iron, cement, glass, ceramics, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals and incineration, wherever high temperatures are needed for production purposes. The demand for refractory products is directly related to the requirements of consumer industries and their geographic distribution worldwide. The most significant consumer industry is steel production.

Worldwide the biggest producers and markets for refractories are in Russia, China, the USA and Brazil. In Western Europe production in 2002 was 3677x10³ tons, worth 3.3bn Euros; of which German production was the most significant.

60% of total production is for steel, 6-8% for each of cement, glass and ceramics, with lower percentages for each of non-ferrous, metallurgy, chemistry, petrochemical energy and incineration.

Benefits

Environmental improvements have included a reduction in energy consumption, the use of cleaner energy resources and reuse of material.

Processing has improved though quality management systems and increase of furnace and casting ladle life. Repair techniques and maintenance frequencies have also been optimised further reducing total raw material consumption.

Standards have helped with the harmonization of trade within Europe and globally.