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Refractory Materials Industry Enters a New Stage of High-Quality Development with Green and Intelligent Empowerment
Release time:
2026-03-26
Recently, amid the advancement of the "dual carbon" goals and the transformation and upgrading of high-temperature industries, China's refractory materials industry has entered a critical transition period. Green and low-carbon development, high performance and long service life, intelligentization, and resource recycling have become core development directions. The industry is accelerating its shift from "product supply" to "full-life-cycle services," fully supporting the high-quality development of downstream industries.
As the "cornerstone of high-temperature industries," refractory materials are widely used in key sectors including iron and steel, building materials, new energy, and semiconductors. According to forecasts, the global refractory materials market will exceed $45 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.2%. As a major producer and consumer in the sector, China is leading the global industry toward high-end, green, and intelligent upgrading.
Green and low-carbon development lies at the heart of industry transformation. At present, the sector is widely promoting green processes such as green electricity calcination and hydrogen-based reduction, while accelerating the replacement of chrome-containing products. Eco-friendly refractories such as magnesia-calcium and alumina-magnesia materials are gradually replacing toxic chrome-based products. Meanwhile, continuous breakthroughs have been made in technologies for recycling waste refractories and high-value utilization of industrial solid waste and low-grade raw materials. In 2026, China’s recycling rate of waste refractories reached 48%, effectively reducing reliance on primary resources and carbon emissions.
Breakthroughs in high-performance and high-end innovation continue to meet diverse application scenarios. Research and development of ultra-high-temperature and high-corrosion-resistance refractories have been accelerated for extreme conditions such as hydrogen metallurgy and nuclear waste disposal. In new energy sectors including photovoltaic glass and lithium battery sintering, demand for high-purity, hydrogen-corrosion-resistant special refractories has grown by more than 25%. Technological breakthroughs have been achieved in high-purity and high-density refractories for semiconductors and aerospace, with some products reaching international advanced levels. Notably, innovations have been made in new monolithic refractories using aluminum metaphosphate as a binder, with refractoriness exceeding 1,800°C and service life doubled compared with traditional materials.
Intelligent and digital technologies have empowered the industry to improve quality and efficiency. AI and finite element simulation are widely applied in refractory R&D, greatly shortening development cycles. Industrial internet, digital twin, and intelligent kiln systems enable precise temperature control and energy consumption optimization in production. Intelligent production lines have increased output by 34% and product qualification rate to 98.2% compared with traditional lines. The application of IoT online monitoring and AI predictive maintenance can extend the service life of refractories by 15%–30% and reduce unplanned downtime losses for downstream enterprises.
The trend of industrial collaborative innovation and increased concentration has become prominent. Wuhan University of Science and Technology has initiated the establishment of a refractory materials innovation alliance, partnering with leading enterprises to focus on key technological breakthroughs. In 2026, the market share of the top 10 enterprises in the industry rose to 22%. Leading companies are promoting technological and standard upgrading through resource integration. In the capital market, the refractory materials sector has performed steadily recently, with stocks such as Luyang Energy-Saving and Sinosteel Luonai leading gains on March 25, reflecting market optimism about the industry’s prospects.
Industry experts noted that in the future, the sector will continue to focus on green and low-carbon development, high-end intelligence, and resource recycling. It will deepen industry-university-research collaboration, break through core technical bottlenecks, promote business model upgrading, and expand emerging application scenarios, helping China transform from a major producer of refractory materials to a global powerhouse in the field.
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