Ceramic raw materials, both synthetic and natural, are the basis for the economical manufacture of ceramic products in line with market requirements.

They influence not only product quality but also the efficiency of the different steps in the long process chain involved in producing ceramic components. That applies to materials which are acquired through mining and corresponding processing of raw materials and which are used predominantly in silicate ceramics. But it is also true of synthetically produced powders needed for technical ceramics and also refractory products.

As in the past, the section on raw materials at ceramitec will again be strong this year. Leading international companies have already signed up to take part. These include, for example: Amberger Kaolinwerke Eduard Kick GmbH & Co. KG, Cementos Molins Industrial S.A., Ceramat s.r.l, Goerg & Schneider GmbH u. Co.KG, Grothe Rohstoffe GmbH & Co. KG, Iwatani Corporation GmbH, MOTA Ceramic Solutions, Nabaltec AG, Reimbold & Strick Handels- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft für chemisch-keramische Produkte mbH, S.C.R. Sibelco N.V., SEDLECKÝ KAOLIN a.s and the Stephan Schmidt Group.

A key topic currently in the field of raw materials is material-efficient production. On the part of the raw material suppliers, a high level of expertise is required concerning the relevant technologies. ceramitec 2015 will present the close connections between raw material suppliers, plant manufacturers, ceramic producers and research and development. Because developments in special areas, such as nanotechnology, generally require that R&D is involved in the Page 2 development cluster. Here ceramitec will again in 2015 be the platform for the field of research and development.

The evaluation of natural resources begins with the deposits themselves. What´s important is the preparation of the highest raw material qualities for the highest demands. On the world market there are dependencies in terms of supplies for a range of raw materials. Often political reasons play a part or simply a lack of regional resources. That applies not only to rare earths, needed for example for certain products in technical ceramics, but also to graphite, bauxite and magnesite, which are used in the refractory industry and in technical ceramics.

Alongside this, and with regard to cost efficiency, the most important goal is a zeroerror quota in production. This process requires precise coordination of raw-material quality, recipes, technical processes and the desired product characteristics. In this way, cost-efficiency is maximized, and with it, international competitiveness.

On the other hand, in recent years there has been a significant rise in awareness of material efficiency. Key points here include: elimination of rejects, managing natural resources and delivery dependencies for individual raw materials.

These aspects have boosted efforts to recycle raw materials. This theme is of particular importance, not just from an environmental point of view. Recycling demands a high analytical input, but it is considered worth doing because of the savings that can be made on raw materials. But recycling of raw materials only becomes economical when expensive raw materials are processed and when the technology partnerships involved operate well.

At ceramitec 2015, new technologies and applications from industry, research and development will be presenting visions for the future of the industry.

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