DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) or sponge iron is primarily used as an alternative source of metallics for steel making. World DRI production in 2007 for the countries reporting to the International Iron and Steel Institute is estimated to be 54.433 million tonnes. The largest national producer of DRI is India. The national steel plan in India foresees DRI increasing to 30 million tonnes by 2010. Since DRI production consumes a significant amount of refractories, growth in DRI production should stimulate refractory demand. A survey [1] of this market was undertaken to understand the impact of this growth in DRI production on refractories. This included an analysis of refractory wear mechanisms within DRI production units.
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