Refractories education in Portugal

Abstract

Industrial activity in Portugal has been grouped in two broad sectors, the structural ceramics (roof tiles, bricks, sewer pipes and refractories) and the non-structural ceramics (wall and floor tiles, sanitary ware, tableware and decorative ware). In spite of reasonable raw materials sources (refractory clays and dolomite), Portugal is mostly a refractories user. The major steel plants (BF and EAF) account for most of the refractories consumption in the country. Official statistics report 7 refractory plants in activity at the beginning of the decade, producing 30x10 3 tons/year, valued at one third of the imported refractories. Although professional training in ceramics is carried out from school level (plant workers and pottery) up to University level (Ceramics engineers), specific teaching on refractories is done only at graduate level. A small part of this is subsidiary, included in the curricula of the various Metallurgy university degrees