The aluminium industry is a major consumer of refractory materials, and the demands it makes of materials properties are stringent.
Contracts arrive from both Norway and abroad.
At the same time, the laboratory acts as a centre of expertise which runs development projects intended to result in improved, more suitable test methods and materials. The database makes it simple for users to compare the material properties of products available on the market. The development of improved, more relevant test methods has been another central aspect of the work of the laboratory, and the test methods developed by the ceramics group have won acceptance among manufacturers and users of refractories all over the world. Today, researchers know which refractories are most suitable under various conditions, and demands vary with the area of application. The average lifetime of electrolysis cells has risen during the past few years, from three to four years only 15 years ago to an average of seven years today.