Federation for International Refractory Research and Education
CESAREF
CESAREF, Concerted European action on Sustainable Applications of REFractories, will train researchers in multi-engineering areas and expose them to the academic and non-academic sectors through international and inter-sectoral mobility combined with an innovation-oriented mind-set.
They will get the right combination of research-related and transferable competences in the full production-to-the-end-of-life cycle of refractory materials applied to Iron & Steelmaking processes with regards to the new operation conditions requested by the drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy efficiency, and by life cycle assessment requirements.
An important part of the project will be dedicated to the sustainability of refractories, including recycling issues, using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology.
15 doctoral candidates will take advantage of the most sophisticated numerical tools and laboratory equipment to model, design and predict the life of refractory materials in critical operational conditions. Being trained in scientific, technical, and soft skills, these PhDs are the next generation of highly employable scientists and engineers in the refractory sector and related areas.
New testing methods and models will be developed to address the Scientific/Technological challenges for these applications and help to design better performing and sustainable refractory materials and linings. The research training is implemented through strong relationships between 10 academia and 16 industrial partners across the EU.
The CESAREF network is structured to take full advantage of intensive cooperation between academia, raw material suppliers, refractory suppliers and high-tech metal component producers with a direct link to the FIRE federation.
Last news
2026 FIRE Student Photo Competition dedicated to high-temperature resistant materials
If you are a student or recent graduate (up to 5 years after graduation), we invite you to submit a photo showing a material being able to withstand the power of FIRE. Both refractory and another high temperature resistant material qualify. Whether it is from a lab or industrial environment, we would love to see what amazes you.
Highlight of the members of the Board of Directors - Victor Carlos Pandolfelli
My journey with FIRE began in 2003, together with Prof. Michel Rigaud and other academic and industrial colleagues. In 2005, our first official meeting in Limoges, France, transformed this vision into reality. From the beginning, FIRE was founded on a strong belief in cooperation between universities and industry towards a better education. Its strength has always come from working across institutional, cultural, and national borders.
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Contact us for any information and/or to Become Member of FIRE: fire@ecers.org
