The novel refractory ceramic era
V.C. Pandolfelli
Federal University of São Carlos – Materials Engineering Department – GEMM - Brazil
 
Thinking about the future of our research area and jobs is a major forecasting test even for the best fortune-teller. Nevertheless, to calm down our anxiety we need to be reminded of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its broad range of wavelengths and features has been requiring understanding and based on that we are now surrounded by a multitude of its practical applications. Refractory ceramics are complex systems and requires a broad spectrum of expertise.  Finding solutions for such problems requires upfront technologies and scientific fundamentals from different fields. We are all familiar, that the background in the refractory and materials science areas is shifting to a complex system engineering one, which requires the abstract connection among the areas of knowledge and developing solutions based on them. Computing tools, deep learning, data analysis, etc, are key routes for our present and future challenges, but do they substitute the fundamental knowledge about raw materials, processing, characterization techniques and in-field evaluation? Does the know-why replace the know-how? Therefore, let us see the whole spectrum picture to fit our particular abilities and find a suitable team to carry out the challenges ahead in the refractory area. The novel tools and knowledge are what we needed to change the traditional pre-concepts about refractory ceramics. They are not a threat, but a great help, to do even better what has successfully been done. This is the purpose of this talk, to shed some light and motivate a multidisciplinary team to tackle the nowadays complex society and industrial needs, at least in the high-temperature refractory field!