Papers by Author: Michel Rigaud

Abstract: FIRE has been incorporated as a non-profit organization in Canada, in May 2005. It is by now a network of professors, researchers and industrial partners, representing eight different universities spread in six different nations and eleven multinational companies, who have gathered, to undertake well-defined precompetitive research projects, and to train highly-qualified personnel for the industry. The evolution of the refractory education arena, in an economically globalized world, caught in a maelstrom of technical changes, is presented. The changes of paradigm from the “information age society” to the “crowdsourcing” in background, the FIRE realization are highlighted in such a context of “conceptual age society” are considered, with the concept of “coopetition”.

Abstract: Rheological test results on alumina-magnesia castables, containing extruded flake graphite pellets, as well as steel fibers are considered at first. After being fired at different temperatures, thermomechanical properties of such castables containing either carbon steel or stainless steel fibers have been determined, at room temperature, as well as at temperatures up to 1100°C. Those results indicate that the use of fibers improves the performances of carbon containing castables at intermediate temperatures (800 º - 1100 °C), increasing the work of fracture by 50% at 1100 °C and by 10 fold at room temperature.