May 18, 2026 - China’s refractory materials sector has received international recognition after a jointly developed high-temperature materials technology was awarded a gold medal at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, according to Chinese local reports.

The project, titled “Self-growing nano low-dimensional phase reinforced long-life non-fired refractories under dynamic high-temperature conditions,” was developed by a team led by Professor Zhen Qiang of Shanghai University in collaboration with Jiangsu Qixin Refractory Materials Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Qixin.

The project was selected from more than 1,000 entries submitted by participants from over 40 countries and regions at the 2026 edition of the Geneva exhibition, a long-running international platform for applied innovation held annually in Switzerland.

The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva brings together research institutions, universities and companies from around the world, with projects evaluated by international juries. Institutional descriptions of the event state that awards are intended to reflect innovation quality and commercialization potential across applied technology fields.

The awarded technology focuses on non-fired refractories designed for extreme high-temperature industrial environments. It enables in-situ structural reinforcement and improved thermal shock resistance, with claimed performance gains of more than eight times compared with conventional materials.

The material has been applied in China’s steel industry, including blast furnace operations, where refractories performance is a key factor in energy efficiency and equipment life cycles.

The development comes amid broader global efforts by refractories producers to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in high-temperature industries. 

Industry analysts say refractories innovation is increasingly tied to decarbonization pressures in steelmaking, where furnace efficiency and campaign life directly affect both emissions intensity and operating costs.