March is just around the corner, but the March issue of the ACerS Bulletin will make you wait no longer.
The issue features an informative and exclusive cover story by Tom Vert about how to select the right refractory materials for steelmaking operations. There are a lot of considerations when making a selection, so Vert’s advice is sage—he has rich experience in the industry as vice president–manufacturing at ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Canada.
The article is a selected excerpt from Vert’s forthcoming book, Refractory Material Selection for Steelmaking, which provides years of industry know-how in one simple resource. As Vert says, there are no perfect solutions when it comes to refractory design and selection, but there is an optimal solution—and with this book, Vert will give you the tools you need to find it.
Plus, don’t miss the article’s concluding infographic, which visually details key statistics for the refractory and steel industries.
The March issue includes a feature article from Lynnette Madsen, director of NSF’s Ceramics Program, that lists awards made in the Ceramics Program starting in 2015. The program provided support for 36 new or renewal awards, 14 supplemental awards, and co-funding for several grants managed by other programs in fiscal year 2015. The article lists those new and renewal awards, and provides the resources to learn more about all the awards and NSF funding programs.
President’s Council of Student Advisors (PCSA) chair Lisa Rueschhoff also provides an overview of the student group’s directions and plans for the upcoming year. Learn more about this active and engaged group of students, and see what ideas they have for the near future. Plus, Rueschhoff gives us a glimpse into PCSA’s new ceramic and glass materials demo kits, which will be available this summer.
Speaking of PCSA, communications chair Theresa Davey pens this month’s Deciphering the Discipline article, providing the student perspective of the next generation of ceramic and glass scientists. Flip to the end of the issue to see how Davey is expanding her ceramic networks to reach around the world—and how the PCSA’s recent Winter Workshop provided new opportunities for Davey and for other students from around the world.
There’s lots more inside this—and every issue—of the ACerS Bulletin. The current issue is free to all for a short time, but remember that all the valuable content in over ninety years of past issues of the ACerS Bulletin is free only to members—so consider joining us today!