Raw materials are absolutely vital to ceramic, glass, refractories and brick manufacturers. They’re the starting point for all of the amazing products the industry produces, and that’s why we celebrate materials every year in our annual Materials Handbook issue. The Materials Handbook is organized with a definition/description for each material (listed alphabetically), followed by the names of suppliers that provide the material.* Use this informative guide as a reference tool and a handy way to find suppliers throughout the year. Please also keep in mind that the fully searchable handbook is available online at www.ceramicindustry.com/materialshandbook, including spec sheets and other added functionality for key suppliers.

While our staff made every effort to contact the entire community of suppliers to our industry, we may have inadvertently missed some. If you are a materials supplier and would like to be included, please contact AnnaMarie McCann at (610) 436-4220, ext. 8518, or mccanna@bnpmedia.com for pricing and additional details.

This issue also includes one of our most popular articles of the year, the annual “Raw & Manufactured Materials Overview.” We compile information from market studies, technology reports and trend forecasts, as well as details from the U.S. Geological Survey, to provide a picture of the markets and opportunities for a number of raw and manufactured materials used in our industry. As in previous years, the Digital Edition version of this article includes many additional materials—feldspar, fluorspar, graphite (including carbon fiber), magnesium compounds, soda ash, rare earths, titanium and related materials, and more!—as well as more information/charts for the materials included here. Be sure to take a look at the Digital Edition by visiting www.ceramicindustry.com/DigitalEditions.

 If you have any comments or suggestions for us, I’d be glad to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at (248) 786-1704 or suttons@bnpmedia.com. 

*Company listings indicate paid advertising. Contact AnnaMarie McCann at mccanna@bnpmedia.com for pricing and additional details.