The measurement of the permeability of a refractory gives an indication of how rapidly reactive furnace gases w i l l pass through brick work in service, causing destructive alteration in some cases
LABORATORY
OF THE MONTH
Refractories Research Serves Diverse Industries P I T T S B U R G H , PA.
A $2 million re-
-•-search center, built by HarbisonWalker Refractories Co., the world's largest manufacturer of refractories, was formally dedicated early in June. The Garber Research Center, situated on a 21-acre hilltop site about 15 miles south of Pittsburgh, will meet research and development needs in the rapidly expanding field of refractories science. The company, now approaching its 100th anniversary, serves such diverse industries as iron and steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, glass, cement, and petroleum. Its research program, which has passed the 50-year mark, will be stepped up at the new research center. The former research facilities will now become the central control laboratory for the control laboratories at its 33 manufacturing plants around the country. The new facilities, in contemporary architecture, consist of two main buildings, connected by a glassed-in reception area and garden court. One building, entirely air-conditioned, houses the offices, library, conference area, and instrumental research laboratories. -
