A Family Refractory Company Since 1959

Our Story

From a Town Forge to a Global Supplier

Our hometown is rich in mineral resources. After national geological research, the Anyang Iron & Steel Company was established here in 1958 with four blast furnaces of 84.5 m³, officially beginning operation in 1959. Edward Liu and his three sons — George, Albert, and Charles Liu — worked with Li Zengrong, Deputy Director of the Henan Metallurgical Bureau and founder of the steel plant, to complete the first blast-furnace sealing order on a turnkey basis.

Through continuous research and hands-on work, a stable blast-furnace tap-hole clay was successfully produced. This marked the birth of FerrumX, originally known as FUXI Refractory. In an era of limited industrial mechanization, the earliest orders were completed almost entirely by hand — yet through the first decade we proudly supported the stable production of the Anyang Steel Plant.

Mechanized production, stable electricity, and the rapid growth of China’s metallurgical industry allowed larger output, shorter cycles, and better consistency. In 1978 the company purchased the Taihang plant facilities and mixers in Shuiye Town, expanding tap-hole clay supply across central China. Earlier, in 1974, George Liu secured a raw-material base by purchasing a silicon carbide plant in Ningxia.

As demand grew, George Liu and his son Michael Liu established a facility for continuous-casting refractories, extending FerrumX’s reach to more metallurgical centers. When Chinese steel production began moving to Southeast Asia and India, Michael’s son Tony — the third generation — led efforts to bring FerrumX’s tap-hole clay expertise to international markets. Because tap-hole clay needs on-site service, silicon carbide and ferroalloys became the starting point of our export business.