DSF is now the largest UK shaped refractory producer with a range of high alumina, spinel and other special refractories. The company is a leading refractory supplier into the major refractory using industries of glass, steel and cement. We are also a major supplier into some of the more specialist refractory users such as incineration, carbon black, kiln and kiln car construction, aluminium and other non-ferrous metal production, carbon calcination and many others.

At DSF we have positioned ourselves at the forefront of refractory technology and innovation to support our customers' goals of higher yields and longer campaign lives using more environmentally friendly technology. Our comprehensive range of products is supported by a highly experienced team who are available to offer consultation on all refractory issues.

In addition to refractory production, DSF also process refractory raw materials for sale to other companies, and the minerals business now accounts for a significant proportion of our turnover. Materials include various grades of bauxite, andalusite, flint clay, chamotte, fused alumina, and many others.

The company is currently in a period of expansion, with major investment in the UK factory to increase capacity of specialist refractory products that are fired to very high temperatures and large cast blocks such as tin bath refractories for the Float Glass industry. A new facility is also being opened in China to increase our overall capacity, and to be close to the large refractories market in the PRC.

DSF is an independent company based in Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom. The company is in the business of refractory manufacture and mineral processing, supplying to a wide range of heat containment industries.

DSF was established over 100 years ago, mining local mineral deposits to manufacture refractories for use in the production of town gas. Through the 1960's, the business diversified into supplying other industries including steel, glass and cement. In 1987 British Hartford-Fairmont Ltd acquired DSF Refractories Ltd. to support their business in the glass industry. DSF quickly expanded its own supplies to the glass industry, and opened many significant export markets whilst operating within the BH-F group.

In June 1993, DSF was acquired from the BH-F parent company by a team including the then board of directors and backed by the Bank of Scotland. The company was renamed DSF Refractories & Minerals Ltd to reflect , the growing importance of processed minerals to the business. In August 2003 the continued independence of the company was assured by a new management buy-out, with a focus on continued developments and increases in production capacity based on our successes in special refractories and high quality processed minerals. For the first time in the company's history the local management had a controlling interest in the company.

In the first four years of the buy-out significant investment has been made in a new 1700°C kiln; the largest intermittent kiln in Europe firing to this temperature, and a state of the art automatic block grinding machine which more than doubles our grinding capacity.

At the end of 2007 a subsidiary company was formed in China DSF Refractories (Tianjin). It is planned that production will start in China in the second quarter of 2008

Our plant capacity is currently about 50,000 tonnes per year, with an annual turnover of about £15 million.

We employ around 150 skilled and experienced people in our Derbyshire factory. We consider the employees to be one of the major attributes of the company, and we are proud to be recognised by the award of Investors in People.

DSF employ a quality management system which complies with ISO 9000, and we have been accredited by the British standards Institution since 1988. Following an audit by the British Safety Council in 2007, we were awarded a maximum 5 stars in the BSC Safety scheme.

DSF supply refractory products to more than 50 countries in North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, South Asia, East Asia and Australasia. Our technical sales people regularly visit our customers throughout the world.

Registered Office: 50 Lothian Road, Festival Square Edinburgh, EH3 9WS
Registered in Scotland No. 144005