Steetley Magnesite Co
Magnesite (magnesium carbonate) was an important refractory raw material but not available in Britain from natural deposits.
Steetley spent a number of years developing a stabilised dolomite brick as a substitute for magnesite refractories. Commercial production began in 1937 and concurrently Steetley made a major effort in research and development to produce magnesia from seawater and dolomite.
1937 Steetley set up a subsidiary company to operate a seawater magnesia plant at Hartlepool
1940 Another plant was built for the Government at Harrington in Cumberland.
Steetley emerged from the Second World War as a leading producer of dolomite and magnesia and of refractories using these two materials. It continued to expand in this field in close collaboration with the steel industry during the 1950s and 1960s, acquiring similar dolomite interests in Canada in 1952.
1952 Company incorporated
Changing processes in steel-making created a demand for high purity magnesia which could not then be produced from dolomite and in 1963-64 Steetley became a partner in a scheme to produce such magnesia from seawater and high purity limestone which was available near the sea in Sardinia.
1978 Renamed Steetley Construction Materials Ltd