E.I. Du Pont De Nemours

E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS & COMPANY

Du Pont Experimental Station

Wilmington Del, USA

RESEARCH ENGINEER

1961- 1965

Du Pont is a world leader in the chemical industry. The Experimental Station is the major research campus of Du Pont. Some of the best known products were invented at the Experimental Station. Examples are Nylon, Decron, Orlon, Lycra, Corfam…etc.

El-Rifai is the inventor of a new material that is suitable for lining the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) for steel production that is impervious to molten metal and slags, and withstands very high temperatures. The novel product is the subject of the US Patent 3,248,241 patented April 26, 1966, titled “Preparation of Highly Impervious Refractories”. The product was produced by the in-situ oxidation of aluminum particles of certain compact shape combined with Magnesium Oxide and Chromium Oxide in certain proportions. The product was tested in commercial size bricks at US Steel BOF at Bethehem, Pa. and gave excellent results.

Also worked on the development of nonwoven fabrics by applying high speed water jets to fibers on screens or perforated plates.