Charles A. Schacht, 71, of Granville, Ohio, died April 10, 2007, at home.
He attended Capital University for two years and then The Ohio State University where he earned a degree in civil engineering in 1960. Schacht married Sue Ellen Whittington, and they moved to Pittsburgh where he furthered his education at Carnegie Mellon University, earning his master’s and completing his PhD in civil engineering in 1972.
He had worked with a private consulting firm and U.S. Steel Corp. for about a decade when his fascination with refractories led him to establish Schacht Consulting Inc. Schacht became known throughout the steel industry for his expertise in the design of refractory linings, and his successes led him to travel all over the world to consult for the steel industry.
He held two patents involving refractories and published two books, “Refractory Linings: Thermomechanical Design and Applications” and “Refractories Handbook”. Schacht was the author or coauthor of numerous papers on refractory structures and refractory-lined industrial vessels, and lectured worldwide.
He is survived by a daughter, a son, two grandchildren, a brother and two sisters.
Schacht was a senior member of the ACerS Refractory Ceramics Division.