ABOUT THE IBA

What Are The Objectives Of The IBA?

The Institute of Briquetting and Agglomeration is a group of business and technical people interested and involved in the research, development and production of briquets, pellets and other densified products and the equipment to produce them. The IBA looks to achieve the following objectives:

  • To promote the free exchange of information relating to the processing of a broad range of materials by varied agglomeration techniques.
  • To provide mutual assistance in problem solving.
  • To spread the knowledge of size enlargement arts and sciences, briquetting, pelletizing, granulating and extrusion of powder and bulk materials.
  • To encourage education in these arts and sciences.
  • To promote study and research of problems relating to them in the advance and mutual interests of its membership.

How And When Was The IBA Founded?

In 1949 a conference on the technology of coal briquetting was held at the University of Wyoming, which was attended by a group of about 60 men and 15 women. This group met again, informally, in 1951 in Superior, Wisconsin. In 1953, the association was organized informally and was designated, The International Briquetting Association. Biennial meetings have been held regularly since that time in the month of August, in odd-numbered years. In 1967, reflecting the growing interest in the processing of such a broad range of materials by varied agglomeration techniques, the name of the organization was changed to The Institute for Briquetting and Agglomeration.

While membership is concentrated in the United States and Canada, other countries are represented on the membership roster. Every effort is made to keep the Institute informal so that contacts between delegates may be relaxed, easy and therefore, especially rewarding in the earnest pursuit of knowledge concerning all aspects of compaction and agglomeration.

IBA Board Members

Nicholas Slater Freund, Vector Corp. (Current IBA President and Executive Director)
Erick Bubniak, Diproinduca (1st Vice President)
Greg Mehos, Mehos & Associates (2nd Vice President)
Nick Ospina, K.R. Komarek, Inc. (Treasurer)
Frank Rafter, Buhler Group (Board of Directors)
Richard Komarek, K.R. Komarek, Inc. (Board of Directors)
Don Swatling, Clorox (Board of Directors)
Thomas Barnett, K.R. Komarek, Inc. (Board of Directors)
Willy Cilengi, Independent Consultant (Board of Directors)
Chris Kozicki, FEECO International (Board of Directors)
Dr. Brian Young, Principal Scientific Consultant (Board of Directors)
Pascal Hervieu, Compact Ingenierie (Board of Directors)