No-cement castables have the last few years become increasingly popular, particularly since the introduction of SioxX®Zero (microsilica-gel bond) and DAReS (Dry Advanced Refractory System) binder technologies. In parallel with the development of these binder systems, development of highly specialised raw materials has progressed, and the current paper focuses on the use of spherical alumina for nocement applications in general, and silica-free corundum-spinel systems in particular.