At the heart of the industrial and geopolitical dynamics reshaping the Mediterranean region, the steel industry faces decisive challenges: from rising energy costs to uncertainties in the availability and quality of raw materials, to increasing regulatory pressure in environmental and trade matters (CBAM, tariffs).
In this context, Italy plays a key role as a natural bridge between Europe and...
While global steel demand is weakening, the North American market has demonstrated resilience. And now U.S. President Donald Trump is promising to further energize American steelmaking through heightened tariffs and a broader acceptance of diverse energy supplies. But to what long-term effect? This presentation will explore new investment plans and perspectives on how innovation, technology,...
A simple yet effective method has been developed to simulate macro-segregation during continuous casting. The model focuses on a thin slice moving at the casting speed, incorporating temperature and solid/liquid fraction profiles derived from prior heat transfer and solidification analyses. Solidification is specifically modeled along the thickness direction of the slice.
The model...
The steel industry is actively seeking innovative technologies to significantly reduce carbon footprints, especially for low-grade iron ores (BF quality), which constitute the majority of available iron ore resources and are primarily processed through the blast furnace route. The Circored process, developed by Metso, utilizes fluid bed reactors for the direct reduction of iron ore fines...
Salzgitter AG is consistently pushing ahead with the SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) project on its way to climate friendly primary steel production. In this regard Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH is gradually converting its crude steel capacity from the conventional blast furnace-converter route to a nearly CO2-free direct reduction-electric arc furnace route.
With the new SALCOS...
The ongoing transformation to more sustainable production routes of the European steel industry is one of the major challenges in the upcoming years and is accompanied by a number of changes; 1) the use of a different raw material mix (more and lower scrap qualities), 2) the introduction of new processes or process combinations (e.g. direct casting and rolling processes) and 3) the use of...
Within HURRICANE a sector-coupling circular hub centred around the ArcelorMittal Ghent site will be created. We will target efficient resource management together with the recovery and utilization of squandered industrial waste heat and water. Together with ArcelorMittal Ghent’s ongoing initiatives, this will lead to a reduction of energy, water and raw materials. Thanks to the ongoing...
This paper presents an optimization study of a hot strip mill first finishing stand (F1) top work roll cooling system, which was done in cooperation between Danieli (Buttrio, Italy) and Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Laboratory (BUT Brno, Czech Republic). The target of the study was to decrease water consumption by more than 25% on the top work roll, maintaining the same (or better) cooling...
To reduce CO₂ emissions in iron and steel production, the industry is transitioning towards hydrogen-based reduction. However, a key challenge lies in the sustainable production of hydrogen, as most hydrogen is currently derived from hydrocarbon decomposition. Additionally, during the smelting of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) in steelmaking, a certain amount of carbon in DRI feed is beneficial. In...
Transitioning industrial processes to electric power offers the potential to decrease CO2 emissions by utilizing renewable energy sources. Electric gas heating enables more compact and efficient setups compared to traditional combustion heating methods.
Expected huge market demand of high temperature gas electrical heating in different industrial sectors cannot be covered only by available...
The transition towards more sustainable steel production implies also huge challenges regarding raw material procurement and usage. Production management for liquid steelmaking has to optimize the raw material input, especially regarding hot metal, DRI/HBI, scrap, alloy and slag former materials. Forecasts of the expected raw material demands in production planning and scheduling support their...
Sarclad and CRM Group have successfully developed a new on-line sensor for steel strip contamination. The system utilizes laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to give a continuous and real-time assessment of the contamination levels post-cleaning on a typical steel strip processing line.
Critically, this is the first system available that can distinguish between surface carbon and iron fines...
Advanced steel grades present significant challenges in casting, and while surface defects cannot be completely avoided, it is crucial to minimize, identify, and predict their occurrence to save energy and resources. In the SMART-CAST II project (funded by Sweden's Innovation Agency), sophisticated measurement systems have been installed in the continuous casting lines of two Swedish steel...
Industrial Symbiosis concerns the use by one company or sector of underutilized resources from another one, resulting in reducing dependence on critical materials, mitigating supply risks, replacing virgin materials, and, consequently, reducing CO2 emissions, and transforming existing resources in the value chain into a usable form. Implementing the Industrial Symbiosis concept provides new...
Carbon Composite Agglomerates (CCA) or self-reducing agglomerates are based on the compaction of a solid carbonaceous and oxide matrix in the form of pellets, briquettes, etc. with the possible addition of an organic or inorganic binder. As a result, when heated, the carbon acts as a reducing agent and the specific metals contained in the oxide matrix are recovered.
It is therefore not...
SMS group Pulse Nozzle technology reduces the energy consumption of the electrolytic cleaning section in strip processing lines by up to 90-95 %. The novelty of the process lies within the application of alternating current and its efficient cleaning properties. Instead of submerging the strip and simultaneously applying high currents, the Pulse Nozzle contacts the strip surface with...
Lhoist together with a steelmaking company based in UK developed a new product to be recycled into the EAF process. This new product is based on the transformation of Filter cake by_product coming from the pickling line process containing valuable metallics. Indeed such by-product is mainly landfilled over the world. Three main reasons may explain : the water content is very high > 45%, the...
The ductility behavior of continuously cast steel is a key factor influencing strand quality and crack susceptibility. Therefore, investigating the parameters affecting ductility is of great importance for enhancing the productivity of the method by producing defect-free products. This study investigates the differences in ductility behavior between two micro-alloyed steels subjected to hot...
Integrated steelworks are deeply affected by the decarbonization transition of the steelmaking sector required by the European Green Deal. One of the most promising solutions is their conversion from blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace based plants to direct reduction shaft furnace-electric arc furnace based routes using hydrogen enriched reducing gases. However, this conversion involves...
Abstract
The hot rolling mill power requirement depends on several factors, including the material's properties, strain and strain rate schedule, rolling temperature, microstructure evolution and roll-workpiece friction condition. On the other side, the thermomechanical process relies on precisely controlled softening and hardening phenomena to achieve the desired microstructure and tensile...
Iron ore and scrap as raw materials are the base of iron and steel production. Due to the transition from carbon to hydrogen-based green iron and steel production, most current production units as sinter plan, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace will be replaced by the direct reduction process followed by the electric arc furnace. As a result, recycling routes via BF-BOF-technologies will...
Hot-rolled long products such as beams, bars, and rails are curved after cooling. Roller straightening aligns these curved long products by passing them between staggered rollers, inducing controlled, repeated elastic-plastic bending. SMS group technology for roller straightening machines is the CRS® Compact Roller Straightener, typically characterized by nine, individually driven...
Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) and Ladle Furnace (LF) slag, a byproduct of steelmaking, has emerged as a promising material for the natural capture of CO₂ through a process called mineral carbonation. Composed primarily of calcium and magnesium oxides, EAF slag reacts with atmospheric CO₂ to form stable carbonates, such as calcite and magnesite, under ambient conditions. This natural carbonation...
Steelmaking plants generate various waste materials, primarily slag, iron-containing fines, and sludges. Traditionally, many of the iron-bearing wastes have been recycled in integrated steel plants such as in sinter plants and blast furnaces. However, the shift to Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) and stricter environmental regulations are diminishing the role of traditional recycling methods. As...
Thin Slab Casting and Rolling processes, such as the Arvedi Endless Strip Production (Arvedi ESP) process, are proven technologies to significantly reduce energy consumption and direct CO2 emission in continuous casting and hot rolling. Due to the increasing use of Electric Arc Furnaces and the use of also low-grade steel scrap, a higher intake of undesired tramp elements, such as Cu or Sn, is...
The transition to hydrogen-based direct reduction (H-DRI) is a crucial step in decarbonizing the steel industry. The ‘Safe H-DRI' project aims to optimize the production, loading, transport, unloading and storage of Hyrogen-based-DRI (H-DRI), addressing key challenges related to its stability, metallurgical properties, and industrial applicability.
This study investigates the hydrogen-based...
As a typical harmful element in steel, the presence of nitrogen can seriously affect the performance of steel materials. Restricted by raw materials, equipment and process conditions, the nitrogen content of electric furnace steelmaking is high, which cannot meet the quality requirements of high-grade sheets such as automobile sheet and silicon steel. The use of direct reduced iron to control...
An overview is given of the ongoing RFCS project SHELL-CRACK. The project offers a new paradigm for the prediction, detection and correction of hot-cracks and surface defects during casting based on Pilot/Lab scale thermo-mechanical experiments combined with numerical simulations. This innovative approach considers not only “material” properties but also specific “process” information to...
Recovering valuable metals such as zinc and iron from steel mill residues is crucial in the steelmaking industry. Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) represents the primary secondary resource for Zn recovery, as electric arc furnace (EAF) technology predominantly utilizes galvanized steel scrap as its main feedstock. Waelz process, which has been recognized as the best available technology...
The steelmaking sector has to suppress its CO2 emissions to mitigate climate change, but the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route that dominates today cannot substantially reduce the emissions without carbon capture of the arising gases. Direct reduction (DR) in a shaft furnace followed by melting in an electric arc furnace is presently considered a viable option to reduce the...
The newly developed combination of oiling machine, smoothing roller and online oilfilm measurement system ensures uniform oil application on metal strips while minimizing oil consumption. Integrated with an inline oil film measurement system, it promptly detects oiling issues like overoiling or dry stripes, allowing operators to take immediate action.A key innovation is the smoothing roller,...
The adequate design of ventilation systems for the capture of hot, fugitive releases from ironmaking and steelmaking operations requires good estimation of fume release rates and temperatures, whether it be for short term operations such as scrap charging into an EAF, or for operations that can be adequately characterized as continuous releases, such as melting and refining. There are...
The steelmaking industry is beginning to transition from carbon-intensive blast furnace production to new, lower-emission process routes. Implementation-ready solutions are needed to support this transition, but it is crucial that the industry makes careful investments to avoid risks to production.
The use of a direct reduction plant (DRP) with a downstream electric smelting (melting)...
The steel industry is committed to eliminating fossil fuels to reduce CO₂ emissions, requiring innovative technologies and alternative reducing agents. Hydrogen-based direct reduction is currently the most viable solution for transforming iron ore into metallic iron with minimal environmental impact.
This study investigates the kinetic mechanisms governing the hydrogen-based direct reduction...
Steel components exposed to dynamic loads are prone to wear and oxidation. Nitriding is a thermomechanical treatment employed to overcome these issues. The significant enhancement in the properties of steel components following nitriding is mainly attributed to increased surface hardness, the development of internal stresses, and chemical modifications within the treated zone. Vanadium as an...
The PURESCRAP project develops sensor solutions for analysis of post-consumer scrap with the aim to enable increased use of low-quality scrap grades (post-consumer scrap) for the steel industry. Sensor stations are built for the two separate processing chains of heavy (cut) and shredded scrap. It includes sensors for chemical analysis, size metrics and object recognition. The sensor stations...
Solidification plays a fundamental role in metallurgical processes, such as continuous casting of steel billets, as it greatly influences the final microstructure, in terms of grains morphology and size and chemical segregation. Segregation of solute elements occurs because of their partitioning between the liquid and the growing solid. The liquid interdendritic regions are enriched of solute...
A frequent source of yield losses, especially for reversing cold mills, are the unrolled head and tail ends of the strip. The conventional threading method without reduction at the strip head end results in a considerable loss of yield of 1.5 to 3 percent or more of the overall production of the plant.
At the same time, preparation and threading of the strip head-end are time-consuming and...
The steel industry is integral to society, supplying the necessary materials for infrastructure and technologies, from renewable energy systems to the electrification of transportation. As a key part of our world, the steel industry is not immune to the dramatic transformations impacting multiple sectors, namely sustainable and digital transformations, the “twin transition.” Today, the steel...
An enhanced strip production concept with Danieli Inductive Heating technology ensuring conventional Hot Strip Mill answers market demand for ultra-thin gauge, high quality and premium grades.
Thick-slab rolling using conventional Hot Strip Mill holds the leading position when it comes to high production capacity, wide and flexible product mix, and premium grades such as automotive exposed...
Tenova and Topsoe have developed an innovative solution for waste gas cleaning in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) operations by integrating Topsoe's CataFlex™ technology with Tenova's iRecovery® system. This solution improves waste gas cleaning performance, addressing critical pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF), and nitrogen...
Hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (H₂-DRI) represents a promising pathway for significantly reducing CO₂ emissions in iron production. Achieving economic competitiveness for H₂-DRI depends on lowering hydrogen production costs, which can be addressed through: (i) high-efficiency Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOECs) and (ii) the flexible operation of both SOEC and DRI plants.
First, this...
Badische Stahl-Engineering GmbH developed and applies the most sophisticated simulation tool available in steel industry today: the Farschtschi Network Method (FNM). With this unique simulation tool the optimal design of the EAF high current system is feasible in terms of electrical symmetry, forces on high current cables, torques on mast system and power input performance. The capability of...
Steel production through the Direct Reduction (DR) route presents a more sustainable alternative to conventional blast furnace processes. However, the generation of fines during raw material handling and intermediate processing stages creates significant operational challenges. These include decreased process efficiency, reduced plant throughput, increased energy consumption, and diminished...
Within the ongoing transformation of the steel industry towards lower CO2 emissions the share of steel produced via electric arc furnace will be rising. Depending on the input material (DRI/HBI, scrap, …) the infiltration of undesirable tramp elements such as Cu, Sn and (Ni) may be unavoidable and due to their special properties removal from the liquid steel is hardly possible.
Defining the...
This research investigates the enhancement of surface performance in 100Cr6-bearing steel through the application of alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramic coatings via thermal spraying, focusing on mechanical, tribological, and electrical characteristics. Coatings were applied using Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) with varying thicknesses and assessed with or without a metallic interlayer and...
The latest developments in MIDA (MInimill DAnieli) endless casting and rolling technology represent a significant advancement in the steel manufacturing industry. This innovative process integrates melting, continuous casting and rolling into a single, uninterrupted production line, eliminating the need for intermediate cutting, storage and reheating of the billets, significantly reducing...
Blast furnace is a process that reduces iron ore to obtain pig iron. Due to its high efficiency, it has been adopted as a major facility. As a result, not only have various technologies been developed and researched, but evaluation methods have also been established to optimize the raw materials used for efficient plant operation. Utilizing these evaluation methods, raw material management...
The recovery of zinc from electric arc furnace dust is primarily carried out in the Waelz process. However, the reaction kinetics within the kiln remain largely unknown as direct measurements or sampling within the kiln are not possible. This lack of insight hinders a comprehensive understanding of the processes and prevents precise optimization of the kiln´s operation conditions.
This work...
In the Real laboratory ‘H2Stahl’ a Direct Reduction test plant will be engineered, build-up and investigated. The actual status of this project shall be presented to the audience.
The German research project is being carried out by the coordinator VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (BFI) in Düsseldorf in close co-operation with thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG in Duisburg. The test plant will...
The steel industry has been undergoing significant transformations over the years, particularly with regards to environmental regulations. Environmental authorities have continuously raised emission limits for the entire sector. This is putting a focus on previously overlooked emission points, such as the caster cooling chamber. Lechler, a renowned nozzle and demister company, is developing...
Sustainability has become a critical concern in the global steel industry. As steel production is inherently resource-intensive and generates significant emissions, the implementation of sustainable practices is crucial to mitigate its ecological footprint. This paper explores the current state and future prospects of sustainable galvanizing technology, a vital process for enhancing steel's...
Steel production decarbonization requires innovative technologies to reduce (up to eliminate) fossil materials in the whole chain. This implies alternative iron ore reducing process, new operating practices in the Electric Furnace, new combustion technologies in the downstream processes.
A RINA-CSM project "Hydrogen: innovative plants and related processes for the production of green steel...
In the continuous casting, mold powder is added to the molten steel meniscus, where it forms a liquid slag that also contains a carbon-enriched layer. This phenomenon occurs even in ultra-low carbon steels, where small amounts of carbon are used to control the melting behavior of the mold powder. During the process, the liquid steel may come in contact with this layer leading to steel...
This paper presents the development and implementation of a new material gate for charging of hot DRI bulk material in melters downstream of direct reduction plants or hot pellet materials in shaft furnaces or smelters. Developed and tested over a two-year period, this material gate displays innovative solutions regarding mechanical design, serviceability, and condition monitoring, creating a...
Electric Arc Furnace Dust is a hazardous waste of steel recycling, containing iron, zinc and heavy metals such as lead, chromium, cobalt and molybdenum. With an average generation of 15-20 kg dust per ton of produced steel, it requires effective processing to mitigate environmental risks and to recover zinc. The best available recycling technology is the Waelz process, that is based on a...
Multi-pass hot caliber rolling technology has significant advantages in producing continuous bars, which can be used as structural and connecting parts with essential applications. The efficient production of high-quality bars is of great importance. Simulation is an important tool for reproducing production processes. With the improvement of product quality requirements, people also put...
Regulations at the world are accelerating the transition toward a low carbon economy, pushing the industrial sector to reduce the CO2 footprint. Especially EU has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, despite renewable expansion and the increasing attention on the hydrogen economy, these targets are...
In continuous steel casting, the turbulent liquid steel flow in the mold has a significant influence on the produced steel quality. The varying process parameters casting speed and inert gas injection at the stopper rod tip influence the mold flow pattern. Most investigations consider the original geometry of the submerged entry nozzle. During the casting process, material deposition and...
The direct reduction process is of rising importance in ironmaking in the frame of the decarbonization effort of the steel industry. While these are known and elaborated processes, they are evolving due to the use of hydrogen, the use of lower-grade raw materials, and a size increase to achieve the required production rate. These changes require innovative process control.
The process...
With a CO2 emission intensity of 1.9 tCO2/tcrude steel (including both direct and indirect emissions) and a primary energy consumption of 21 GJ/tcrude steel, steel production accounts for the emission of 3.74 GtCO2/y, representing approximately 10% of total manmade emissions. The production of direct reduced iron (DRI), which relies on natural gas to convert iron ore into metallic iron,...
For over two years, Steel Dynamics Inc. in Jeffersonville, USA and ProCoat Tecnologías, through its U.S. branch, TecCoat, have collaborated on implementing a Thin Organic Coating (TOC), also known as acrylic, for production. The goal is to develop a TOC that delivers performance comparable to the current Chrome VI-based TOC but without the use of Hexavalent Chrome in its formulation.
The new...
The system utilizes one or more robotic arms, depending on plant requirements, to remove impurities from recycled scrap during the final sorting phase. By leveraging an innovative multi-sensor system and a Deep Learning algorithm trained on analyzed materials, the system classifies materials on the conveyor based on their elemental composition (e.g., iron, copper, brass, plastic, etc.).
A...
CSP® Nexus is setting the stage for a new generation of direct casting and rolling plants with its latest orders. Unlocked by its high-throughput casting and "real batch" rolling capability, this technology achieves the lowest energy and conversion costs by efficiently utilizing available casting heat through decoupled high-speed rolling in both roughing and finishing stages. Notably, CSP®...
Calix’s ZESTY technology is a flash reduction process based on the indirectly heated Calix Flash Calcination (CFC) technology. In 2024, Calix completed a second testing campaign (over 100 runs) with 6 Australian-sourced hematite/goethite iron ores.
The campaign demonstrated it is possible to achieve commercially viable metallisation degrees for a range of ores approaching near-theoretical...
The scale generated in the hot rolling process is a high-grade iron source. Fine scales are separated in a thickener and discharged as sludge in a slurry state, and they are difficult to use. This study focused on the sludge recycling through carbothermic reduction using microwave heating. Microwave heating occurs when an object absorbs microwaves. Compared to conductive heat transfer,...
This study addresses the issue of nozzle clogging failure in the continuous casting of Super304H stainless steel, investigating the impact of inclusions on nozzle clogging formation through experimental and thermodynamic calculations. Initially, the clogged nozzles were systematically examined, followed by the study of the evolution of steel melt inclusions at different stages of the smelting...
Carbon steel strips are produced following a series of processes to convert the cast slabs to a coil of flat steel with required dimensions. The hot rolled coil has a protective and adherent layer of oxide scale from 5 to 15 µm thick. Before further processing, this layer of scale is removed in a process known as pickling, which consists of dissolution of the oxides by immersing the steel...
Reduction of CO2 emissions in steel production and conversion to green energy sources demand a highly efficient, dynamic and flexible power supply for electric arc furnaces. Due to changes in the power supply grid by installing more renewable energy resources, grids become weaker and weaker. In addition to that, the grid code, especially regarding flicker values becomes more severe, not...
The latest pollutants emission limits imposed by various governments are forcing some important changes in the world of fumes treatment, also in the iron and steel industry.
New technologies, already applied in other sectors, could now find their way also into this industry to comply with those regulations.
With particular focus to the treatment of the fumes from the Meltshop, Danieli is now...
Hot strip mills can have a service life of 50 years and more. An ongoing challenge for plant owners is to maintain the competitiveness of their plants over the entire life cycle with constantly new boundary conditions and developments. SMS group offers advanced and innovative technical solutions enhancing the product portfolio, product quality, operational efficiency, sustainability and...
Manufacturing steel requires extremely challenging industrial processes. In particular, predicting the exact time instance of opening and closing tap-holes in a blast furnace has a great influence on steel production efficiency and operating cost, in addition to human safety. However, currently predicting the time to open and close tap-holes of the blast furnace still highly relies on manual...
The steel trade has long been a cornerstone of interconnected global production networks. Yet, as the industry faces unprecedented challenges—ranging from chronic overcapacity to divergent decarbonization trajectories—the protection of domestic markets is emerging as a critical priority. Around the globe, measures such as anti-dumping regulations, tariffs, safeguards, and subsidies are...
Abstract:
The transition from solid carbon to hydrogen gas in ferromanganese production represents a transformative strategy for reducing carbon emissions in the ferroalloy industry. The HAlMan process, an innovative hydrogen-based reduction method, has advanced from laboratory-scale research to pilot-scale validation, demonstrating significant potential for decarbonizing ferromanganese...
The European steel sector is committed to improve sustainability of the whole steel production chain, from decarbonisation of major upstream processes up to all downstream operations, including rolling. In particular, in the cold rolling process, oil-in-water emulsions/dispersions are usually applied to lubricate the cold rolling process of low-Carbon steel. Such emulsions present some...
In the field of Special Bar Quality (SBQ) production, decades of evidence indicate that a sizing block makes a decisive difference in the total performance of each rolling mill. This is valid for green field projects as well as for modernization projects. The so-called 'sizing block' reflects a significant advancement - traditionally aimed at substantially enhancing product quality in...
Thin slab casting is a well established technology in modern steel making, offering significant advantages in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability compared to standard slab casting. As the industry trends towards even higher productivity, a new type of casting machine operating at medium thick moulds seem to be the emerging trend. One key factor...
Arcelormittal Industeel Belgium is steel plant producing carbon, low alloy, stainless steels and nickel based alloys through a single strand continuous caster, in combination with a plate mill.
Following a trial with FBG fibers horizontally installed in the broad face plates that took place in 2024, Industeel has decided to convert their slab caster to the latest technology of EBDS...
The recycling of steel as a secondary raw material in low-carbon steelmaking is limited for maintaining sufficiently low content of tramp elements (TEs) in steel products, as TEs contaminate molten steel during the remelting process in the electric arc furnace (EAF). A molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) has been applied for metal production and new refining processes. A recently proposed...
Despite being the largest emitter of CO2 in the steel industry, the blast furnace (BF) process remains dominant due to its high productivity, cost-effectiveness and flexibility in ore usage. Still, with the proliferation of policies geared towards curbing CO2 emissions, the BF process must transition towards operation with lower emissions. In that context, Paul Wurth S.A. has unveiled...
The formation of scale in a reheating furnace is influenced by the O2 content at high temperatures and the residence time within the furnace chamber. Since the temperature and the residence time of the steel are parameters dependent on the process, the only way to reduce scale formation is by decreasing the O2 content in high-temperature zones.
For this reason, Danieli Centro Combustion has...
Wind power plays a central role in the global energy transition and is one of the most sustainable methods of electricity generation. It harnesses the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into electrical power through wind turbines, without emitting greenhouse gases. Windmills are a crucial component of the shift to renewable energies as they provide a reliable, cost-effective, and...
Electrical steel is an essential pre-product for efficient electrical devices. In cold rolling processes, an iron-silicon alloy is rolled into thin electrical strips (typical thickness 0.5 mm), which are then annealed and coated with special insulating varnishes. Sheets of different shapes and sizes are then punched and assembled to form magnetic cores. The thickness and homogeneity of the...
Fluorine has been widely used in continuous casting mold fluxes due to its ability to reduce surface tension, lower viscosity, and decrease melting temperatures. However, its dissolution in secondary cooling water leads to hydrofluoric acid formation, posing significant environmental and safety hazards. As a result, research has focused on alternative fluxing agents, with borate compounds...
Current heating technology is predominantly gas-fired and there is a strong drive and commitment, from the steel industry to reduce emissions in steelmaking. Resistance heating technology potentially offers unique opportunities to reduce or remove use of fossil fuels while at the same time increasing thermal efficiencies, improving the work environment and enabling delivery of a fossil-free...
Blast furnaces are a key lever for reducing the CO2 emissions of the steel industry. This paper will review the available technologies and best practice for blast furnaces and the effect they can have on reducing CO2 emissions. The OPEX and CAPEX costs and benefits will be discussed, with a view to identifying the “low hanging fruit” for steelmakers to implement. These options will include...
In order to remove fossil carbon from the metal industries, biogenic carbon sources are needed. Progress has been made in using biogenic carbon substitutes in pilot and industrial-scale trials. However, challenges remain in the production and use of metallurgical biocarbon products, particularly in areas such as policy support at national and EU levels, commercial financial incentives,...
In the hot strip rolling process, the reheating furnace heats the slab to a suitable temperature for rolling. The roughing mill then processes the slab, extracted from the reheating furnace, into a bar, and the finishing mill ultimately produces strips of the desired size as requested by the customer. In the cooling section, the material is processed to satisfy the customer’s required...
The position of the cohesive zone (CZ) in a blast furnace significantly impacts process efficiency and stability. A lower cohesive zone increases dry burden volume, promoting indirect reduction of iron ore and improving energy efficiency. However, excessive downward movement reduces the distance to the dead man, leading to operational instability, irregular gas flow distribution, unsteady coke...
In steel making, several processing steps are required to produce carbon steels strips. During the hot rolling step, the high temperature and exposure to air and humidity leads to a surface covered by an oxide. The function of the pickling line is to remove this oxide layer to be able to continue processing the steel, such as by cold rolling, welding, coating, painting. Most of the pickling...
By the end of 2050, the European Union aimed to decrease the carbon-based greenhouse gases (CO and CO2) considerably. It was targeted to achieve 80-95% less than the level of emissions in 1990. Hydrogen, as a clean reducing agent, can eliminate the carbon footprint from the steel industry considerably (up to 95%). However, some factors, such as the endothermic nature of H2 reduction, and the...
One of the typical quality problems of near-net-shape products such as the beam blank is the appearance of surface and sub-surface cracks. The complex shape of the mould makes the casting of crack sensitive grades particularly challenging. This paper describes the process of modifying an existing beam blank section to improve its quality performance. It starts with the analysis carried out to...
Steel producers face increasing pressure to cut costs, lower CO₂ emissions, and enhance safety amid evolving economic and production landscapes. This paper highlights recent advances in measurement technology and digitalization that optimize safety, yield, and refractory performance in hot metallurgical vessels. Key innovations include fully automatic repair systems for electric arc furnace...
The transition towards green steelmaking necessitates fundamental modifications to existing production routes, particularly through the integration of electric arc furnaces (EAF) within integrated steel plants. This shift offers operators new opportunities, including the production of new steel grades and flexible raw material inputs. However, the environmental implications of EAF...
This paper is part of the work on the EU funded RFCS project SHELL-CRACK that seeks to improve the as-cast slab quality of the shell in continuously cast semis through innovative strategies to control crack formation and microstructure evolution. Cracking initiation and propagation mechanism is a very complex phenomenon and depends on many factors, such as microstructure, cooling rate, cooling...
This paper examines the unprecedented achievements of Tata Steel's H-Blast Furnace at Jamshedpur, which has surpassed 50 million tons of hot metal production in the present campaign (as of January 8, 2025), without requiring major mid-campaign repairs. Commissioned in 2008, the furnace has consistently exceeded its designed by more than 20% annually, establishing new benchmarks in operational...
In the public funded project “HyInnoBurn – Industrial Gas Burners” a 450 kW prototype of a hydrogen fueled burner-injector system for use in EAF has been developed and additive manufactured in pure copper. This project is part of the German Clusters4Future initiative, supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Uncertainty in the future gas supply (natural gas,...
The European project ALCHIMIA “Data and decentralized Artificial intelligence for a competitive and green European metallurgy industry” (GA No 101070046) gathers academic and industrial partners in the steelmaking sector to optimize steel scrap use in the Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) and the Ladle Furnace (LF) operation. The project aims to develop a Federated Learning informatic architecture...
The iron and steel sector leads in CO2 emissions and ranks second in energy consumption among heavy industries. It directly contributes 2.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (Gt CO2) annually, accounting for 7% of the global energy system's total emissions. Currently, it is the largest industrial coal consumer, meeting approximately 75% of its energy demand. Despite global reliance on blast...
Recent trends in plate steel production have seen a focus on maximizing mill productivity. Plates that are produced using a controlled rolling strategy usually have a pause in the rolling sequence. This hold time can be extended based on the process parameters and can significantly contribute to the overall production time for a single plate and reduce mill productivity. The application of...
Steel manufacturers are increasingly challenged to deliver high product quality while simultaneously lowering operational costs to remain competitive. One key metric in evaluating performance is the cost per ton of steel produced.
This work aims to develop a mould plate design that provides measurable advantages in terms of cost per ton, without compromising on heat conditions, quality or...
This study introduces a hybrid heating furnace design that integrates gas burners and induction heating to achieve enhanced energy efficiency, precise temperature control, and operational versatility. Gas burners provide high thermal output, while induction heating enables rapid, localized temperature adjustments, making the system ideal for applications such as metal heat treatment, rolling...
The challenges in the field of electric steelmaking have increased in recent years, especially in terms of the rising quality requirements of the steels to be produced.
These challenges have not only grown, but have also significantly changed due to various factors such as sustainability considerations and carbon footprint. Therefore, some processes, e.g. desulphurization will be shift from...
The blast furnace process for Ironmaking is highly optimised and very energy efficient. At the same time due to its dependency on coke, not only as an energy carrier but also as a chemical reductant and provider of gas permeability, it is responsible for high CO2 emissions. Consequently, steel producers search for operation modes, e.g. such as increased share of hydrogen based reduction, to...
This study investigates the effects of replacing natural gas with Hydrogen in heat treatment furnaces for stainless steel strip (both austenitic and ferritic grades). Using Hydrogen as a fuel, the vapor content in the furnace atmosphere increases, which could affect the characteristics of the oxide scale, including its composition, thickness and adherence to the base metal. Eventually changes...
An RFCS funded project, SmartCool (RFCS-PDR 101057274) has been launched together with major European steel producers and research centres. The aim of this project is to develop a selective transfer bar cooling that is intelligently controlled to correct in real time transfer bar temperature distortions during production. A step by step approach has been initiated at the design phase and...
The transition to green energy and the reduction of carbon footprints in the steel industry are essential for sustainable steel manufacturing. Optimizing casting processes in steel plants can lead to substantial reductions in emissions and operational costs, aligning with the increasing demand for eco-friendly products.
In the context of the continuous casting process for billets, scale...
In the hot rolling process, precise control of dimensional accuracy and material properties in steel plates is essential for performance and cost efficiency. However, increasing customer demands have underscored the importance of surface quality. A key determinant of surface quality is the Roughing-mill Delivery Temperature (RDT), which significantly influences scale formation and surface...
The hydrogen plasma smelting reduction process is a promising technology for sustainable steel production from iron ores, utilizing molecular, atomic and ionized hydrogen as reducing agents. The reactor is basically a gas-tight direct-current electric arc furnace with a hollow graphite cathode for material and gas feeding. To investigate scale-up parameters, there exists a demonstration plant...
The utilization of biochar as valid alternative to fossil coal for steel bath carburization and slag foaming has already been proved with small scale and industrial tests.
The material availability and the related cost remain important issues to allow the utilization of biochar in current industrial practice. Reusing biogenic wastes is a promising solution, but the concentration of inorganics...
The effective operation of hot stoves is critical to profitable blast furnace ironmaking. High hot blast temperatures and stable stove operation enable consistent metal production at low cost. Conversely, damage and operational disruptions affect process efficiency, iron quality, and downstream activities. While it is important to address damage expeditiously, comprehensive repairs are...
The implementation of the optical fibers revolutionized mold monitoring and provides signals with previously unattained resolution and quality. The biggest challenge with this technology is to connect fiber optics in harsh environments because dust and dirt can easily block the optical connector and cause signal loss. The newly upgraded HD moldFO+ brings with it important progress, including a...
In the RH process, the continuous circulation of liquid steel between the vacuum chamber and the ladle significantly affects decarburization and degassing rates as well as the productivity. Several CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) models have been developed to simulate the transient multiphase flow of melt and injected inert gas in RH plants in order to investigate the effect of different...
With the increasing demand for green and intelligent development in the steel industry, technological innovation in steel coil transportation systems has become particularly crucial. This paper reviews the technological advancements in steel coil transportation equipment in recent years, particularly their applications in hot rolling and cold rolling production plants. These include tray...
Chatter remains a critical challenge in cold rolling mills, as different vibration types can lead to severe strip defects or mechanical failures. This paper demonstrates the advancements in the Genius CM® system, based on its application at the Big River Steel (BRS) Pickling Line Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM), in the context of enhanced Chatter root cause detection and vibration...
The steel industry is responsible for 7% of global CO₂ emissions, with the blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) process accounting for approximately 70% of the total emissions from steel production. Given the significant environmental impact, the European Union has set a target to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Reducing carbon carriers, mainly in the form of coke consumption is...
Strategie di produttività, tracciabilità e sostenibilità con riferimento ai cristallizzatori per la colata continua dell'acciaio.
Compressed air systems represent a critical utility in energy-intensive industries, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, cement, and chemicals, where efficiency improvements can significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study presents an artificial intelligence (AI)-based methodology for the optimization of compressed air networks in industrial plants,...
High pressure grinding is gaining popularity and becoming the preferred method to remove surface defects from carbon steel semi-products. Reasons for selecting grinding over scarfing include for example higher flexibility of operations, optimized yield, easier and higher value recycling of the swarf, lower energy consumption and reduced carbon footprint. To ensure that ground semi-products...
With the availability of the SMS group's new technology, HD scan, for the evaluation of casting quality using ultrasound, new insights into quality issues have been gained and investigated. This publication discusses the latest investigations on crack and macrostructure analysis with HD scan and its advantages for casting quality optimization.
Since HD scan can summarize crack information...
The hard oxides wrapped by the plastic (Mn,Ca)S sulfides can effectively reduce the harmful effects of oxides on D2 high-speed railway wheel steel. An analysis of the composition characteristics of complex inclusions reveals that 1 to 2 μm CaO·6Al2O3 (CA6) and CaO·2Al2O3 (CA2) serve as core, promoting the growth of (Mn,Ca)S, which contains 5 to 20 mass pct CaS and 80 to 95 mass pct MnS. This...
The steel industry contributes approximately 7-8% of global CO₂ emissions. To reduce its environmental impact, technologies for producing “green steel” are being developed, including the use of the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). This technology uses scrap, Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), and Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) as raw materials, managing to reduce energy consumption
(-30%) and greenhouse gas...
Hydrogen-based reduction of iron oxide is a promising new technology in fossil-free steelmaking. In the process, the iron oxide is usually fed in a form of spherical pellets or briquettes. In solid-gas -reactions, the porosity of the pellets is assumed to enhance the reduction kinetics via the increase of the available reaction surface area at the reaction interface. However, the...
The global iron and steel industry is being impacted by a decline in steel demand and volatile situation in the global market of raw materials. Manufacturers are challenged to reduce the production cost of iron and steel by modernizing the existing production facilities in conditions of continuously growing requirements for provision of environmental measures. Iron and steel industry is...
White phosphorus is one of element listed by European Union (EU) as strategic substance that facing supply crisis. Therefore, method to recover phosphorus from various resources such as steel slag, sewage sludge, and semiconductor waste is urgently needed for a stable white-phosphorus supply.
We propose a novel approach for white phosphorus production through the carbothermic reduction of...
To reduce CO2 emissions during blast furnace operation, the usage of pellets is increasing compared to sintered ore. Pellets melt at higher temperatures and have superior reducibility compared to sintered ore, which allows for a reduction in coke consumption. However, due to differences in composition between pellets and sintered ore, the Al2O3 content in blast furnace slag is increasing....
Circularity necessitates efficient utilization of by-products from diverse industries. Steel slag, one of the by-products generated through steel manufacturing, has the potential to be used in different areas, including but not limited to agriculture. In our study, the impact of electric-arc-furnace (EAF) slag on growth and mineral composition of model crops has been investigated in alkaline...
Major focus for order-based scheduling is the determination of valid production sequences considering any plant constraint on the one hand while minimizing the amount of required setup coils on the other hand. A mid-term solver for one production step should automatically select orders from a given set of available orders (order backlog), assign them to a certain plant and define valid...
In today’s steel production operations, seamless integration of the individual production
steps, besides the optimization of the individual production units, is key to achieving
operational excellence. While Production Management (MES) drives production efficiency
by orchestrating plant-floor operations from customer order entry to shipment of the final
product, Through-Process Quality...
The project involves the installation of a 1 MW electrolyzer that will produce green hydrogen via electrolysis, utilizing electricity exclusively coming from renewable sources. This hydrogen will fully replace natural gas in a heat treatment furnace, marking a significant step towards cleaner industrial operations.
The electrolyzer will be powered by a newly constructed hydroelectric plant on...
Manganese is an important alloying element used in steel industry and is mostly used for increasing the strength without compromising the ductility. Currently, manganese is added as ferromanganese in steel to form manganese steel. Hence the final steel formation goes through series of steps after primary raw materials extraction, namely, ironmaking, crude steel production, ferromanganese...
Steel is a fundamental material in modern infrastructure, transportation, and industrial applications, valued for its strength, durability, and recyclability. However, conventional steel production remains a major source of CO₂ emissions due to the reliance on fossil-based coke as both a reducing agent and an energy source. To align with global climate objectives, the steel industry must...
The continuous casting process is crucial in metallurgy, yet its startup phase is often plagued by significant fluctuations and instabilities, complicating the reliable prediction of potential breakouts. Traditional breakout detection systems are typically activated only after steady-state conditions are achieved, which means they engage only after a considerable length of material has been...
Steel production in Europe is facing several challenges nowadays. The remaining high prices for energy and the demand on steel are some of the most pressing topics for steel producing companies. Energy efficiency technologies on the production site play an important role to improve the cost structure and the CO2 footprint to keep the competitiveness in the world market alive. Waste heat usage...
To cast liquid steel into solid semifinished products, current steel industry predominantly relies on continuous casting process. Although 90% of the liquid steel can be cast into quality products, producers are still facing challenges to effectively determine transition zone in the casting strand. This normally happens at the beginning and end of a casting sequence as well as while...
SMS group has recently completed a technological upgrade at a hot strip mill complex in Germany, focusing on the integration of camera-based strip steering. This upgrade aimed to enhance the operational efficiency and stability of the mill.
The implementation of the X-Pact® Centerline Control system has significantly improved mill performance by providing precise control over strip...
Improving the circularity of steel products requires reliable tools for ECO design that integrate key environmental properties, such as CO₂ footprint and embodied energy. These data are typically de-rived from environmental reporting and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses. However, ensuring physically consistent and traceable information - grounded in fundamental principles such as mass and...
A central Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a reliable and approved single-source-of-truth for production and material tracking. At the same time, a central system that integrates all automation systems and Enterprise Resource Planning can make it difficult to find slots for maintenance, updates or extensions. Its unavailability can be critical, potentially leading to a production...
Mould powders play a critical role in the continuous casting of steel by facilitating lubrication, regulating heat transfer, absorbing deoxidation products, preventing reoxidation, and providing thermal insulation at the meniscus. Accurately predicting mould powder consumption is essential for optimizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in steel manufacturing. However, existing models lack...
The average plant worker’s age is increasing while headcount is leaner providing fewer opportunities to transfer knowledge from more to less experienced people. Workflow art, the correct methods to execute tasks, is being lost with retirees and leaner workforces while skill gaps and productivity pressures are increasing. The collection of these workflow arts is sometimes summarized into the...
Solid-state recycling techniques for metallic chips have been explored as a sustainable alternative to conventional remelting-based methods. The latest developments make these techniques promising in the production of bulk and dense materials, with the opportunity to obtain also multi-material components with this path. This study investigates the production of multi-alloy material through a...
The hardness of adamite roll materials for hot work rolls depends on
their microstructures; the amount and hardness of coarse carbides and the
hardness o f matrix. The high-hardened adamite roll materials are excellent
in wear resistance when the amount of coarse carbides is about
8 %, but the wear resistance deteriorates when the amount of coarse carbides
exceeds a critical level.
The...
Bell-type furnaces are an integral part of cold rolling mills for carrying out the annealing process. The technology of high convection in a hydrogen atmosphere (HICON/H2®) was introduced to the market as early as 1972. Continuous further developments have increased performance, quality, efficiency and reduced costs.
This next generation of sustainable bell-type furnace systems, called...
At Marcegaglia Ravenna plant has been implemented a novel production route, patent pending, of fully processed Fe-Si grades focused on industrial and e-mobility applications. In this study are reported the main metallurgical levers of the adopted production cycle and their effectiveness on the magnetic properties in terms of low loss, high permeability and absence of aging.
The metal manufacturing industry, vital yet environmentally taxing, heavily relies on oils for machining, lubrication, and corrosion resistance. This reliance, however, generates significant costs and environmental burdens, including disposal challenges, health hazards, and ecological damage. To address these concerns and foster sustainable practices, oil reconditioning techniques are gaining...
pere.barriobero@upc.edu>; Towhid.Faraji@imf.tu-freiberg.de; Mathias.Zapf@imf.tu-freiberg.de; roberto.elvira@sidenor.com; irene.calliari@unipd.it; mirko.pigato@phd.unipd.it; ebasagana@comforsa.com; avilalta@comforsa.com; juan.emilio.rey@upc.edu; pcalopa@comforsa.com; Ulrich.Prahl@imf.tu-freiberg.de; jose.maria.cabrera@upc.edu; martino.oliboni@studenti.unipd.it, anna.mazzi@unipd.it
In the...
Today’s long steel products market with ever smaller profit margins and stronger competition requires the use of rolling mills with minimized operational cost and the capability of assuring a final product of very high quality. Starting from these considerations, a PERT customer in Turkey decide to use the PERT BS (bi-Support Stands) in order to upgrade the existing section mill.
The new...
During the continuous annealing process in the steel rolling heat treatment procedure, the occurrence of buckling in strip is a common issue, especially in the heating and soaking zones. The lateral distribution of stress state of the annealing strip is the essential factor resulting in the phenomenon. However, accurately predicting it is very difficult. Many factors influence the stress state...
Currently, the CO2 emission in ironmaking industry is one of the biggest environmental issues. To solve this issue, some alternative carbon recycling ironmaking processes such as carbon recycling BF are under development. However, those cannot achieve true carbon neutrality. Our group has suggested a new carbon recycling iron making process, CRIP-D, using carbon-iron ore composite. In this...
This paper presents a novel material handling scheme within a blast furnace stockhouse aimed at minimizing material degradation due to impact and friction in storage silos and weigh-hoppers. By reversing the conventional process—screening materials before storage rather than after—significant savings in equipment, layout footprint, maintenance, and dust collection capacity are achieved. Pilot...
The Continuous casting process is depending on many impacts, but the mold is one key component generating the basics for the process stability and product quality. SMS group has developed several new devices for mold adjustment, for ensuring a good alignment and accuracy of the mold shaping the fragile virgin strand shell. First, high –performance copper plates ensure very uniform cooling....
In hot-dip galvanizing processes, achieving optimal zinc coating thickness while minimizing material consumption remains a significant challenge. Traditional control methods often rely on reactive adjustments based on delayed coating thickness measurements, leading to inefficiencies and increased zinc consumption especially at strip transitions with material and coating target changes. To...
R&D in SMS Group focused on the study and testing of an innovative lateral burner for reheating furnaces, able to work in flame and flameless mode, with hydrogen content in the natural gas-H2 fuel blend up to 100%vol. H2, and oxygen (O2) content in the comburent flow up to 50%vol. O2. An intensive CFD simulation campaign was conducted, with the aim of defining an optimized burner design, able...
Non-woven fabrics are surprisingly ubiquitous in daily life, appearing in everything from kitchen scrub pads and disposable floor wipes to baby diapers, building vapor barriers, and even aircraft insulation. These materials offer unique advantages in functionality, durability, and adaptability, making them indispensable across a variety of industries. One lesser-known—but highly...
Similar to the formation process of nature granite, the molten slag is directly prepared into large volume cast stone, where the stress is affected by the mechanical and thermal expansion properties of its crystallization, which is easy to crack and lead to cracking. The phase composition and thermal expansion properties of the silicon manganese slag cast stone prepared at different...
Achieving autonomous operation requires automation and digitalization systems with advanced control and learning capabilities. This paper discusses key elements on the pathway to autonomous blast furnace and DR operation:
Autonomous decision-making for ironmaking operations leverages sophisticated technologies, including AI and ML, to measure, control, and optimize key parameters of...
Resource-efficiency and competitiveness are main aims of the European Green Deal transformation. In this global restructuring process yield improvement and reduction of waste aimed by a zero-defect production are low-cost opportunities for European steel manufacturers to realize a more sustainable production.
Enabling zero-defect manufacturing for flat steel production requires an early...
The steel industry contributes to 7-8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions*, necessitating a shift towards more sustainable practices and technologies. This paper explores the transformation of an underperforming steel plant into a state-of-the-art facility using products and technologies dedicated to the decarbonization of the steel industry. The focus is on implementing sustainable...
The EU-funded research project TWINGHY — Digital TWINs for Green HYdrogen transition in steel industry — demonstrates the decarbonization of the reheating process in the steel industry. To this end, partners from industry, research institutes and universities have formed a broad-based consortium to introduce green hydrogen as a fossil-free fuel in place of conventional natural gas heating. Two...
X-Pact® Solid Control is the SMS group's secondary cooling model for slab, thin slab, bloom and billet continuous casting plants.
It consists of a "process package" that is fully integrated into the manufacturer’s plant automation and a "technology package" that helps the metallurgist to find the right process parameters before one ton of liquid steel flows into the mold.
The aim is to show...
Boron in steel might form boron nitrides and/or boron oxides. Hexagonal boron nitride is a solid lubricant and as a second phase in steel it improves machinability (tool lifetimes as well as chip breaking). In addition, boron in oxides lowers the melting point (or glass transition temperature). B2O3 is known as a low melting phase with similar properties than Pb inclusions. Unfortunately, the...
Energy recovery in the continuous casting process offers substantial opportunities for enhancing efficiency and sustainability within the metals industry. During the solidification and cooling phases, a significant volume of energy is extracted from the melt. This energy, however, is often dissipated and remains unrecovered, representing a lost opportunity for energy optimization. Recognizing...
Abstract
The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is an essential parameter in the numerical simulation of solidification during the secondary cooling zone in continuous casting. Accurate prediction of the HTC is essential for controlled slab cooling and ensuring product quality by preventing crack formation. The HTC is commonly estimated using empirical equations from literature. However,...
Although the production of ERW (electric resistance welded) square and rectangular sections is well-established, certain applications require seamless square and rectangular hollow sections due to their superior properties. These products' limited demand capacities make the market closely linked to downstream value chains, where their availability is crucial, as ERW tubes have neither been...
Efficient blast furnace operation is essential for competitive iron and steel production, impacting productivity, hot metal quality, and cost-effectiveness. This paper explores how a combination of integrated automation systems enabled the successful start-up and stable operation of a blast furnace following a relining that included the installation of a bell-less top charging system:
A...
In the present study we implemented a simplified but fast simulation tool to keep track of the liquid fill levels of pig iron and slag inside a blast furnace (BF). It is able to calculate the estimated tapping rates based on only a few mandatory input parameters like the production rate obtained from the currently active charging recipe and the tuyere and topgas pressure levels. The...
Hydrogen plasma smelting reduction (HPSR) is an emerging low-CO2 technology which can accomplish steel production from iron ore in just a single step. This is done using a high-power DC-transferred plasma arc generated between a hollow graphite electrode, which conveys the hydrogen gas into the reactor, and an iron-containing molten oxide bath. This plasma arc serves as both the primary...
The bainite microstructure, transformation kinetics and tempering resistance have been studied as a function of carbon content from 0.61 to 0.99 wt. % in low alloy steels. The carbon content strongly affects the bainitic transformation kinetics and hardness which are both increased by increasing carbon content. The tempering resistance also varies depending on carbon content and a higher...
The latest trends in the premium automotive steel bar market focus on meeting the highest quality standards demanded by end users. Achieving these targets relies heavily on advanced heat treating technologies, which are crucial for attaining the desired metallurgical and mechanical properties. These new technologies must also contribute to reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The new...
The global push to counteract climate change has led policy makers to introduce stringent measures aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These efforts, combined with volatile energy media prices (electricity, natural gas, etc.), have intensified the search for innovative solutions to optimize energy consumption and recover residual energy from industrial processes. Key objectives...
Accurate prediction of the temperature distribution in continuously cast steel slabs is critical for maintaining product quality and mitigating defects such as cracks and segregation. Mathematical modeling serves as a fundamental tool for investigation of the dynamics of temperature and solidification front evolution during the process.
A two-dimensional computational model is presented for...
During the cooling process on the cooling bed of alloy cold heading steel billet, the quality defect of billet bending exceeding the standard often occurs. In the present work, the reason for its bending is analyzed from the perspective of heat dissipation and phase transition during the cooling process of billet. It is shown that the main reason for the bending of alloy cold heading steel is...
This paper presents the Hatch burden distribution model and use cases where the model has been able show blast furnace operators how changes in the burden distribution pattern can help their blast furnace operation. Two cases will be presented, the first to show how the model helps to visualize the impact of the bell less top chute wear on the burden distribution profile. The second to show...
As part of the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the European Union has set a target of reducing green-house gas emissions by 55% and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The use of hydrogen will be the backbone of the steel industry's transformation towards carbon neutrality. In the long term, for the vast majority of the roadmaps communicated by the various steel producers, the technical solution will...
The quenching and partitioning (QP) process aims to achieve superior mechanical properties and enhanced toughness by developing a microstructure consisting of martensite and retained austenite. In this study, single-step (SS) QP treatments were applied to the commercial 30CrNiMo8 steel, a material widely used in industrial high-strength applications but not specifically engineered for this...
VOLTERON™, an innovative technology developed by John Cockerill and ArcelorMittal to achieve carbon-neutral steel production through direct iron electrolysis. This process represents a significant breakthrough in primary steelmaking by employing low-temperature electrowinning in an aqueous-based electrolyte, moving away from conventional blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) methods,...
“Hydrogen Utilization in Iron and steelmaking Processes” project (called GREINS project) started in 2021 with the aim of further reducing CO2 emissions based on the knowledge gained from the COURSE50 project. The project is a multi-track technical development project such as hydrogen reduction technology using blast furnace, hydrogen direct reduction technology to reduce low-grade iron ore,...
The design of billet moulds fulfills multiple, conflicting, objectives. High productivity at minimal cost remains the primary goal of steelmakers, requiring elevated casting speeds while ensuring optimal surface quality.
The copper mould plays a critical role in the continuous casting process, with its design centered around three key parameters: mould taper, cooling system efficiency, and...
In January 2024, due to the shortage of sinter, ArcelorMittal Tubarão was faced with challenges never faced in the company's history in the operation of blast furnaces. Besides reactors performance, there were other impacts in peripheral areas (Ore Yard, Coke Plant and Steel Plant) such as inventory control, logistics supply of raw materials (sinter/fluxes/pellets and ores), hot metal quality...
Gas cleaning and dedusting systems are essential for any steelmaking facility, but they often face significant fluctuations in operational requirements. Emissions can vary based on different input materials or product mixes, necessitating adjustments in the dedusting system’s operation. Manual optimization by operators is challenging due to fluctuating operating parameters, and furnace...
High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steels are widely used in structural applications, requiring a thorough microstructural analysis to optimize the strength and toughness of welded joints. During multi-pass welding, thermal cycling leads to the formation of a complex Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ), consisting of sub-regions with diverse microstructural constituents, including brittle phases that...
High speed steel rolls (HSS) have replaced the traditional high chromium iron rolls (HCI) in many hot strip mills and acicular rolls in log products mills showing very good results for quality and productivity improvements. This paper describes The effect of ferrovanadium inoculation on the microstructure and properties of high speed steel (HSS) used for light section mill was...
One of the most promising groups of steels for future forging applications are medium-manganese (medium-Mn) steels, which develop finely dispersed retained austenite (RA) during the quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatment process.
RA between the martensitic laths significantly improves ductility and fracture resistance by impeding the propagation of microcracks through...
The transition toward a low-carbon, sustainable industrial ecosystem requires innovative solutions that maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. This study presents EnVisA, a research project funded by Vinnova, Sweden, focused on optimizing the utilization of process gases from steel production through advanced AI-driven tools. Despite the high calorific value of these...
The accurate knowledge of the cooling heat-flux in continuous casting spray cooling is essential to exactly control the cooling conditions. Recent investigations on laboratory test rigs by other research groups showed that the cooling heat-flux depends on many parameters and can not sufficiently be described by simple relations between spray water/air density and heat-flux density. In addition...
Sleeves using in initial stands of rebar rolling in danieli mills are cast iron or ferritic cast iron generally. Application of this material meet the demands of mills especially wear resistant and reduction of fire cracks. But in some cases mills face problems in coupling fracture in sleeves. Cast irons have lower fracture toughness ratio to steels grade. Although steel grades have lower...
The steel industry faces significant challenges in achieving sustainability and minimizing carbon footprints while maintaining high productivity, particularly in the production of long products. The Continuous Minimill Technology (CMT®) developed by SMS group addresses these challenges through an innovative inline endless casting and rolling process.
CMT® significantly reduces on-site...
Customers are more and more demanding for fine and homogeneous grain sizes in hot-rolled bars and wire rods dedicated to technical applications such as aeronautics, medical or watch-making. To assess those requirements, UGITECH is interested in using recrystallization models to better understand and predict the effects of both process parameters (like temperature, strain and strain rate) and...
Water consumption and wastewater disposal are critical challenges in the steel and metallurgical industries. Conventional reverse osmosis (RO) systems, widely used for producing demineralized water in cooling circuits, generate a concentrated waste stream (25-50% of feed water), which requires disposal due to high levels of calcium, magnesium and other contaminants.
At Contec Industry,...
The European steel sector is challenged by the ambitious objectives of the European Green Deal, which aims to schive climate neutrality by 2050. Therefore, novel C-lean and sustainable steelmaking processes are being investigated through large-scale pilot projects, accompanied by studies on the possibility to improve operating practices and introduce new components in conventional routes. As...
This study explores the main differences between Na and K on the Blast Furnace operation focusing on the effects of Na₂SiO₃. The experimental method involved simulating thermodynamic parameters comparing traditional alkalis oxides, carbonates and silicates. In addition, a technological apparatus was used to describe slag properties and gangue phases at high Na content. The results indicated...
Cast high-speed steel (HSS) work rolls are used in roughing and finishing stands of hot rolling mills, as they possess high hardness and wear resistance, which is responsible for their great durability in service. During the rolling process, depending on the operating conditions in the respective stand, the degradation of the work rolls is caused by a combination of thermal fatigue, rolling...
Keywords: CO2 reduction, Blast Furnace, Coke Oven Gas, Green steel, Hydrogen containing injectants, Iron oxide reduction
By developing decarbonisation plans, the European steel industry shows its commitment to the European climate change targets. The main element in these plans is a transformation step involving a transition from carbon-based blast furnaces to green hydrogen-based direct...
Is well established that surface quality plays a significant role on the fatigue life of components. Therefore, the quality of the starting feedstock is mandatory for obtaining a wire rod suitable for the production of highly stressed elements, such as automotive suspension springs.
The paper describes the positive experience made by ABS (Acciaierie Bertoli Safau, Italy) during the...
The project involved a revamping of the EAF furnace at the steelworks department, including the construction of a new primary flue gas circuit and the installation of a closed-loop system for heat recovery.
This recovered heat is transferred to the district heating network via 1.2 km of newly installed pipelines, connecting the steel plant to its central heating facility.
As a result, the...
The study focuses on the study of the static recrystallization and texture evolution of an electrical steel annealed at three different temperatures for sub-minute soaking time. The objective is to determine the optimal time-temperature parameters that promote the development of favourable crystallographic textures for magnetic properties while minimizing annealing time. Microstructural...
Nowadays grinding balls production process is mainly done by casting or by pressing, processes which involves anyway low productivity and poor quality on finished products.
PERT has developed a new revolutionary rolling mill to produce high quality grinding balls by rolling process, starting from a round bar coming from upstream bar mill rolling.
Round bars are heated up by a traditional...
Decarbonization is a key strategic objective for the steel industry. Despite the growing interest in DRP-EAF steelmaking, BF-BOF steelmaking is anticipated to remain dominant due to its efficiency, economic benefits, and constraints associated with DRP-EAF. Therefore, it is essential to focus on reducing CO2 emissions from blast furnaces. This paper provides a detailed techno-economic...
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in enhancing the efficiency and product quality of the continuous casting process in the steel industry. The formation of coarse columnar grains and macrosegregation during continuous casting negatively affects the mechanical and physical properties of the final product.Therefore, developing techniques to control the microstructure and...
The use of Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) in blast furnaces has been explored as a method to improve productivity and reduce environmental impact. This study presents the results of the first trial with HBI in Blast Furnace 2 at ArcelorMittal Tubarão. The results demonstrated that the planned fuel targets were achieved, with potential productivity gains and a positive impact on decarbonization. The...
Vehicle safety has improved spectacularly in recent decades with an estimated 25,000 fewer fatalities per year since the 1960s. At the same time, electrification has contributed to a significant increase in vehicle mass in the same period which partly negates any environmental benefit. Improved designs are essential to increase overall structural integrity and reduce weight, to meet future...
Machine parts, like chocks, rollers, HGC cylinders or gearbox housings, are the backbone of every rolling operation for section and flat rolling mills. They are essential for the delicate production process and ensure perfect product quality, tolerances and dimensions. However, rough operating conditions, such as elevated temperatures, corrosive media, high static/cyclic loads and abrasion,...
A key factor to pursue the “green steel” concept, is not only the emissions reduction and the lowering of the carbon footprint of the steel plants, but also the optimization of the energy consumption.
This optimization passes, of course, primarily through the direct reduction of the energy consumption, but can be pursued also through the recovery of waste energy. In steel making plants, the...
As the time between roll changes is continuously increasing due to improved performances of roughing rolls, a newer problem is that the performance of the edger roll becomes a bottleneck inducing strip defects crises and mill (unplanned) stoppages only to change the edger rolls. Additionally, worldwide the supply of edger rolls is becoming a problem. Especially for European hot strip mills...
In the steelmaking, integral cycles will face important investments for decarbonization, that will hardly get paid in the short term due to market outlook (dumping, weak border barriers, high energy costs…). In this context, ESCH and I.Blu are cooperating in some BFs ensuring reliable and continuous injection of BLUAIR, a high quality Secondary Raw Material recycled from polyolefins feedstock...
The dry slag granulation process developed by Tenova represents a significant advancement in the valorization of Ladle Furnace (LF) slag, contributing to circular economy principles and sustainable steelmaking. Unlike traditional water-based cooling methods, which present environmental and operational challenges, Tenova's dry granulation technology employs a forced air stream to achieve...
The demand for high-quality steel production has increased due to changes in the plate product market, particularly in the wind power and shipbuilding sectors. This study focuses on improving the internal quality of high-grade steel plates using PosHARP technology.
In the wind power sector, the size of wind power generator blades is being increased to enhance power generation. This has led...
The progressive decarbonization of the steel industry is being undertaken through the transformation of Blast Furnaces (BF) and by limiting the quantity of coke.
The reduction of coke rates may impact the permeability at the Cohesive Zone (CZ) level, a viscous and impermeable layer resulting from the softening and melting of Iron Ore. The control of this CZ, its shape, thickness, and...
Acciaieria Arvedi, with its ISP® and ESP® plants, produces flat rolled carbon steels certified carbon neutral from EAF steelmaking and thin slab continuous casting with direct rolling starting from recycled materials. The steels are produced for many different end-uses including stamping and deep-drawing for the automotive industry, building and structural applications, pipes for water, energy...
According to the World Steel Association, the steelmaking chain is responsible for almost 8% of global CO2 emissions. In this context, a new product has been developed: a cold agglomerated briquette composed of iron ore fines that significantly reduces its carbon footprint, contributing to the decarbonization of the steelmaking chain. The developed binder technology, based on sodium silicate,...
This study examines the laser cutting applications of five key materials in the construction industry: High Strength Steel (HSS), Stainless Steel (StS), Weathering Steel (WS, also known as COR-TEN®), Reclaimed Steel (RS), and Aluminum. The analysis considers each material's unique characteristics, market trends, and the role of laser cutting in increasing sustainability and cost-effectiveness,...
Hot strip mills require higher-quality, incident-free rolls to enhance productivity in the production of technical strips with stringent surface quality requirements. This necessitates rolling engineers to innovate new operational designs. The spin-cast HSS grade roll, engineered in Europe, stands as one of the most advanced grades developed over decades. Despite being a mature product, there...
Saarloha Advance Materials Pvt. Ltd. (SAMPL), a Kalyani Group Company, headquartered in Pune, India, is a leading steel manufacturer renowned for its high-quality alloy and special steel products. With state-of-the-art facilities and a focus on innovation, the group serves diverse sectors, including automotive and engineering. With the installation of the new 2 strands bloom caster, supplied...
A Middle East Customer Contracts PERTEco (PERT environmental department) for the supply of the new Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for his Steel Complex composed of 1,500,000 tons Meltshop and two 500,000 tpy Bar and Wire Rod Rolling Mills.
The Steel Complex is located in a desert region, with a very limited water availability. In the aim of the sustainability the new WTP is design on zero...
Thin slab casters around the world are increasingly turning to thicker moulds to achieve three main objectives: boosting throughput for higher production, eliminating the need for a funnel to accommodate the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and thereby reducing the risk of longitudinal face cracks (LFC), and enhancing meniscus stability to reduce sliver defects.
In the current landscape, where...
The growing trend in today’s steel-making industry is enhancing scalability with the goal of net zero emission. This requires increased cost and process efficiency while reducing carbon emissions. To run a sustainable process, tighter control of process parameters along with close loop monitoring of liquid bath and slag plays an invaluable role. However, in terms of slag analysis, due to a...
In many wastewater and process-water systems water chemicals are used to control the water quality. Typically a mix of pH control chemicals, herbicides, inhibitors, coagulants and oxidizing agents are used. A newly developed chemical called FerSol, which contains Ferrate (VI), combines several functions as it acts as oxidizing agent, coagulant and, as a side effect, it eliminates certain...
Using hydrogen/natural gas mixtures or pure hydrogen instead of natural gas is a key approach to industrial decarbonization, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. Given the extensive gas network, these mixtures are expected to be transported using existing infrastructure.
Natural gas pipelines consist of various components, including pipes, valves, and flange joints....
Hydrogen enriched direct reduction (DR) is a key decarbonisation technology. Natural gas driven DR is established in industry mostly outside Europe but there are no experiences with syngas of high H2 enrichment > 80%. H2-based reduction is endothermic and the influences on effective kinetics and DRI morphology are not known. Also, properties like local permeability and movement of pellets in...
The most demanding operations in the steel industry in regard to bearing lubrication and lifetime of bearings are continuous caster strand guide rolls bearings and Hot Strip Mill Work Roll Bearings.
They are operating in wet and hot environments causing water spray off or water washout of lubricating greases resulting in ingress of aggressive mill water. This contaminants and water cause...
In the pursuit of decarbonization, the steel industry is increasingly adopting Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) due to their lower carbon footprint and operational flexibility. EAFs can efficiently utilize diverse raw materials, such as scrap steel, pig iron, and Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), to adapt to fluctuating market conditions, resource availability, and product quality requirements.
As the...
The hydrogen combustion in reheating and heat treatment furnaces produces a new furnace atmosphere without or with lower concentration of CO2 and consequently higher H2O concentration. The higher water vapour content can change steel’s oxidation kinetic, as well as the oxide scale morphology and the oxide-steel interface features thus affecting the scale adhesion. The oxidation kinetics and...
Achieving the highest quality standards in steel casting is essential to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly demanding market. High-end steel grades require minimal inclusions, superior internal soundness and defect-free surfaces - goals that can only be achieved through meticulous design, advanced technologies and precise optimisation of operating practices.
This article undertakes a...
The successful implementation of switching from lime to dololime fines injection in an electric arc furnace owned by the company United Steel in Kuwait is here discussed from technical and economical points of view. This need arises from the generation of excessive dololime fines (particles less than 10 mm) and insufficient lime fines (particles between 5-15 mm) at the lime and dololime plant...
A hot rolled steel strip that seemingly comes out as flat after the final rolling pass might potentially end up with flatness issues after it has been coiled. It is not easily understood which mechanisms in the coiling process are causing flatness issues. It is known from a material perspective that a combination of high stresses and temperatures can cause stress relaxations and creep...
Advanced automation is essential for ensuring precise control of cooling water flows at the right pressure and temperature, aligning with the real-time demands of industrial processes. This optimization maximizes energy savings while minimizing water consumption, forming the foundation of sustainable and efficient metal production.
The Q-WATER system is a cutting-edge technological package...
Problem and significance
Existing valorization processes for the treatment of Fe-rich and Zn-containing steelmaking by-products or wastes need a source of heat and a reductant. In most cases a fossil fuel like coal, coke or natural gas is used. The large rate of fossil fuels/reductants needed make pyrometallurgical processes very intensive in terms of CO2 emissions. Following the aim of...
Recent developments have highlighted the Danieli DCM’s capability to execute advanced caster upgrades with the aim of improving the production portfolio and/or extending the file of equipment. The focus has been on optimizing production processes and optimizing plant downtime. A key factor in achieving these goals have been the use of preassembly techniques, which improved on site activities...
Advances in Steels for Stronger Body in White and Enhanced Safety
Anthony J DeArdo
University of Pittsburgh
ABSTRACT
Over the past quarter century, the crashworthiness of production automobiles has improved significantly. sa Much of this improvement is the result of application of ultra-high strength steels in the safety cage or Body in White. Since the majority of steel mass resides in...
A sufficient water supply forms the base for a continuous production in iron and steel industry. Due to climate change, limitations of water outtake occurred during summer periods as well as changes of the freshwater composition to higher salt contents increasing the corrosion potential. Beside this, EU water directive, national framework and EU goals as “Zero Waste” or Zero Discharge” lead to...
In the modern steel production it is important to have an integrated view of the production processes and plants including performances optimization, maintenance conditions, and reduction of environmental impacts through reduction of residual wastes and CO2 emissions from the production.
In particular to consider the slags coming from the production processed of EAF and LF is a relevant point...
The transition of the iron and steel industry to low-emission systems is mandatory for meeting the global targets of greenhouse gas emission reduction. As the sector still heavily relies on fossil fuels, the shift is particularly challenging. Hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (H2-DRI) has gained increasing attention, and it is currently considered one of the most promising option for...
The transition to fossil-free iron production necessitates innovative approaches to direct reduction processes utilizing hydrogen as a sustainable reductant. This study investigates the impact of pre-oxidation on the hydrogen-based reduction kinetics of magnetite ores, a critical step toward optimizing the efficiency of hydrogen-driven direct reduced iron (DRI) production. Four distinct...
Hybrit Development AB, a joint initiative between the mining company LKAB, steel producer SSAB, and electricity producer Vattenfall, aims to develop the world's first fossil-free ore-based steelmaking route. Since 2020, Hybrit has funded laboratory studies conducted by Swerim AB, the Swedish metallurgical research institute, to study the value chain from hydrogen reduction of iron ore pellets,...
Continuous slab casting is the leading technology for steel production, but it has limitations for heavy plate production. To pass ultrasonic tests, a reduction ratio of 3 to 4 from slab to final thickness is required, which eliminates central porosity and segregation. Current thick slab casters operate at a maximum thickness of 400 mm, limiting final plate thickness to 100-130 mm.
Primetals...
Today, commercial direct reduction (DR) processes predominantly use natural gas for the reduction of iron ores and emits large amounts of CO2. One way to decrease the CO2 emissions is by using carbon-neutral reducing agents such as biocarbon. This study compares the direct reduction behavior of a magnetite ore concentrate by different reducing agents: pure CO gas, anthracite (a low-volatile...
Walking beam furnaces are common for reheating of steel slabs to reach temperatures for hot rolling. Inside the furnace, the slabs are carried on water-cooled skids that support and move them through the furnace. The point contact between slab and skid results in undesired cold spots on the slabs, skid marks, which persist to hot rolling of plate/strip; leading to increased deformation...
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial settings has accelerated due to its potential to enhance operational efficiency. However, scholars have increasingly highlighted the automation-augmentation paradox, wherein AI’s capacity to optimize processes simultaneously threatens human expertise and decision-making autonomy. While paradox theory has explored this tension...
Nowadays the use of scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steels is a reasonable solution to reduce CO2 emissions, as the availability of steel scrap is expected to increase in the next 10-20 years. However, CO2 reduced steel produced with an EAF contains a higher amount of tramp elements such as copper and nickel compared to material from primary steel making. As one task in the material...
Conseal for slabs is an innovative technology developed by SMS group, piloted at TATA Ijmuiden, aimed at optimizing the startup process of continuous casting plants in the steel industry. This technology effectively addresses common startup issues, such as the elimination of cooling scrap and the quality defects caused by it, while minimizing the risk of startup breakouts—factors that...
Dual phase (DP) steels, consisting of a soft ferrite matrix and hard martensite phases, offer a desirable combination of high strength and good ductility. Typically, an increase in martensite phase-fraction leads to higher strength but reduced ductility. However, in this study, an opposite trend was observed, where the ductility improved despite an increase in martensite content. This study...
Against the background of our industry’s decarbonization, iron production is as essential topic for the steel industry and the availability of raw materials (e.g. technological requirement for virgin iron units when producing certain steel grades and – lagging - scrap availability in emerging economies) are two main driving forces.
Traditional, carbon-intense production route can be...
In the ongoing digital transformation of the steel industry, Artificial Intelligence is more and more
integrated into the automation of the production processes. However, the true potential of AI
technologies can only be realized if preconditions to data quality are given, and domain expertise is
effectively digitized.
This presentation explores the application of AI technologies—such as...
Achieving the climate neutrality by 2050 is the main goal of the European Green Deal, which fosters decarbonization of CO2-intensive industries, including steelworks. Deep transformations are ongoing to improve sustainability of steel production. Moreover, emerging markets and countries significantly affect availability and quality of raw materials. Therefore, steelmaking process changes and...
As the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 has emerged globally, great changes are being demanded in the iron and steel industry. Among these, the need for a direct reduction process of iron ore to reduce CO2 emissions is gaining attention. The reduction process using iron ore pellets and a shaft-type reactor has already reached the commercialization stage; however, little is known...
new production routes. Different scenarios for the substitution of gas-fired furnace with electrical powered solutions can be considered. In particular, flash annealing – so far only considered at laboratory scale – can be introduced at industrial level providing substantial benefits in terms of productivity and material properties.
The beneficial effect of flash annealing on the material...
Steel production is a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions, primarily due to the reliance on coking coal in conventional iron ore reduction processes. This study proposes an innovative system for the direct reduction of iron ore through a smelting process utilizing biochar as a renewable reducing agent, coupled with efficient CO₂ capture to minimize the carbon footprint of...
In June 2024 the new high speed billet caster at Tosyalı Demir Çelik, Sariseki, Turkey was successfully put into operation.
Supplied by SMS Concast, this new continuous casting machine represents a significant advancement in casting technology, offering exceptional speed capabilities while maintaining product quality and versatility. This state-of-the-art system can achieve casting speeds of...
Hydrogen ironmaking is becoming increasingly important in the field of scientific and industrial research. In particular, direct reduction proves to be an extraordinarily effective system for reducing harmful emissions in the steel sector. Naturally, the efficiency of the entire process is strongly linked to the type of agglomeration of the ferrous minerals. This work is dedicated to the...
Quality Control is an established process for all metals manufacturers. However, identifying a critical quality deviation at the finished product stage can be cost-intensive. Not only is the original order affected by delays due to late deallocation, but the reallocation of a finished product to a prime order becomes improbable, leading to a greater financial loss. Predictive-Prescriptive...
Typical heat treatment of structural steel forgings consists of quenching and tempering (QT). However, in case of heavy forgings (thickness above 120 mm), made of steels with carbon content less than 0.25% and low hardenability, the required strength can be achieved, but low temperature impact toughness could be not fully adequate. In this work, an intermediate intercritical quenching (IIQ)...
In this paper a distributed auction system intended to provide efficient real-time reactive scheduling for flat steel industry is introduced. We focus on the context of parallel finishing lines where several equipment units can be used to process the materials. When a severe disruption takes place, it is necessary to provide a feasible reschedule in a timely manner.
Regarding the scheduling...
Recent advancements in modelling, involving approach and computing power, are transforming the industrial, and particularly the metallurgy sector, providing more precise tools for quality control and process optimization
In the context of continuous casting of steel, modelling techniques provide for an accurate optimization of the process parameters, such as casting speed, layout geometry...
This study introduces an innovative method for estimating accumulated strain and recrystallized fraction in steel using the existing online laser ultrasonic (LUS) grain size gauge [1]. This method extends the capability of the grain size gauge by extracting more information from the same measurement. The method leverages the detection of shear wave splits, observed as small shear-wave echoes...
In our previous work, we developed an AI-driven system to optimize slag quality in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking. The system utilized neural networks trained on harmonic signal data to assess slag conditions and recommend optimal carbon and oxygen injection profiles. By reducing reliance on operator estimations, this approach improved slag control and process efficiency. However, the...
Continuous casting machine (CCO) is fundamental to produce steel at reasonable costs. The tundish represents the main source of steel for this kind of facility, acting as a buffer between the ladle and the nozzles feeding casting profiles. This component significantly influences the quality and yield of continuous casting operations. Our study focuses on leveraging Computational Fluid Dynamics...
Radial axial (RAW) ring rolling is a well-established incremental forging process producing seamless rings and shells, both with rectangular as well as profiled cross sections, with high demands in terms of mechanical properties and microstructure, standing out for its productivity. Rolled rings and shells are applied in many industrial fields, e.g. wind power, nuclear industry, general...
To improve operational efficiency and minimize downtime, it is crucial to understand the causes leading to process defaults in the steelmaking industry. This study presents a generalized framework applicable across a wide range of metal-forming processes, which is based on an AI-powered solution designed to predict and classify breakages caused by process anomalies. The proposed solution...
The optimization of the tapping process in an EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) is essential for increasing process efficiency and extending the lifespan of refractory materials. Traditional laser scanning methods for assessing furnace geometry are often costly in terms of acquisition. This study explores an innovative approach to scanning an EAF using photogrammetry-based 3D reconstruction,...
The operation of strip/coil galvanizing furnaces is significantly influenced by the choice of heating technology, which affects thermal uniformity, energy consumption, service life, maintenance costs, and CO2 emissions. Traditionally, gas-fired radiant tubes have been widely employed. However, the transition to electric heating solutions presents potential advantages in terms of thermal...
In the steel industry, the rapid cooling process, which is suitable for manufacturing high-strength materials, is being increasingly applied. However, the deformation caused by rapid cooling is particularly large, which leads to reduced productivity and yield, so suppressing this deformation is an important issue. In order to suppress deformation, it is first necessary to quantitatively...
This paper presents Rotodynamic heating technology, which enables the decarbonization and electrification of the steel industry for high-temperature process heating, in line with its transition towards a fossil-free future. The steel industry is undergoing significant changes in its pursuit of carbon neutrality, demanding innovative solutions.
The paper compares various decarbonization...
The degree of digitalization in steel producing companies is increasing significantly, which consequently amplifies the importance of identifying significant process parameters and investigating the effect of parameter changes.
Digital simulation technology today makes it easily possible to carry out three-dimensional process simulation of the entire continuous casting process....
The technologies related to EAF steelmaking have continuous developments aiming the improvement of the process performances and of the environmental impact mainly through the reduction of energy consumption, the increase of productivity, the increase of metallic yield and promoting the reduction of CO2 emissions.
This necessary development is also confirmed by the further aimed application of...
In the heat treatment process during continuous galvanizing process, oxidation of steel plate due to the air-fuel ratio issues, and heat treatment and tension conditions may cause buckle of steel plate if they are not appropriate. These process issues are identified by the operator in a real time through the camera currently placed in each heat treatment section currently. However, with this...
Dry blast furnace gas cleaning technology offers great economic advantages when compared to traditional wet gas cleaning owing to its improved energy efficiency, lower cost, reduced plot space, and practically eliminated water consumption. The Danieli Corus solution is based upon proven technology that has been applied numerous times for cleaning aluminum smelter gases and anode baking fumes....
Hot Radial Axial Ring Rolling is a crucial process in seamless ring production for various industrial sectors, ranging from oil & gas to aerospace. To configure and optimize this complex process, modern rolling mills rely on computerized controls, where operators must input process parameters derived from multiple sources-including tables, formulas, experience, and time-consuming FEM...
Quality control in zinc-coated steel coils is critical in industries such as automotive and construction, where defects in zinc coating can significantly impact product durability and safety. Traditional manual inspection methods are prone to errors and inconsistencies, especially in high volume production environments.
This paper compares the performance of two artificial intelligence...
The quality of continuously cast steel semi-products (e.g., slabs, billets, and blooms) is fundamental to the efficient production of high-performance steel products for demanding markets. To achieve high casting speeds while maintaining quality, numerous control and monitoring technologies have been successfully developed, even for challenging steel grades.
Recent advancements in...
The Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) plant in the steel industry presents significant health and safety risks for workers due to extreme temperatures, toxic fumes, and potential operational hazards. To enhance workplace safety, this study proposes an advanced automated system that leverages cutting-edge IT and AI technologies to improve process monitoring and risk prevention.
A key objective of...
To reduce CO2 emission H2 could be used as a fuel for energy intensive thermal processes such as hot rolled strip annealing. This article presents approach and results of laboratory trials at developing an alternative CO2-free fuel application for the annealing of Non Grain-Oriented (NGO) electrical steels in the annealing and pickling line (APL), where the annealing of the material is carried...
The Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) for scrap-based steelmaking plays an important role in realizing the transition towards Green Steel production, due to lower carbon dioxide emissions and inherent circularity compared to the iron-ore-based steelmaking.
This work presents an approach to enhance the performance and reliability of a model-based Decision Support System for EAF online monitoring and...
The development and application of measurement systems in forging process play a crucial role in optimizing production efficiency, ensuring product quality and reducing operational costs.
This presentation will discuss the development over time of various measurement technologies implemented in our forging shop and explore potential future improvements. It will highlight the evolution of...
In a collaborative initiative, an innovative Laser UltraSonic (LUS) device was installed at the SSAB Hot Strip Mill in Borlänge. This measuring device, along with the software for signal processing and evaluation, was developed, constructed, and implemented through a partnership involving SSAB, SWERIM, EMG, and the SMS group. Positioned after the last rolling stand in the finishing mill, the...
Some defects in continuous cast (CC) steel are the result of flow conditions at the top section of the CC mould. To monitor and potentially control the flow, in order to reduce such defects, information about the flow conditions is needed. In addition to sensors that may be installed on the mould, CFD can provide detailed insight into the mould flow. We are developing an OpenFOAM-based...
In the race towards Net Zero, ArcelorMittal is committed to reduce their CO2e emissions by 30% in Europe and 25% worldwide by 2030. To achieve these ambitious goals, the group is looking at using (and potentially self-producing) bio-chars to substitute fossil fuels (coal and coke) in the different iron and steel-making processes. Here, the production of bio-chars for the substitution of coke...
The transition to sustainable steel production necessitates innovative strategies for managing electricity demand in energy-intensive batch processes. Unlike large-scale continuous operations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in steel manufacturing—such as specialized foundries and long product rolling mills—face unique challenges due to smaller batch sizes, greater product...
VID, acronym of Virtual Inertia Drive, is the new hydraulic drive that Danieli proposes in forging open die applications.
His aim is to keep the same size and performances of a conventional forging machine, but reducing the total electrical power installed, the n° of motor-pumps unit and the energy consumption.
System is made by the following components :
1. Hydraulic...
Nowadays, titanium (Ti) alloys play a pivotal role in aerospace and energy production sectors due to their specific mechanical properties. To date, the design of forged components in Ti alloys has been based on the experience of operators and engineers, and on the use of industrial tests to optimise production processes. However, the high production costs of these components and their possible...
The evolution of steel and slag chemistry in function of secondary metallurgy process parameters can be simulated with good accuracy using Thermo-Calc’s TCOX CALPHAD database and the effective equilibrium reaction zone (EERZ) model that accounts for reaction kinetics.
An interesting aspect of such simulations is tracking the formation and modification of endogenous non-metallic inclusions...
Stave wear in blast furnaces is a critical issue affecting operational efficiency and campaign longevity. Several factors influence wear severity, including furnace design, operational practices, raw material properties, and cooling performance. However, stave wear patterns are often unpredictable and irregular, making accurate monitoring essential for maintaining the integrity of the cooling...
The real-time grain size measurement has recently been realized by laser ultrasonics in the hot-rolling process [1]. This enables quality control, the possibility of direct feedback to the process control system, as well as feedback to the set-up calculation which is performed before each transfer bar is sent through the finishing mill to be rolled. The gauge provides novel insights into how...
The PyroLIBS system is a next generation technology for pyrometallurgy, capable of continuous and instant measurement of chemical compositions for molten materials. The present paper presents the early results of its first industrial implementation on a blast furnace runner, for continuous hot metal chemistry and temperature measurement.
Inclusion engineering is a comprehensive concept dealing with the control of amount, size distribution, and chemical composition of non-metallic inclusions in advanced steels. Furthermore, it also concerns the correlation between inclusion, microstructure and property on the quality control of the final product. This work aims to summarize the research activities of the authors regarding the...
This presentation explores how a quality execution system effectively addresses the key challenges of the "twin transition" – the shift toward both ecological and digital sustainability – making these transformations more manageable.
As steel manufacturers transition to more energy-efficient production processes and replace existing plants, maintaining consistent quality control becomes...
The quality of the products in bar and wire rods production is strongly affected by the quality results in Continuous Casting both for conventional and special steels.
In different ways Feralpi Groups is working to improve the billets quality in terms of surface, internal and shape defects also with activities included in the R&D projects coupling new equipments, new sensors, studies and data...
Mould level stability is crucial for achieving excellent surface quality and product cleanliness in continuous casting. This article explores the evolution of the Mould Level Master, a technological package for mould level control based on an electromechanical actuator, from its initial testing to its implementation across a wide range of casting machines—including billet, bloom, and...
ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt und Smart Steel Technologies bundled forces to establish an optimized temperature guidance in the ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt meltshop. The underlying core of the supporting models, namely the Ladle Furnace, LF Temperature or Secondary Metallurgy Exit Temperature Model is a digital twin of the whole meltshop. It incorporates all heats and different steel...
This paper presents the development and commercialization of a novel dust extraction technology. Driven by stringent EU emission regulations, the need for more efficient dust removal solutions has become paramount in industries like mining and metallurgy. By combining fundamental fluid dynamics research with industrial practice, SSAB researchers and Oulu University developed a modular dust...
This paper presents a pioneering approach by SMS group, focusing on the integration of advanced thermal dry reforming technology into existing blast furnace infrastructures. The scope of this study is to explore the potential of Paul Wurth's thermal dry reforming process in reducing CO2 emissions while leveraging current coke oven plants. This innovative technology introduces a novel method to...
Reliable carbon footprint calculations and certificates for the various steel products are increasingly demanded by the market. Many approaches are based on yearly production tonnage and average CO2 equivalents. A production management system allows to track the material and energy consumptions for each piece of produced material. Thus, it is able to transparently calculate the related...
In the steel industry, most companies operate in a competitive national and international market, with prices determined by competition. To enhance profits, firms must focus on reducing production and commercial costs. Those unable to adapt their strategies may lose their competitive edge. Effective scheduling of resources is crucial to achieving goals such as increasing production and...
Outokumpu, a global leader in sustainable stainless steel production, has implemented advanced instrumentation in its Tornio casters to gain deeper insights into the continuous casting process and enhance product quality. The casters are equipped with molds containing optical fibers, achieving 1786 Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) based temperature measurement points, quality prediction software, and...
The TST.1 is a practical, simple, non-contact series of systems for continuous, online monitoring of surface contamination loads on moving metal sheet. Designed for real-time process control, the system assesses surface cleanliness before and after cleaning sections in metallic coating and continuous annealing sheet finishing lines, enabling producers to optimize incoming cold-rolled steel...
The growing automobile market is expected to drive demand for high-strength exterior panels and electrical steel sheets for motors. These products require precise impurity control to maintain formability and magnetic properties. Nitrogen is a particularly crucial element in determining the mechanical properties of steel. Although higher nitrogen content improves tensile and yield strengths, it...
Steelmaking in Europe is in transition, stepping away from the traditional blast furnace route towards electric arc furnace steelmaking. This conversion is driven by available green Hydrogen as well as by affordable electrical energy which will both become prerequisite.
Swiss Steel Group employs EAF technology in all of its 5 steel plants, enjoying a low CO2 footprint already today. As an...
The addition of highly reactive ferro-coke can lower the temperature of the thermal reserve zone (TRZ), which improves shaft efficiency in a blast furnace. A better understanding of the link between microstructure, microtexture and strength in ferro-coke is needed to optimise the blend composition and maximise strength.
This study investigates the microstructure and microtexture of...
The European Green Deal challenges the steel sector to implement breakthrough modifications to significantly decrease its carbon footprint, and European steel producers are planning consistent investments in this direction. Integrated steelworks are particularly affected since, besides production process changes, important modifications are envisaged also for gas and energy management....
Fives’ Eyeron® is a digital solution aiming at managing the quality of steel products in real time. This solution can be deployed either on a single asset or in a fully integrated plant. Thanks to its effective data injection and powerful rules engine system, it can automatically provide precise quality grading and reports, and issue recommendations for order reallocation or repair of any type...
One of the coal pre-treatment process used to produce high-strength coke while incorporating a large amount of low-quality coal is the briquette blending carbonization process. Briquette blending carbonization process improves coke strength by mixing high-density briquette with powder coal. On the other hand, it is known that blending briquettes with powder coal forms low bulk density regions...
We present the open-source planning software DynReAct, which grew out of a research project on dynamic production planning and scheduling in the steel industry. The software implements a three-stage approach to the flexible flow-shop planning problem, comprising modules for long-term, mid-term and short-term planning. Long-term planning implements an order-less planning approach based on...
The continuous casting phase in steel production still requires several manual operations near molten steel, posing significant safety risks. This paper explores how the integration of advanced robotic technologies can fully automate casting operations, significantly improving safety, process efficiency, and overall production performance.
The study highlights the differences between...
Sekisui Chemical has been developing technologies to efficiently convert CO2 to CO with Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction by Chemical Looping(CL).
Among the various CO2 utilization approaches, RWGS reaction plays a pivotal role since it produces synthesis gas (CO + H2), the building block of numerous conversion processes. However, average CO generation yields are ~40-50% with...
Metal microstructure can be determined in situ using laser ultrasound (LUS) measurements. As a non-contact, nondestructive measurement, this can be integrated at many positions in the steelmaking process, including measurement of hot and moving samples. Swerim has previously demonstrated the application of this technology as an on-line grain size gauge installed at the SSAB Borlänge hot strip...
Induction heating is a widely utilized technology in industrial applications due to its efficiency, rapid heating capabilities, and contactless nature. Various researchers advocate for the integration of static fields into an induction heating system to enhance heating efficiency and penetration. This study uses a novel approach adding permanent magnets to create the additional static field....
In today's rapidly evolving industrial landscape, coke oven plant operators are increasingly confronted with the pressing challenge of managing aging equipment. As many coke oven batteries, machines, and associated equipment near the end of their operational lifespan, operators face the risk of unscheduled production interruptions, increased emissions, and elevated health and safety concerns...
For more than two decades, off-gas analysis technology has been used worldwide, initially as an engineering tool for the design and tuning of fume systems and later as a key tool for EAF chemical energy optimization. In later years, the off-gas analysis has been used for full EAF dynamic control that addresses scrap variability that does not allow for simple EAF profiling operations. Today,...
Ladle slag carryover into the tundish has been a significant challenge in steelmaking, adversely affecting the tundish refractory material reducing its lifespan. Additionally, slag carryover compromises steel quality due to slag entrainment, which is a primary source of undesired inclusions in the final products. To achieve high-quality steel and maximize yield, it is essential to minimize...
The steel industry is a cornerstone of the European economy, contributing 6.7% of global crude steel production (126.3 Mt in 2023). However, it is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 4% of total EU emissions and 23% of those from manufacturing industries. Achieving carbon neutrality in this high-energy-intensity sector requires innovative solutions to reduce...
The magnetic flatness measurement system enables precise flatness assessment of strip steel, even under high tension, where traditional optical methods fail due to elastic elongation. Unlike conventional flatness measuring rollers, which are costly and offer limited resolution, this system applies a uniform electromagnetic force perpendicular to the strip, inducing a controlled deflection that...
The physical properties of raw material play an important role in the iron and steel making processes. Especially the grain size is important, e.g., for permeability control in the blast furnace or the densification of the sintering process.
However, current grain size measurement methods are often irregular, labor-intensive, and rely heavily on manual effort, limiting the ability to achieve...
Quality specifications are crucial for the metals industry to ensure consistent quality and safety. Integrating these specifications into the manufacturing execution system (MES) is essential for maintaining expected quality levels, minimizing errors, and enhancing efficiency, thereby meeting regulatory requirements and customer expectations. However, metals producers with geographically...
The partial substitution of coal with waste plastics in the coking process can improve resource recycling and sustainability of cokemaking and ironmaking processes. A fundamental understanding of how plastic pyrolysis influences microstructural transformations in coke ovens remains limited, despite its significant impact on coke quality. This study addresses this knowledge gap through an...
Cost competitiveness, high productivity and safety are crucial for the survival of the stainless steel industry in Europe. The AOD converter, as an efficient refining aggregate, is a fixed process step in every high-performance stainless steel production. Primetals Technologies is continuously optimizing and improving the AOD process, the AOD equipment and its automation.
One key innovation...
Predictive maintenance is often seen as an add-on for predicting failures. This viewpoint limits the real-life results of predictive maintenance solutions. To truly maximize drive system availability, decisions must support this goal throughout the entire lifecycle, akin to the continuous use of smart devices for personal health monitoring.
Optimizing drive system availability begins at the...
Accurate and reliable measurement of the remaining steel level in the tundish is very important for preventing undetected emptying, optimizing steel grade changes, and maximizing strand length. Conventional weight-based measurement often introduce inaccuracies increasing the risk of slag carryover into the mold, unnecessary downgrading, and reduced process efficiency.
The AMEPA Residual Steel...
The increasing need for steel has rised the consumption of metcoke where in Europe 45 million tons of metcoke are used annually in steelmaking processes. In the attempt for green transition, this growing need is accelerating the search for sustainable alternatives to fossil carbon products.
Pyrolysis of wood pellets from pine and spruce at temperatures above 500°C has proven effective in...
This paper presents a robotic cell specifically designed for steel shop operations, assisting operators in the inspection, cleaning, and replacement of refractory components in the ladle sliding gate. This critical system enables the controlled opening of the ladle bottom, allowing molten steel to flow into the tundish of the continuous caster.
The developed robotic cell represents an...
To better demonstrate the entire operation cycle of the SCI framework at the event, given the impracticality of bringing bulky devices, it has been decided to create a digital twin of the process, to be shown to the audience via smart glasses. The interactive digital twin will display the various functional parts of the project, allowing the components created by individual partners to be appreciated.
In recent decades, the rail transportation sector has undergone continuous progress. The increasing demands in rail transportation are particularly driven by higher train speeds and greater axle loads due to heavier cargo. To meet market demands, rail producers are improving rail strength to develop high-performance rails, particularly in terms of wear resistance. Head-hardened rails offer...
Desulphurisation in the steel ladle requires a reactive slag with high CaO dissolution. Conventional slag fluxing agents applied during this secondary metallurgical refining step include calcium aluminate additives and fluorspar to maximise the dissolved CaO. However, calcium aluminate additives can have a high carbon footprint due to their energy-intensive production process and the use of...
Steel is a cornerstone of global infrastructure but its production faces inherent complexity due to high energy consumption, strict quality demands, and sophisticated production process. While traditional planning methods rely on rigid, centralized frameworks, they struggle to adapt to disruptions like equipment failures or material defects, leading to inefficiencies and financial losses....
The digital transformation of the sintering process requires controlling the return ore ratio, which is the proportion of fine sintered ore particles smaller than 4 mm that cannot be used in the blast furnace, within a target range. When the return ore ratio is too high, the productivity of the sintering process decreases. On the contrary, when we aim for an excessively low return ore ratio,...
The RecoDust process is an innovative pyrometallurgical technique designed for the efficient separation of iron and zinc from steel mill dust, a byproduct of steel production. This process addresses the growing demand for sustainable resource recovery in the metallurgical industry, offering an environmentally friendly and economically viable solution for the recycling of valuable metals....
The Ladle Furnace (LF) process is fundamental for refining steel before Continuous Casting (CC) and strongly affects some main mechanical features of the final semi-finished steel product. Ferroalloys, deoxidizers and slag formers are added to molten steel, while keeping its temperature within given boundaries through electricity-based heating systems. Several aspects, e.g. the electricity...
To realize efficient and stable operation of a blast furnace, accurate process control through automation is crucial. In this study, we developed an automatic control system for hot metal temperature (HMT). To cope with the slow and complex process dynamics of the blast furnace, we first built a two-dimensional (2D) transient model that can simulate the chemical reactions and the heat transfer...
SMS group recently celebrated 150 years as one of the world leaders in the construction of equipment for the ferrous and non-ferrous metals industries. This paper will focus on the recent technology developments dedicated to the wire rod producers such as:
• Single-pass driven MEERdrive® finishing blocks
• Rapid production change and precise finishing through MEERdrive®PLUS high-speed...
Information regarding temperature and deformation of the converter shell, particularly the barrel section and top cone, help predict remaining lifetime of top cone, detect damages in refractory, etc. Since the trunnion ring obscures much of the view on the converter, thermal cameras do not provide this information. Hence, sensors have to be arranged directly on the vessel shell. Unfortunately,...
It is well known that global CO2 emission from steel sector is 7-8%, which is approx. 1/3 of industrial energy use. Hence, many steel companies are trying to develop the electric arc furnace (EAF) and/or electric smelting furnace (ESF) steelmaking processes instead of blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) integrated routes by employing high amounts of direct-reduced iron (DRI)...
To drastically reduce CO2 emissions, European steelmakers are considering a transition from the Blast Furnace (BF) route to the direct reduction (DR) route. TRANSinter investigates solutions to support the first step in the transition step based on the valorization of existing sinter plants.
Following solutions are being investigated :
- Adapted sinter for use in DR shafts as an...
The steel industry is increasingly seeking reliable and efficient solutions for steel level control that eliminate the need for radioactive sources. In response to this demand, Ergolines has developed an innovative technology that is gaining significant traction in the market, as evidenced by the growing number of installations worldwide. This paper presents a detailed case study showcasing...
To achieve a carbon-neutral EAF system for high-quality sheet production, rapid scrap melting is essential for efficient DRI/HBI dissolution.
This study presents an integrated oxygen lance-burner design to enhance thermal efficiency and melting kinetics.
Experimental validation and numerical simulations were conducted to assess performance and optimize key parameters, with findings and...
The digital transformation of industrial steel plants is crucial for optimizing efficiency, enhancing product quality, and ensuring sustainability. By integrating digital technologies, these plants can significantly improve monitoring, control, and predictive maintenance of reheating and treatment furnaces. Traditional systems often lack detailed real-time data and rely on external...
Machine Vision (MV) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are rapidly evolving technologies poised to transform industries, including steel production. While these technologies are already applied in metallurgical plants—primarily to optimize process models—their potential extends far beyond conventional applications. This presentation aims to challenge traditional thinking and spark discussions...
Primetals Technologies offer extensive metallurgical and machinery service expertise throughout the entire lifecycle of steel production plants, providing a wide range of solutions to support every operational phase in steel plants and rolling mills. These solutions include service contracts, spare and wear parts service, metallurgical consulting, engineering, technological upgrades and...
The primary challenge in steel production today is the reduction of its carbon footprint. To address this, steel producers are increasingly relying on scraps. However, residual elements in post-consumer scrap—such as copper, tin, antimony, nickel, or molybdenum—can degrade steel properties, particularly for advanced high-strength steels. The project MetConZero investigates how these residuals...
Industrial gearboxes play a crucial role in steel industry plants by providing the required speed and torque for the operation of several machines, thus affecting the efficiency and reliability of various processes. Within this scope predictive maintenance is employed to identify potential issues before they lead to costly downtime or catastrophic failures.
In the field of industrial...
The cleanness of modern steels is of utmost importance as non-metallic inclusions can have detrimental effects on the mechanical properties of the finished product, as for example fatigue strength or notched impact toughness. Especially, hard NMI have a lower formability than the surrounding matrix, which can lead to crack initiation in the material during forming. Additionally, NMIs often...
Continuous casting is a crucial process in the production of long products in the metals industry. It offers several advantages that make it a preferred method over traditional ingot casting: efficiency, productivity, material utilization and energy savings, quality improvement by consistent quality and reduced defects.
The continuous casting process can produce a wide range of...
The path to reducing steel's CO₂ footprint is increasingly clear, with the industry shifting toward electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. This transition relies on recycled scrap and partially substitutes virgin materials with direct reduced iron (DRI) or hot briquetted iron (HBI). However, the changing quality of input materials, particularly the reduced purity of raw materials and...
The steel industry is undergoing a twin transition, where digitalization and sustainability work in tandem to drive efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance productivity. As steelmaking is an energy-intensive process with significant CO₂ emissions, the integration of advanced automation solutions is essential to meet the industry’s growing demands for decarbonization and resource...
Binding Solutions Ltd have developed a cold agglomeration technology that considerably reduces the CO2 emissions associated with agglomeration of iron ores for the blast furnace process. Bespoke tests have proven the metallurgical performance of these cold agglomerated pellets at temperatures well above those used in ISO standards.
Using the company’s own pilot plant in Middlesbrough, UK,...
Steel circularity represents a sustainable strategy aimed at maximizing reuse of steel material, significantly contributing to the decarbonization of steel production. This approach encompasses the sustainable design of steel end products, resource-efficient steelmaking, and the recycling of steel products. Resource-efficient steelmaking is achieved through electric arc furnaces or converters...
Non-oriented electrical steel is widely applied as core material for several electrical machines, such as generators or electric motors due to its great soft magnetic properties. Besides grain size, precipitates, defects and grain orientation, non-metallic inclusions (NMI) also have a decisive effect on the magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steel. Inclusions not only inhibit grain...
QSP-DUE is moving forward: from a breakthrough plant concept to a consolidated technology capable of reaching production targets exceeding 4.0 MTPY of fossil-free hot rolled strips for the most demanding applications, from commodity grades to AHSS, API line pipes and automotive exposed panels.
Although QSP-DUE is a green technology by design, the introduction of the fully electric Tunnel...
Steel plants operating for extended periods tend to stabilize into a steady operational state, which may not necessarily align with their peak production potential. Emerging challenges, such as rising energy costs and the task for decarbonization, necessitate a more detailed analysis and enhancement of existing operational processes integrating push and pull scenarios.
With automation, a...
The steel industry, responsible for 7% of global CO₂ emissions, significantly contributes to environmental pollution and intensive water consumption. Decarbonizing the sector requires adopting innovative technologies such as hydrogen-based direct reduction, recycling in electric arc furnaces (EAF), and iron ore electrolysis. However, this transition presents major challenges, including the...
The iron and steel industry contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 7.2% of the total. The predominant BF-BOF ironmaking route, responsible for 70% of global pig iron production, is primarily coal-based, posing substantial challenges for decarbonization. As steel industry stakeholders strive to reduce carbon footprints while maintaining economic viability,...
The HYBRIT initiative was launched in 2016 by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall with the aim of creating a completely fossil-free value chain from mine to steel, using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The focus of technical development has been to build up expertise and to set the technical prerequisites for implementing HYBRIT’s fossil-free value chain in full-scale production. Large parts of...
High-Cr and Ti-bearing ferritic stainless steel (Ti-FSS) has superior corrosion resistance compared to other steel grades. The Ti-FSS requires not only high corrosion resistance and formability but also superior cleanliness of the cold rolled sheet. Specifically, the cleanliness of Ti-FSS has been improved through the vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) and the ladle treatment (LT) processes....
Continuous casting has long relied on inspection methods that often detect defects too late, leading to wasted energy, time, and costs. Late detection also limits the ability to intervene in defect formation. Sapotech aims to improve continuous casting control by developing a real-time defect detection system that integrates AI-driven predictions, machine vision, and process sensor data. This...
The transition to green steel faces several challenges: raw material availability, green electric energy availability, and the associated cost. Direct reduction (DR) is a promising solution for reducing CO2 emissions in ironmaking. While natural gas-based DR is established and new plants are ready for operation with green hydrogen, the high costs of natural gas and hydrogen in Europe increase...
Thermophysical property data of liquid alloys, like viscosity and surface tension, are key input parameters in numerical fluid simulations. For production processes with extreme conditions and under harsh environments, like in steel industry, these simulations are a promising option to gain a deeper insight into those processes that are difficult (or even impossible) to study by measurement...
A heavy beams producer selected Danieli technology and construction capability for the turnkey Thermo-Mechanical Control Process (TMCP) project at its rolling mill.
Thanks to this process, the product portfolio will be expanded with high-strength beams according to Grade 80 ASTM A913/A913M and S500ML EN 10025-4 standards.
High-strength beams offer substantial savings in construction in terms...
The transformation toward sustainable green production is focusing on hydrogen technologies and recycling of scrap.
The constraints of resources availability are known (green H2/electricity, high grade DRI, scrap volume and quality).
Therefore, the BOF process technolgoy will remain for the next 25 years the prominent technology benefitting from a couple of process advantages to overcome...
One of the investigated concepts for Generation IV nuclear reactors is a molten salt-cooled reactor system. A critical aspect of this concept is the material selected for components of the primary and secondary circuits of the power source, which is exposed to extreme chemical and thermal loading. The loading arises both from aggressive chemical interactions with molten salts at elevated...
The transition to carbon-free steel production presents significant challenges for the industry. Adapting to new processes, production routes, and logistics is a central aspect of this transformation. Particularly notable is the shift from traditional Blast Furnace (BF) / Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) route to electric steelmaking route. This change requires not only a comprehensive restructuring...
The paper presents the development and implementation of the Pulverized Coal Injection Monitoring Service (Paul Wurth PCIXpert), an innovative solution designed to enhance the operational efficiency and reliability of Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) plants. Developed by SMS group, PCIXpert addresses the challenges faced by maintenance and process management personnel in monitoring complex PCI...
The ironmaking industry faces increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions in response to global sustainability initiatives. This has incentivised steelmakers to move away from the traditional Blast Furnace (BF), with an emerging alternative being the Electric Smelting Furnace (ESF). The transition to ESFs will reshape slag management and design, requiring a reassessment of slag properties,...
The reduced production times and costs and lower environmental impact of the Powder Bed Fusion-Laser Beam (PBF-LB) technology compared to conventional technologies for producing complex-shaped parts are generating keen interest in the industrial sector. Thanks to its peculiar microstructure, the PBF-LB AISI 316L stainless steel has higher pitting corrosion resistance and mechanical strength...
Scrap usage in steelmaking is a common practice to improve the process sustainability, as it decreases the use of virgin raw materials and boosts the circularity of the sector (decreasing CO2 emissions and energy consumption). Nevertheless, the current trend in the EU scrap market points to a slight decrease in pre-consumer scrap (E2, E6, E8, turnings..) and an increase in the short- and...
Steel-intensive-industrial sectors face ongoing challenges in balancing agility, demographic change and technological renewal. A key solution lies in the evolution of digitalization, moving beyond traditio-nal ERP (order processing), PLM (product development), and MES/BDE (production control) systems. The next stage of digital transformation integrates materials technology and manufacturing...
A reliable material identification along the entire rolling process chain is a high priority in today’s rising demand on fault-free shipment. For special alloy producer, a mixup in delivered product could result in complete cancellation of the shipment, penalty charges as well as loss in reputation. In this regard, currently used positive material identification (PMI) technologies such as...
Power Cooling offers significant advantages in hot strip mills, particularly for producing modern steel grades with superior mechanical properties. This innovative cooling system features scalable water impact pressure and flow rates, ensuring high cooling rates coupled with precise temperature control far beyond the usual coiling temperature ranges for conventional steel grades. This is...
Carburization during the smelting of direct reduced iron in a smelter is critical in achieving the desired hot metal properties for refining in a steel plant. This study investigates DRI's smelting and carburizing behavior, focusing on the interaction between slag and carburization agents of differing grain sizes. The key objectives include achieving a high carbon content in the hot metal,...
The REDERS project, which stands for "Reduced CO$_{2}$ emissions by increased recycling ratio in steelmaking processes", is a joint project of the steel producers thyssenkrupp steel Europe (tkSE) and Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) together with the recycling company TSR and the research institute BFI, which is coordinating the entire project.
The aim of the project is to increase the...
Electrical steel (also called Silicon steel), a steel alloy with specific magnetic properties, with low core loss and high magnetic permeability, is extremely sensitive to produce, especially when high performance and low energy losses are critical. The booming electric vehicles market is driving the development of Non-Grain Oriented Silicon Steels with high flux density and minimal core...
This research explores the development of Functional Graded Materials (FGMs) through the sintering of layered metal powders. FGMs exhibit a gradual variation in composition and properties, allowing for the optimization of mechanical, thermal, and chemical characteristics throughout the component's volume. The methodology involves the layered deposition of different alloys, followed by a...
The global shift towards greener practices has created significant challenges for the material manufacturing sector. One key example is the need to increase the use of scrap metals in production to reduce the strain on natural resources and promote a circular economy. However, using scrap metals inevitably introduces impurities, which can greatly affect the properties of the final material....
As part of the decarbonization process in the steelmaking industry, the direct reduction of iron ores, the use of green hydrogen as an energy source and/or the application of carbon capture technologies are crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. The study will underscore the importance of laboratory material testing and process simulation tools in determining the optimal and most feasible...
Transformation towards climate-neutral production in the metal industry requires innovative solutions for tracking and optimizing greenhouse gas emissions. While major steel manufacturers are already exploring digital product passports (DPP) as part of their sustainability strategies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the metal processing industry often lack standardized and...
With the increasing demands of industry for materials capable of withstanding extreme conditions such as high temperatures, mechanical stress, and aggressive environments, nickel-based alloys are being increasingly employed. These materials play a key role in the production and maintenance of forging tools, offering an optimal combination of strength, durability, and stability due to their...
Although carburization is one of the key reactions in steel production, and one for which no other elements can be substituted, coal as carbon source is used. Therefore, it is required to switch from coal to carbon-neutral materials for decarbonization. Previous research has reported that carbonaceous material with low graphitization degree and less ash has advantage for carburization...
Decarbonization of the steel industry has multiplied the number of projects involving construction of a direct reduction plant.
Shorter project schedules and avoiding cost/availability issues with onsite construction skilled workers are key advantages of a modularized construction strategy.
TECNICAS REUNIDAS has executed projects in other industrial areas using this strategy and has...
Problem-solving in industrial processes relies on the adequate development and use of tools able to get insight and improved knowledge and know how on the phenomena behind the occurrence e.g, of factors affecting production quality and productivity. In steel production, this gains particular importance due to the need of following the increasingly severe market request and the unavoidable...
Traditionally, RH recirculatory degassers and large vacuum tank degassers use superheated steam to generate the vacuum required for their metallurgical process. The steam is supplied, as required, to a number of steam jet pumps, which can create vacuum levels of less than one mbar absolute.
Usually, the steam for these vacuum pumps is generated either from an independent package type boiler...
Increasing the energy source in BOF process and transferring it to the bath is a potential solution for fostering scrap melting, decreasing Hot Metal Ratio and thus global CO2 emissions.
Post-combustion at BOF converter is usually around 10-12%. Many developments have been done in steelmaking industry to use this potential energy, either for the management of BOF mouth opening and skull...
In recent years, the exploitation of Deep Learning and computer vision to classify waste material has rapidly increased to automate recycling processes, increasing efficiency and reducing carbon footprint. Electric steelworks, which produce steel by recycling ferrous scrap, fit perfectly into this context. In effect, the identification and classification of different types of scrap is...
The Smart Beam manufacturing (SBM) is the new rolling mill that will allow to verticalize the production in Duferco Group plant of San Zeno Naviglio: a new integrated rolling mill, downstream of the San Zeno steel mill, to allow for optimal verticalization of the steel production, with the goal of becoming the best cost producer of steel beams in Europe.
To reach optimal efficiency of...