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By Claudio Fabbro

The increasing demand of wire rod high carbon grades for both small and large sizes are challenging the wire rod producers to enhance new technologies by combining high plant productivity and efficiency of superior quality finished products with extreme process flexibility. The possibility to change process route according to the final application of the rolled steel grade and to simplify production planning is one of the most important keys to success that distinguishes the mill plants developed by Danieli. This paper will focus on the most important metallurgical and process targets and on the in-line heat treatment technologies representing the core of Danieli know-how on high carbon grades production.

Jul 30, 2018

By Werner Klein

The utilization of production facilities in an optimum way, with reliable due date fulfillment, reducing raw material and energy consumption, are challenges iron and steel companies are facing in their business every day. By using an APS system such goals can be achieved to increase the competiveness of iron and steel producers. A sophisticated APS supports the overall planning process by applying complex rules based on product and order mix, its production routings with corresponding processing and transport times and resource availability. Specific technological as well as steel grade and energy related constraints are also considered to meet company specific KPIs. A core feature of APS solution is to react online on deviations to plan during the production process. Deviations such as nonconformance of intermediate material attached to an order, sudden production delays, unavailability of important production resources, makes it necessary to update the production plan. In general the task of APS is to support the preferred work-to-order concept, by assigning work-orders to available production facilities along the product specific process route and generate optimized material sequences for critical work centers.

Aug 17, 2017

By Jörg Thomasberger

Delivering liquid steel to a steel processing unit at right temperature is an important criterion for high production steel shops, but it is surprising how little attention has been paid in the past to manage this vital phase in the steelmaking process-the steel in transit. The ladle running costs, both directly and indirectly, contribute significantly to the cost of steelmaking and should be an area of concern to any high production steel plant. Here we are talking not only of refractory costs or preheating fuel costs, but also cost of extra heating in ladle furnace, additional process delays incurred in delivering steel at right temperature to downstream unit in case proper care is not exercised at upstream unit, and occasional costs of ladle breakout due to inability to judge the residual life of the ladle. This paper emphasizes the need of a comprehensive ladle management system, an aspect which has not been properly addressed in the operations of a steel plant, in improving the productivity of a steel melt shop. Starting with review of present status and the attempts at implementation of ladle tracking in steel melt shop automation system, it looks at components of an exhaustive Ladle Management System (LMS), and finally gives an idea of benefits that will accrue from implementation of such a system in a steel melt shop.

Aug 17, 2017

By Michael Windhager

UltimaTM rolls have been designed for intermediate and finishing stands of rod and bar and small and medium section mills. The rolls and rings are spun cast, with a highly alloyed working layer and a tough nodular iron core. Microstructure and hardness level can be adjusted over a wide range, which allows us to adapt the rolls to differing rolling conditions. After introducing the UltimaTM concept, this paper will describe the results of UltimaTM rolls achieved in various mill applications, like finish rolling of rebar, and slitting. Special emphasis is given to performance gains when using UltimaTM rolls, compared to standard rolls. This paper also examines the impact of UltimaTM rolls on mill and roll shop productivity.

Jul 30, 2018

By Raúl Daniel López

Ternium-Siderar steelmaking has been focused in permanent improvements and process optimization. At present the Slab Continuous Caster N°1 has been totally transformed after 20 years of uninterrupted work. The authors of this paper summarize and comment on aspects which were the main changes and place emphasis largely on those technological developments in which they have been active during that period. Productivity and quality have been our goals during the last 20 years; it has led us to improve process and to achieve better control tools. In the development of this presentation, the authors will put special emphasis on the explanation of those works that were made following their own experiences through the technical personnel who belong to the staff of the company.

Jul 30, 2018

By Carlos Gonzalez-Rivera

An alternative cooling curve analysis method focused on the experimental determination of the latent heat of phase changes and phase transformation kinetics is proposed in this work. The method analyses the cooling process of a metallic sample, initially liquid that is contained into a cylindrical metallic mold, both of known weight, thermally isolated at its top and bottom. The method is based on an energy balance associated with the experimental measurement of the temperature change of the sample and the mold during their cooling process. From the numerical processing of the cooling curves, are obtained approximate values of the acting global heat transfer coefficient as a function of temperature in order to describe quantitatively the energy exchange of the metal/mold system with its surroundings. These relationships and other experimental data are used to process the cooling curve of the sample and the mold during solidification, in order to obtain the latent heat of solidification.The method was applied experimentally to zinc and tin of commercial purity, initially liquids and contained into stainless steel molds in order to determine its ability to measure the latent heat of solidification. The obtained results suggests that this method shows a good potential to characterize the solidification of metals.

Oct 30, 2017

By Felipe Beluche Lima, Caio Augusto Silva Santos

Brazil is the largest producer of crude steel in the Americas by BOF process and many challenges come along with the increasing market demand. In the BOF, a tubular wall hood structure has been showing premature failures related to the overlay welded tube technology placed in the hood wall. The main root causes were: thermal fatigue at 1800°C, hot spot formation, high heat-affected zone (HAZ) leading to susceptibility of stress cracking, carburizing corrosion and superficial wearing. Based on that, co-extruded tube technology (named composite tube by Sandvik) was the alternative chosen to enhance hood performance without compromising BOF process. In order to rises safety and productivity, composite tube has 100% metallurgical bond assuring stable expansion, high heat exchange efficiency, better corrosion resistance and less rough surface finishing. It was highly suggested to many others mills due to similar and already existing reported cases.

Oct 1, 2019

By Claude Bodeving

The present steel economy drastically increases the financial strain on blast furnace operators. As a consequence, the importance of reliable cast floor operations is increasing drastically, which has a direct influence on the required clay mass and tapping equipment performances. When using modern high performance clay masses, pneumatic taphole drilling machines quickly reach their performance limits, which has made fully hydraulic drill hammers a standard in modern cast house operation. Besides the well-established hydraulic TMT hammers with high impact energy, an alternative version with lower impact energy, but high impact frequency was developed by TMT in the past, in order to achieve improved taphole protection. TMT’s recent research has shown that the drilling requirements inflicted by the taphole condition change over the taphole length, which has triggered the development of a new hammer, capable of switching between a high impact frequency mode and a high impact energy mode.

Aug 17, 2017

By Charles Sóstenes Assunção

A mathematical model of heat transfer and solidification for a continuous casting of round billets was developed. The water flux density of the secondary cooling zone was experimentally measured, using an apparatus in industrial scale with two types of nozzles, flat jet and full cone jet. The profiles of water distribution were applied on the mathematical model. The results showed that the water distribution is not uniform in both longitudinal and angular directions owing to the unevenness of the spray and to the curvature effect of the round billet. This non-uniformity causes important variation of the heat transfer coefficients and superficial temperature of the billet, especially in the first cooling zones, where the temperature is higher. The mathematical model was used to simulate a change of nozzle type in the first cooling zone. The results showed that the heat flux and superficial temperature variations were reduced with a full cone jet nozzle in comparison with the flat jet nozzles.

Aug 16, 2017

By D. F. Rodríguez-Pérez, J. Salinas-Reyes, Luis R. Salazar-Garza, C. A. Gómez-De-La-Garza

The Pickling Line Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM) from Ternium Pesquería started in 2013. It is a line with 5 stands, 6 high; focused mainly on the exposed automotive market, with a wide spread of products with high quality requirements. In addition the operational continuity is very important, for this, one of the greatest challenges is to ensure operational discipline, the order of production, the quality of the input (hot band), operational interruptions, equipment failure, breakage of strip in the mill, among others. In relation to this, it has a strong impact on productivity, customer compliance, damage to equipment, rolls, safety, quality, reprocessing among others. Here is present the results obtained in the project "decrease of strip breaks" which focused on several fronts, discipline in the order of production, previous review of raw material in surface and dimensional defects with automatic inspection equipment in the hot mill, as well as in PLTCM, generation of logic in the redundant systems of alerts and prevention to avoid or minimize strip breaks that were high impact in the past. All these multidisciplinary actions led as a whole to a significant improvement in the performance indicators of the PLTCM, in productivity, compliance, reprocessing and quality in the cold rolled mill.

Oct 1, 2019

By Jan Krull

A high productive coke making process in connection with stringent emission control has clearly become a demand of plant operators and stakeholders. Further to this, availability, quality and coal costs are key concerns for the iron and steel industry in its efforts to optimize raw material cost. Today, the optimization of raw material cost in integrated steel works has further gained priority. Coking coal reflects up to 20% of the cost of steel. In top charged batteries coal preparation and blending is one of the concerns to lower coal cost by maximizing the percentage of non-coking coals in the blend. Stamp charging technology is technologically and economically an effective solution in the process of pre-carbonisation. Paul Wurth’s jumbo top charged oven as well as proven stamp charging technology have recently set new benchmarks in Europe, India and Brazil in terms of productivity, stability and emission control.

Aug 1, 2018

By Wujian jun

In the process of wire rod production, the rolled wire products must be cooled from the red-hot state to the normal temperature state. How to cool the wire rod after rolling is one of the key links of product quality control in the whole wire rod production process. In this paper, combined with the closed-loop transformation project of controlled cooling temperature of Xuanhuan iron and steel group co., LTD., the closed-loop related controlled cooling equipment (including water cooler, valve table, etc.), nozzle layout and process layout of water tank, and closed-loop software control system of controlled cooling temperature of high-line are analyzed and designed. Closed-loop system design USES temperature of cooling water cooling and water cooling two temperature closed loop regulating circuit, through temperature feedback and feedforward to achieve the uniformity of temperature adjustment, in order to prevent occur due to temperature closed loop control function with the phenomenon of a steel before and after the temperature difference is bigger, system Settings have "absolute temperature regulation" and "relative temperature regulation" selection mode. The system has a self-learning mode, which can modify the temperature feed forward formula. In addition, this paper takes the hard wire 82B rod as the test object, and studies the process parameters and the comprehensive mechanical properties of the rod before and after the water cooling system reform. The research results show that the temperature closed loop system, can ensure the rolled piece temperature control precision of plus or minus 10℃, enhances the stability of wire rod cleaner performance. It can reduce water consumption by about 186m3/h and improve the utilization rate of cooling water.

Oct 1, 2019

By Mingyu Ma, Lingling Liu, Liqing Chen, Houlong Liu

In this article, a 444-type heat-resistant ferritic stainless steel containing 0.05wt% Ce and 2wt% (Mo+W) was used as an experimental material and a study was carried out on the effect of rolling processes on the microstructures and texture evolution as well as on the mechanical properties and formability. The rolling processes contain hot rolling at different hot rolling finish temperatures, annealing after hot rolling, cold rolling and subsequent annealing. As for the hot rolling process, two hot rolling finish temperatures, 860 C and 770 C, were adopted, and their influence on the microstructures and mechanical properties was comparatively studied. The results showed that the microstructures after hot rolling and subsequent annealing could be refined by lowering the hot rolling finish temperature. The resultant microstructures after cold rolling and annealing were hereditarily refined. Lowering the hot rolling finish temperature can weaken the -fiber texture in hot rolled or cold rolled ferritic stainless steel strip. However, the -fiber texture was homogeneously strengthened by annealing the cold rolled ferritic stainless steel strip. Enhanced mechanical property and formability in terms of strength and average plastic strain ratio could be obtained by lowering the hot rolling finish temperature of ferritic stainless steel.

Oct 1, 2019

By Levi de Oliveira Bueno

Constant stress testing was used for characterization of creep behavior of a 1Cr0.5Mo steel plate in the ex-service condition. The tests were performed on creep machines equipped with Andrade-Chalmers type profiles, high sensitivity SLVC transducer extensometry, high stability temperature controllers, and facilities for monitoring the creep curves with an automatic data logging system. Ten creep machines of this type were used in this research, in an experimental work that lasted for one year. Three temperature levels were selected: 538, 565 and 593°C, with stress in the range from 52 to 224 MPa producing rupture times varying from 5 to about 3950h. The creep curves were all followed with great scrutiny using data logger scanning rates which enabled storing thousands of readings in each case. The experimental analysis involved measurements of minimum creep rate, rupture time and final elongation at rupture. The data were analyzed according to the classical phenomenological / physical relations (Norton, Arrhenius, Zenner-Hollomon, Monkman-Grant) and also considering five traditional parameterization methodologies (Larson-Miller, Orr-Sherby-Dorn, Goldhoff-Sherby, Manson- Haferd and Manson-Succop). Comparisons are presented among the possibilities of data extrapolation from five different methodologies. Comparison is also made with creep results obtained on a similar plate of the same material in the virgin condition.

Aug 16, 2017

By Anand Kumar Agrawal, Kinzel Klaus Peter, Lorenzo Micheletti, Cristiano Castagnola, Horst Kappes, Andre Oliveira, Björn Rösner, Philippe Bermes

Blast furnaces are widely employed today for iron production all around the world, with a total production of around 1.2 billion tons per year. Its operating principle, which relies on usage of coke to reduce the ore, to ensure the permeability in the reaction vessel, to maintain its flexibility of operation and acceptability for varying qualities of iron ores. The blast furnace route is widely considered as the most economic and efficient route of iron production, however it is based on fossil energy carriers. The blast furnace route has undergone significant developments in terms of energy efficiency in the last decades, which led to a substantial reduction in the use of fossil reduction materials. Being an energy intensive process, competitiveness and cost saving in the blast furnace plant was always strongly related to the saving of energy and hence reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition to this, EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) as a cornerstone of the EU's policy in response to climate change has set new “challenges” for iron production in Europe. Paul Wurth has always been deeply involved in the development of energy saving technologies for blast furnaces. In the following a review of energy saving achievements developed in the last decades will be presented and the potential of available CO2 saving technologies will be summarized. Additionally, an outlook about the potential of future technologies, concepts and their impact on the blast furnace and the steel plant’s energy balance will be discussed. Finally, the replacement of carbon by hydrogen as reduction agent in the steel plant will be reviewed, with special focus on a comparison of costs and incentives.

Oct 1, 2019

By Nicolás Ariel Zabala

During the make-up and break-out of the connections, threaded joints are exposed to intense mechanical and tribological solicitations. The connection performance is influenced by its geometry, material properties, surface treatments and thread compound. The aim of this work is to evaluate and characterize the tribological behavior of different thread compounds applied on manganese phosphated carbon steel under low speed and high pressure sliding contact. Four thread compounds were evaluated: one containing lead, zinc and graphite; other lead-free, containing copper and finally, the last two lead-free and containing non-metallic solids. The tribological behavior was analyzed by a block-on-ring tribotest. During the test, load varied linearly between 250 N and 7000 N; loading and unloading lasted 14 sec and were performed in opposite directions of rotation to simulate the make-up and break-out operations. Friction force and load as a function of time were registered. Upon completion of the test, wear surfaces were analyzed by SEM, optical microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The obtained results show that the lead and zinc containing thread compound displayed the best behavior, showing a wear reduction of approximately 20%. These results are in line with previously known oilfield experience. Average COF values around 0.15 were measured and no significant differences between dopes were observed; indicating that the wear behavior was influenced by the additive package.

Jul 31, 2018

By Luigi Giacomini, Bruce Kiefer

A new plant for special steel long products was commissioned in recent years at Dangjin, South Korea, for Hyundai Steel. Two multi-line rolling mills can produce yearly 1 million tons of billets, straight and coiled bars, with dimensions from 5.5 to 350 millimeters. The products are used for manufacturing engine and transmission components used by Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. The processed grades include carbon, special alloy, spring, bearing and free-cutting steel. The first mill rolls blooms into finished large round and square products, as well as into intermediate billets. A 2-high reversing breakdown stand is followed by a finishing and sizing train with CGA stands equipped with an under-load roll parting system for automatic gap control. The second mill combines lines of small bars, rods and bars-in-coil. Billets are rolled in a continuous rolling mill with original RedRing Series 5 stands. The rod outlet features Morgan No-Twist and Rod Reducing/Sizing mills, Morgan High-Speed Laying Head and Stelmor conveyor. Advanced sensors and electronics integrate with mechatronic packages, thus equipping the mill for Industry 4.0 applications. Hyundai can meet the demanding requirements posed by the automotive industry and benefit from optimized conversion costs, the flexibility to meet market changes, achieve high product quality, and reduce floor personnel.

Oct 1, 2019

By Daniel Carvalho, Marcos Viana, Leonardo Demuner, Herbert Castro

Intensive process and technology improvements related to the BOF converter — the key process to increase steel plant productivity and stability — have been performed at Ternium Brazil. This paper details the road map for process developments and investments in equipment technology, as well as the results achieved. The main topics of this development are the process control and optimization systems, slag forming model, oxygen blowing pattern, end-of-blow point control and slag carryover control. The outcomes of this development are improvements in the reblow rate, end-of-blow oxidation, direct tapping, slag carryover, slopping ratio, metallic yield and lining life.

Oct 1, 2019

By Eleir Mundim Bortoleto

A finite element modeling approach was developed to study adhesion phenomena during the unidirectional contact between a two-dimensional plane-strain square and a flat slab. Surfaces were metallic or ceramic, different pairs of materials were analyzed and their adhesion was considered by means of a FORTRAN subroutine (DLOAD), which was connected with commercial finite element code Abaqus and provided surface attractive forces based on the Lennard-Jones interatomic potential. Adhesive loads were considered both during approximation and separation of the surfaces. During the separation step, material transfer between surfaces, due to adhesion, was modeled by means of damage initiation and propagation at the flat slab. The parameters considered in the simulations were normal load, chemical affinity and system size and the different conditions were analyzed by comparison of the interaction forces during approach and withdrawal. This work also presents detailed descriptions of: (i) the evolution of energy dissipation due to adhesion hysteresis, (ii) the formation-growth-breakage of adhesive junctions and (iii) the evolution of stress distribution during the process. Results have indicated that chemical affinity between the bodies in contact is more relevant for adhesion than the applied load. Besides, smaller asperities are less prone to promote adhesive wear, but they may be subjected to high stress concentration effects.

Jul 31, 2018

By Raúl Daniel López

Un objetivo de seguridad y calidad en los moldes de la colada continua de Siderar fue la de tener un menisco estable y controlado. A lo largo de los distintos periodos de inversiones y mejoras, el control de nivel de Siderar logro como objetivo contener su variación de nivel de acero en el molde en un rango de variación menor a +/-2 mm y con una velocidad de cambio inferior a 1,5 m/segundos. Esta etapa trajo una relativa mejora en los aspectos mencionados (calidad y continuidad operativa) pero el hecho de tener como sistema de medición de nivel un sistema radiactivo (fuente Co60 y contador de centelleo) mantenía serias limitaciones en ambos rubros dado que este sistema no diferencia la interface escoria /polvo colador con el menisco de acero. Este trabajo tratará de mostrar y contar las tareas de desarrollo y aplicación de esta nueva tecnología, hoy vigente en la nueva Colada Continua N° 2 (CCD2) y en etapa de puesta en marcha de la CCD1.

Aug 15, 2017