Reaction kinetics of metallurgical physical chemistry which was successfully applied in metallurgy (as ferrous metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy) became an important theoretical foundation for subject system of traditional metallurgy. Not only the research methods were very perfect, but also the independent structures and systems of it had been formed. the development of the subject system of metallurgical reaction engineering was discussed and the idea for establishing the subject system of metallurgical reaction engineering was proposed. Considering the deficiency of fundamental physical data of metallurgical applications, the idea of researching on the metallurgical reaction engineering and metallurgical reaction project respectively was proposed. Metallurgical reaction engineering was the basic part of this subject (determining definite solution conditions by basic experiment and building models considering comprehensive definite conditions). Metallurgical reaction project was the applied part of amplifying and optimizing simulation results during actual production.One of the important tasks of metallurgical reaction engineering was the simulation of metallurgical process, then the mechanism of reaction process and the conversion time of different control links should be obtained accurately. Therefore, the methods and results of reaction kinetics in metallurgical physical chemistry were not very suitable for metallurgical reaction engineering. In order to provide necessary transmission and reaction kinetics parameters as well as the conversion time of different control links for definite conditions of solving transmission and reaction equations in metallurgical reaction engineering, a new idea for researching kinetics mechanisms in metallurgical reaction engineering by employing sectional method was proposed. Then the comparison of results between the two methods and the further development of sectional method were discussed in this paper. As a research method for reaction kinetics in metallurgical reaction engineering, sectional method could not only satisfy the self needs of metallurgical reaction engineering, but also provide necessary guarantees for establishing its independent subject system.

Investigations on properties of steels and alloys in liquid and solid states testify that the technological features of the liquid metal manufacturing process, overheating in particular, affect the properties and structure of the metal. The time-temperature treatment of the liquid metal influences the structure of the metal melt. In its turn, the metal melt structure has its effect on the solidification nature and the properties of solid specimens.
It is pointed out that there is an inherent tendency for a number of steels and alloys: the higher the melt equilibrium ratio before crystallization, the higher the indices of the solid metal performance. Heating the melt is the easiest way of transferring it into the equilibrium state. In doing so, account should be taken of the fact that with a rise in temperature, the rate of the melt changing its state into that of equilibrium is non-monotonously increasing. Having reached a particular temperature which depends upon initial materials, the chemical composition and the production conditions, the melt properties most often change profoundly due to the active structure rearrangements of the short-range order.
Performance characteristics of steel and alloy semi-finished products depend not only on their composition and thermomechanical treatment after solidification, but are also attributed to the optimal time-temperature treatment conditions of the melt. The conditions are aimed at making the melt approach its equilibrium state. Commercial melting of 10X23N18 steel, made for the research purposes has shown that automatically operated time-temperature treatment of the liquid metal ensures the positive results to be achieved. In particular, the structural and chemical nonuniformity of the solid metal was decreased, while the quality of the steel macrostructure in the deformed state was improved. Plastic characteristics, density and impact strength were improved as well.
Keywords: alloy, properties, structure, equilibrium, crystallization

The kinetics of carbothermic reduction of Manganese ore from Sabzevar mine deposit have been established. The investigations showed that in the temperature range of 900-1000°c, Pyrolusite (MnO2) in the ore was reduced to Manganese Monoxide (MnO). X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of the as-mined ore samples confirmed the presence of Pyrolusite as the major phase in the Manganese ores. Pyrolusite has been reduced in the different temperatures by regenerative agent (Graphite 99.99%) to Bixbyte (Mn2O3), Hausmannite (Mn3O4) and Manganese Monoxide (MnO). Isothermal roasting at temperatures of 900°C and 1000°C with roasting retention times of 300s, 600s, 900s, 1200s, 1500s, 1800s and 2100s was performed, while the weight loss was monitored by using laboratory digital balance and the phases derived from samples (1200s and 2100s) at both temperatures (900 and 1000°C) were examined by using XRD analysis. Temperature and time had a significant influence on the reducibility of the ores.

Reduction of CO2 emissions due to partial substitution of coal by a renewable fuel, like woody biomass, is a subject of increasing interest in the ironmaking process. This study aims to investigate the combustibility of eucalyptus densified at different temperatures and of two bituminous coals typically used for Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) in blast furnace. The coals range from low to high-volatile bituminous and biomasses were thermally-treated in order to reach similar volatile matter content of coals on a dry-ash-free (daf) basis. Combustion at different O2 concentrations of pulverized samples (36-80µm) was carried out in a Drop Tube Furnace (DTF) at 1300 °C. The characteristics of the chars were evaluated by its reactivity to CO2 in thermobalance, optical microscopy and adsorption isotherms techniques. The conversion of densified biomasses in the DTF was greater than that of the coals with similar volatile matter contents. The biomass yielded chars with a well-defined cellular structure and isotropic optical texture whereas the chars from bituminous coals showed anisotropic cenospheric particles with high porosity in the walls. The N2 and CO2 specific surface areas of the biomass-chars were significantly higher than those of the coal-chars. The differences between the two biomass-chars and the two coal chars were small regarding distribution of porosity and reactivity, but great when comparing coals and biomasses to each other. The higher reaction rate of biomass-chars compared to coal-chars could be positive to the incorporation of this kind of biomass in blends for pulverized injection in blast furnace tuyeres.

The SMS group is a global player in plant engineering and construction including services for the steel and nonferrous metals processing industry. The SMS group is globally operating with more than 10.000 employees and has an annual turnover of 3,5 billion euros.
SMS has developed and engineered the unique vessel-exchange-concept with significant advantages in CAPEX. High utilization of the BOF equipment leads to significantly higher productivity compared to a standard BOF solution.
PT Krakatau-Posco Company (PTKP), Indonesia, and SMS group have successfully put into operation the efficient converter-vessel-changing concept comprising a 300 ton change-vessel converter (BOF), a changing car as well as highly effective environmental technology for the converter shop.
The converter-vessel-changing concept provides for two blowing stands with permanently installed trunnion rings, exchangeable converter vessels and the vessel exchange and relining equipment
The plant is in operation since 2013 and fulfills the demanding requirements of PTKP.

In the recent years, industrial practice has proven that a more ductile wire rod can be produced by reducing the cooling rate of the produced wire during its travel on the conveyor, just after the laying head. This is important for low carbon wire rod (A¸5.5 mm) that is used for end-user applications which require relatively small -sometimes even below A¸1 mm- final wire diameters; it is succeeded by covering the moving wire with specific covers insulated by a low density ceramic material. In this way, the material exhibits lower hardness, and larger percent-elongation values at breakage. Residual stresses coming from thermal stresses during cooling at the conveyor are considered to be a reason and a short computational study was carried out in order to prove this assumption. A special computer program that takes under consideration the thermal, stress, and strain phenomena across a section of the wire rod based upon existing theory was developed. It seems that residual stresses can be attributed upon cooling schemes, verifying industrial practice. Similar phenomena have been analyzed for wire rods quenched up to certain depths, which will be presented as well.

Not only in Japan but also all over the world, our research region should tackle CO2 emission from iron making process and quality degradation of raw materials. The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan constantly organizes the countermeasure task force, including both sides of academic and industry, for these problems. For blast furnace operation in low carbon situation from strong pressure of economic and environmental sides, a research society has been established and dedicated. The research society focused on gas and liquid permeability in blast furnace with low reducing agent operation. One of their works clarified the importance about high temperature physical molten properties of slag and iron. Especially, the work reported that wettability between coke and them has a dominant effect. Another research society has begun in order to evaluate a possibility of divalent iron oxide utilization in iron ore sintering process. In Japanese sintering process operation, most of raw material are hematite ore as trivalent iron oxide. The new research society will focus not only on magnetite ore but also on mill scale. Our research group is trying to understand their melting behavior in the sintering process using in-situ observation system. The challenge of biomass utilization for iron making process is one of the biggest keywords for a family-like connection, Gudenau Mafia, between IEHK of RWTH University and our research group. We are well collaborating to research about woody biomass possibility of carbon source for carburization reaction during iron melting behavior. Through this collaboration work, it was found that the woody biomass has advantages of carbon structure and ash content over ordinary metallurgical coke.

Mold flux is infiltrated between the solidified shell and the water-cooled copper mold and plays an important role in the continuous casting of steel. The mold flux can protect the molten steel surface from the atmosphere, absorb inclusions during the process, thermally insulate, control the heat transfer between the shell and the mold and provide sufficient lubrication between the solidified shell and the water-cooled copper mold. Controlling heat transfer through the mold flux is important since it has such a significant effect on the surface quality of the steel. The heat can be transported by two mechanisms; conduction and radiative heat transfers. The overall thermal resistance between the copper mold and the solidified steel shell consists of conduction and radiation resistances caused by infiltrated mold flux film and interfacial resistance between the mold and the flux. Because radiative heat transfer can be reduced by crystalline phase which lowers the transmissivity of the mold fluxes by scattering the radiation from the shell, crystallization behavior of fluxes is very important for heat transfer, and also, the interfacial resistance between the mold and the solidified slag can be increased with the formation of more air gaps during the solidification of the mold flux. In this study, therefore, crystallization behavior of mold fluxes was identified using the CLSM (confocal laser scanning microscope) and a CCT diagram. As for radiative heat transfer, UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer was introduced to analyze the transmissivity and the reflectivity of the fluxes. Also, the interfacial resistance between the copper mold and molten fluxes was studied using a copper disc mold simulator and thermal conductivity of the liquid fluxes was measured using a hot-wire method. In particular, crystallization behavior presented in the CCT diagram and the thermal conductivity were correlated with the molten flux structure using FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) analysis of the as-quenched flux specimens. Utilizing the fundamental properties of fluxes, trials in commercial thin slab casters with the modified mold flux were implemented with promising results.

The processes for Zn oxides removal are divided between pre-treatment and separation. Zn oxides removal is very important because recycling of the BF sludge without dezincification can lead to accumulation of zinc in the BF. The first process involves mixing and ultrasonication for liberation of Zn oxide particles and Fe oxide particles, and the second process consists of froth flotation and wet magnetic separation (WMS). Kerosene was used as a collector, and MIBC was used as a frother for the froth flotation. Both of the reagents were very effective to recovering carbon from the BF sludge. The carbon could be recovered up to 82.3 %, and the carbon content of recovered product was improved from 32.9 % to 84.0 % under the optimum conditions for the froth flotation. The WMS could improve a T.Fe from 19.72 % to 56.96 %, and removed ZnO from 17.35 % to 12.72 %. The T.Fe recovery ratio was 56.96 %, and the ZnO removal was 89.2 % under the optimum condition for the WMS.

Metallurgical and power industries are the largest consumers of organic fuel. Fuel and energy resources make more than 30% of the total cost of the production. The energy efficiency of the entire cycle of a traditional metallurgical process in Russia is about 20%. Almost 40-50% of the produced energy is lost with the exhaust gas. As such recuperating the exhaust gas energy in thermal and chemical forms is an efficient way to maximize the utilization of fuel energy.
The recuperation of the thermal energy is usually done through waste heat boilers, cooling systems, and heating fuel installations in adjacent power plants.
An alternative to this method is the recuperation of exhaust energy of the gas by using its chemical potential to obtain another synthetic gas which can serve as fuel for other units or engines. This paper introduces a new spray-emulsion metallurgical technology (SER) that makes this possible.
This new technology has several advantages: It assures a high speed physical and chemical process flow, employs low specific volume units and has small capital and processing costs. It also has a good internal stimulus for the motion of the mixture in the reactor through a gas-dynamic locking oscillator. The process is completely closed to the atmosphere and as such it makes metal direct reduction process completely smokeless.
Based on this technology a mini-plant can be designed in a different way having new energy and metallurgical units independent of each other that operate in parallel instead of a series of a sequential modules that are characteristics of large multilink metallurgical aggregates.
Key words: spray-emulsion metallurgical process, system of skull cooling, hot-water boiler, physical simulation, self-organization, mini-metallurgy, slag trap.

The oxygen combustion technologies are lowering the production costs of many processes since the energy costs are continuously raising. Oxygen is used more and more in the combustion systems technology like oxygen burners, oxygen lancing or oxygen enrichment. In order to increase the capacity or save energy of particular furnaces, Oxyfuel is used to provide discrete oxygen rich areas in a furnace to allow complete combustion separately from a reducing zone or lower the emission volumes. This article analyzes the possibilities and the advantages of oxygen application in different furnaces used for steel production on base of Messer results and literature review.

Steelmaking slag which is by-product of a steelmaking in steelworks includes a lot of iron in itself. To recover these irons, steelworks process the steelmaking slag with analogous separation methods from conventional mineral processing. This study proposes an efficient approach to dry fine particle separation using mechanical stirring by a fluctuating magnetic field which is generated by a magnet roll with multiple poles. The quick change of magnetic field generates strong agitation to attracted particles. Even if the amount of feeding is too much to separate, the fluctuating magnetic field would improve the efficiency of the separation. Moreover, the over all separation efficiency of this method was much better than a conventional device.

Various metallurgical processing are considered for processing of titanium-containing ores in order to extract Iron, Titanium and Vanadium. Ores and concentrates from various low-and high-titanium deposits (Kachkanarsky, Medvedevsky, Kopansky, Kuranakhsky, Tebinbulaksky deposites) are studied in-vitro in terms of reducibility, durability, softening and melting temperatures. Several techniques were employed such as phase, X-ray and structural analysis. Mathematical models are also used to calculate possible pyrometallurgical processes.
Two processing routes for these ores are proposed , namely the "blast furnace melting - converter melting" route and the "metallization – electric melting" route. The possibility of producing iron, vanadium, and titaniferous containing materials is also shown.

Melting and heating of metals are very energy intense processes. Conventional combustion with air with high nitrogen amount is affecting energy consumption and heating rates of such processes. Combustion with oxygen instead of air will reduce heat losses and improve process conditions. Oxyfuel flames have the tendency of generating hot spots in furnaces and combustion chambers. This paper will discuss the effects that flameless combustion will have on heating and melting with practical examples. It will also give some information about safety.

The modern experience of information systems application for control of the metallurgical enterprises demonstrates that it is a powerful tool of increase of functional efficiency of modern ferrous and nonferrous production. Used information technologies essentially influence the management of processes of operating procedures both for the concrete enterprise and for vertically integrated company as a whole. Implementation of information systems is capable not only to raise controllability and validity of decision making, but also to reduce a factor cost on industrial activity, to enhance competitiveness of the enterprise in the internal and exterior markets.
Now the market is widely enough saturated by offers of technical and software means (mathematical models) of communal and special assignation, technologies of constructing and interaction of various software components. However, the ready solutions, completely contenting to requirements, do not exist, as even the most successful choice of system generating elements for mathematical modelling of metallurgical processes does not release from their adapting to features of production and creation particular software systems and databases.
In this paper, the new and upgraded components of information system-Interactive calculations in ferrous metallurgy are described, structure and functionality of information system is resulted. Authors generalize long-term experience of collective of Institute of metallurgy UB RAS on development and implementation of mathematical modelling the heat and mass exchange processes for metallurgical units.

As an introduction: manmade iron was produced by Hittitis out of iron ore and charcoal. RWTH Aachen University was founded in 1870, IEHK in 1910, today with a great lab-hall: injection rig and coke bed simulator to explain the BF process, underground coal gasifier, HTW gasifier to gasify very different materials including biomass. Tests to solve CO2 problems with industry, dioxin in sinter process, slag heat recovery and amorphous slag production to produce cement.

Steel is an important material for the industrialization of the world. The problem of climate change eases politicians to reduce CO2 emissions. Steel produces around 4 % of the worldwide CO2 emissions and is under pressure from emission trading. But if climate change increases further, caused by humans or not, steel becomes an indispensable material for the world society.
Steel was and still is a sustainable material. Hundreds of years ago there was an evolution from weapons to ploughshares. In the last decades, its features have extremely increased. And steel has a very high recycling rate.
A lot of investigation (ULCOS) in the last ten years show ways of steelmaking in the future, but a real breakthrough was not found yet. The dilemma of steel as a sustainable and needed material and a certain amount of CO2 emissions with its production still exist.
Political measures to reduce CO2 emissions from steelmaking by increasing costs will not help society on the long run.
Conclusion: Special material needs a special solution in political decisions. The European way of emission trading will not help on the long run to keep the steel production in Europe. And if the CO2 reductions of the world society will not stop climate change, steel is needed more than ever and even in Europe!

Combustion efficiency should be sharply reduced under higher PCR condition than a certain ratio because ash in PCI coal raises problem like as incomplete combustion in race way. Therefore, an ash removal of coal is needed for high PCR operation in order to secure cost competitiveness and minimize a production cost of pig iron. Coal for PCI in BF is pulverized under -76um of particle size and under 1 wt% of moisture content. Most of ash minerals and carbon in the pulverized coal could be liberated, and it means that the liberated ash can be separated from coal particle. Stirred ball charger and three-stage tribo-electrostatic separator were used to remove the ash. Carbon particles have a positive charge and ash minerals have a negative charge by the stirred ball charger using PVC ball. The charged carbon and ash can be easily separated by the three-stage electrostatic separator. The ash can be removed up to 30% and the carbon recovery is up to 83% under the optimum separation condition.

Today, a large number of different steel grades exist. The mechanical and physical properties are influenced by the alloys in the steel product. One important alloying element is carbon. During centuries of development, cast iron and steel grades with carbon have been used as an important part of daily products.
The importance of different recarburizers in iron and steel production is shown. The chemical properties and the differences of recarburizers for various applications are pointed out. Furthermore, unique qualities with high purity are presented.
The production process for different grades of recarburizers is shown. Differences within the production process to the final product quality for the foundries and steel works are discussed.
This presentation will give an overview of carbon products, especially high grade recarburizers, from their production up to the final use in steel/iron products.

The SMS group unites global players in plant and machinery construction for processing steel and NF metals. It consists of the two Business Areas SMS Siemag and SMS Meer as well as industrial participations. The family-owned company, now run by the fourth generation, stands out for its strong market position, corporate culture of responsibility, plus high-performance products and services tailored to individual customer requirements. Sustainable ecoplants technologies are becoming increasingly important for economic and ecological reasons. Economic because saving energy and raw materials reduces costs, and ecological because protecting resources is becoming increasingly important. The presentation will introduce references along the process chain. One example is Belt Casting Technology (BCT). Steel is cast directly on a steel belt while the process yields to thickness around 1 to 2 centimeters. The new steel casting process needs far less energy and raw materials than in the past. Therefore, the innovative method is especially cost-effective and presents an opportunity to expand considerably the useful range of steel properties. It contains a higher percentage of manganese which makes it possible to manufacture even safety-critical components such as seats, door impact bars and bumpers much lighter. Another technology is the Shaft Arc Furnace (Sharc) which enables efficient energy use for scrap melting due to Twin shaft technology and scrap preheating by off-gas. Efficient cleaning of off gas is possible due to Hydro hybrid filter systems which meet strict regulations and offer considerable economic advantages. This innovation, which is the only one of its type worldwide, allows the integration of an electrostatic precipitator into the existing gas cleaning system.

The degree estimation of chromium transfer into metal phase in the result of carbothermic reduction of components of poor ores of Saranovsk deposit (Russia) and rich ores of Kempirsaysk massif (Republic of Kazakhstan) is the goal of the present work.
Now, one of the most used and kindly deposit of chromium-ore raw in Russia is Saranovsk one. However, the production of ferrochrome with Cr content about 60-65 % is impossible due to low content of Cr2O3 (33-38 %) in the raw materials. Therefore, at the domestic ferroalloy plants a mixture of poor domestic ore and rich imported one are used, which will act to decrease the degree of chromium recovery into metal.
The relationship between the chromium reduction degree and the heating rates were determined experimentally by thermogravimetry technique at high-temperatures (900-1600°) with further identification of chemical composition of both oxide and metal phases.
The kinetic dependences of samples mixture mass change at ratio 50/50 of chromium raw from Saranovsk deposit and Kempirsaysk massif in the presence of carbon (small fraction coke) have been determined owing to proceeding of reduction processes. It was established that the increase of the heating rate of chromium-ore samples from 4 up to 11°/min will cause no change of chromium reduction degree. Testing experience revealed that the chromium reduction degree is over 95 % when the temperature reaches 1600°. The effect of further increase of the heating rate is to decrease the chromium reduction degree in progressive manner. For example, when the heating rate is 64°/min, the reduction degree of Cr is only 55%.

This work investigates the effects of applying a new Oxy-Fuel technique to the stoves of a blast-furnace. In this new concept, the flue gas is mixed with industrial oxygen and recirculated back to the hot stove burners, replacing combustion air with a hot synthetic oxidant. A model was used to analyse the possible changes of blast temperature, consumed process gases (e.g. blast furnace gas, coke oven gas), flue gas volume and composition when applying the new OxyFuel technique to the hot stove system. The model was combined with a blast furnace (BF) model to simulate the changes on BF's operation and finally the implications for the entire steel production system of a European standard integrated steel plant were predicted. The potential energy saving and CO2 emission reduction are presented, and the influences on the production cost are discussed as well.

Cost-saving metallothermic method was proposed for ferro-silicoboron (FeSiB) production of borate raw and ferrosilicon. The results of the present research aimed to search the rational composition of new boron-containing ferroalloys containing 64-65% of silicon and 0.8 - 1.0% of boron and the development of the efficient production technology of the alloys is presented. The boron reduction of boron-containing raw by high-silicon ferrosilicon (45 - 75 % of Si) was studied in laboratory conditions. The investigation results testify that the proposed composition of the boron-containing ferroalloy and its production technology are rather efficient. The obtained FeSiB was tested in a steel making: smelting in electric furnace and out-of-furnace treatment. It was established that the existing technological scheme for metal deoxidization by ferrosilicon is preserved when FeSiB is applied. Furthermore, steel microalloying by boron can take place within the scheme, and the degree of boron digestion ranges up to 77.8-96.3%. It was noted the chemical composition of steel in respect of boron content was rather constant during the whole period of out-of-furnace treatment.

Physico-chemical properties of the oxide system ÑaI-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-B2O3 (slag viscosity, its refining properties and interfacial distribution of boron) were researched. Rational composition of boron-containing slag and method of slag formation in the ladle-furnace using lime, aluminum and colemanite, containing B2O3 up to 40%, were developed. Processing a low carbon steel by slags provided content of boron in the steel 0,001-0,012%, sulfur concentration in the metal not more than 0,005-0,010%, decreased consumption of manganese ferro-alloys from 0.2 to 1.3 kg/ton, improved strength properties of rolled metal maintaining high plastic characteristics.

Numerical simulation of temperature distribution in the iron ore sintering process is one of the most important techniques to maintain a high quality of iron ore sinter. A correct comprehension of coke combustion rate is necessary for estimation of temperature distribution in this process. However an ordinal equation, "Hottel's equation", for estimation of coke combustion rate cannot correctly describe the combustion behavior of fine coke in quasi-particle because it is normally applied for single particle coke combustion behavior. The purpose of this study is to correctly estimate temperature distribution in the iron ore sintering process using numerical simulation model based on coke combustion rate in the fine layer of the quasi-particle. The following results were obtained. The higher mixing ratio of fine coke made the larger effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen because the higher mixing ratio of coke made the higher void ratio in the sample after coke combustion. More practical temperature distribution could be calculated considering the coke combustion rate in quasi-particle instead of using only "Hottel's equation". A decrease in the temperature distribution in the sintering layer was found in consideration of the liquid phase formation effect on coke combustion rate. This effect will increase by increasing the fine coke amount in the process.

The reason for installation of Direct Reduction (DR) methods in Iran such as Mirex, Purofer, HYL, Ghaem, Pred, Zam-Zam, Gowhar and Kowsar is the availability and low-cost of natural gas as reducing and heating agent compared to not suitable coal for production of metallurgical coke for conventional Iron production in Blast furnace.<br />The First Iron and Steel plant in Iran on DR Methods started in 1977 in Ahwaz Steel Complex. In 2014, the production of DR was 16.35 mt in 16 plant and 18 plant are under installation. Steel production based on Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) in Iran in 2014 in 29 plant is 18.21 mt and the plant under installation by EAF are 26. In this Paper, the development of DR in Iran such as Ghaem, Pred, Zam-Zam, Gowhar and Kowsar specifications will be presented. Moreover, the iron ore, pellet, DR and steel and roll making capacity of plant under production will be presented also.

In order to use the lower quality of iron ore with high Al2O3 content, it is important to understand the influence of Al2O3 content on reducibility of iron ore agglomerates. Reduction behavior of iron ore agglomerates of FeO-CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 were investigated under 30vol%CO-70vol%N2 gas mixture from 1000 to 1200C at 5C/min. The samples contained Al2O3 contents of 0, 2, 4 mass%. The reducibility of iron ore agglomerate decreased by Al2O3 content of 2, 4 mass% over 1100C. This result was caused by lowering the reducing gas diffusion into an unreacted region of agglomerate. Considering this, it was found that initial melt formation started and some pores of agglomerate was blocked by the initial melt over 1100C. In-situ observation of initial melt formation behavior in an iron ore agglomerate was performed from room temperature to 1200C by using a scanning laser microscope. The initial melt formation shifted to low temperature with increasing Al2O3 content, and the amount of melt also increased.

The analysis of the existing monitoring systems of fire-resistant lining of a horn of a blast furnace is made. The monitoring system of the fireproof lining wear of the blast furnace hearth is offered. The mathematical description, algorithm and program of calculation the temperature fields in any vertical and horizontal cross-section of the hearth lining are developed on base of the heat conductivity equations with use of the indications of the temperature sensing transducer in the hearth lining. The calculation algorithm is developed regarding the account of an intricate profile of blast furnace hearth with use of a Nyquist theorem. The systems of gathering, processing and information transfer from the temperature transmitters to a program database are used. The continuous control of the temperature change in each point allows to define the remained thickness of the firebrick lining and to warn the furnace personnel about the beginning of the firebrick lining deterioration. The developed interface of the program allows to master of the oven to use many additional functions of the control in particular the history of indications of the transmitters, the remained thickness of a wall etc. The technique of definition of the optimum quantity and arrangement thermocouples in lining of the furnace hearth is made. The technique of determination of thermophysical properties of refractory materials according to the temperatures diagram at blowing-in of the furnace is developed. This monitoring system is established on five blast furnaces of metallurgical plants of China.

The exhaustion of natural resources (quantity and quality) and the CO2 emission control is becoming a more and more important subject to get over in steel industry. Effective uses of coal and woody biomass, especially their carbonization gas, were discussed in pre-reduction of iron oxide pellets for total smelting reduction process using coal or carbon composite iron oxide pellets using semi-char and semi-charcoal to investigate the possibility to overcome these subjects. The factors influencing upon reduction rate of carbon composite iron oxide pellets we studied were the effects of the maximum carbonization temperature Tc,max to obtain the semi-char or semi-charcoal, sorts of coal and wood, particle size of the carbonaceous material, constant ambient temperature or heating rate to reduce the composite pellet, and addition of hydrogen in an atmosphere. The samples used were Newlands coal, Newcastle blend coal, Muswellbrook coal, Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress. The data analyses of the carbonization gases from coal and woody biomass have also been carried out to evaluate their chemical and thermal possibility. As Tc,max decreases, the emitted carbonization gas volume decreases and the residual volatile matter increases. The heat value of the carbonization gas depends on Tc,max and consequently on the emitted gas volume and the composition. As a whole, the total heat value tends to increase almost monotonically, as Tc,max increases. The rate enhancement effect of reduction for semi-charcoal composite pellets is stronger than that for semi-char composite pellets, because the gasification rate of semi-charcoal is higher than that of semi-char. This is because the amorphous nature of semi-charcoal is stronger than that of semi-char and the activation energy of semi-charcoal is lower than that of semi-char. The reduction rates for both semi-char and semi-charcoal composite pellets increase as Tc,max decreases. By decreasing Tc,max, the activation energy Ea of semi-charcoal decreases, or the reactivity 1/Ea increases. An optimum point of Tc,max may be obtained to meet the best choices both for the reactivity and the total carbonization gas volume or the heat value.

The process of melting ore mines in the ore-thermal furnace is gradual: softening, viscoplastic condition, melting. These forms depend on the composition of the ore and are defined in experimental laboratory conditions. To start the softening process, the mine shrinkage is taken at 10% (Ts), the end of shrinkage – 40% (Te). Viscoplastic condition is at a temperature range between the temperature of the end of shrinkage and the melting temperature of the ore (Tm), i.e.[1]
What is interesting about this interval? – The ore mass turns into plastic condition and the porosity of the furnace disappears, i.e. there is no space for gas to pass. This barrier also occurs during the emission of melted furnace into the zone with low temperature: reducing reactions of oxides with carbon cause the formation of a plug for gas to come out.
In open ore-thermal furnaces, the furnace man pokes with an iron pole – demolishes the viscoplastic zone. "Flaws" are formed in closed furnaces – gas breaks through the viscoplastic zone in its thin place (continuing reduction reactions in the space closed by the viscoplastic zone cause gas pressure to rise).
In blast furnaces which produce iron-carbon alloys, there are special modes of charging a furnace by making "coke slots" through which gas comes out from viscoplastic zone.[2]
The standard charging of a furnace in ore-thermal furnaces (ore-coke mixture) is not able to make "slots" for gas. However, it should be done. How? The supply of "idle rubbers" is necessary, i.e. the supply of coke separately from ore provides the opportunity of making "slots" for gas.
Charging of "idle" supply is defined by time and gas pressure in ore-thermal furnaces.
Bibliography
1. Nikitin G.M. etc. Detection of parameters of Viscoplastic Zone in Blast Furnace. Steel. 1992. #4, p. 11-16
2. Boranbaev B., Nikitin G., A. Mutti – Cayepcharging of Blast Furnaces. 2011. CSM Annual Melting Proceedings

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