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By Marcela Gotelip Barbosa

Pellets are the main iron input to the blast furnace at ArcelorMittal Lazaro Cardenas iron and steel making facility in Mexico. Pellets are made at this facility using the concentrates generated and shipped from their captive mines viz., Las Truchas, Pena Colorada, Volcan Sonora. The concentrating plants, after grinding the ore to the liberation size, use magnetic separation and flotation to reject the silica, sulphur and phosphorous impurities. At Volcan Sonora Mines, the ore is contaminated with phosphorous minerals, and hence, after magnetic separation, the phosphate minerals are floated using anionic carboxylate collector (sodium oleate). Apart from floating the phosphate minerals, the sodium oleate also has some tendency to smear on the iron bearing mineral surfaces leaving a hydrophobic surface, which is expected to reduce the green pellet strength due to absorption of ultrafine sized air bubbles on these surfaces, and further generate higher levels of dust during the induration process. In order to alleviate this industrial problem, comparative studies were carried out on the concentrates from magnetic separation using reagents from synthetic sarcosinate and carboxylate family collectors. Results have indicated that the sarcosinate family members not only were found as replacement to carboxylate collectors, but also reduce the phosphorous content below the values achieved with oleate, thus have considerable benefits in the downstream steel making process. Based on the results, plant runs are being taken up at Volcan Sonora. In this article, the laboratory results obtained on iron grades and recoveries, and phosphorous rejection using both the reagents are presented.

Aug 1, 2018

By Wagner Viana Bielefeldt, Vinicius Cardoso da Rocha, Augusto Lachini Pereira, Antônio Cezar Faria Vilela

A minor change in the chemical composition and temperature affects the slag viscosity, which has a great extent of the physical properties in regarding refining slags. Optimizing those parameters may affect the steel cleanliness. The viscosity measurement process is considered expensive, so the cost-effectiveness does not favor the measures at high-temperatures. Alternatively, it is possible to apply mathematical models or thermodynamic softwares to obtain viscosities for a given range of chemical composition and temperature of slags. The present work contemplates a validation of the experimental data, collected in the literature, with a calculated data and proposes an accurate representation of iso-viscosity curves applied for secondary steelmaking slags, covering the composition ranges: 0–100 wt.% CaO, 0–80 wt.% SiO2, 0–77 wt.% Al2O3 and 0–15 wt.% MgO (CSAM) system at 1500ºC. The viscosity representation fields include fully liquid and a partially liquid slags in the CSAM system and the viscosities were calculated using the FactSage 7.2 (for Liquid Phase) and the Roscoe-Einstein equation (for Phase mixture) for a total of 5976 slags. The preliminary results indicated that there is a great convergence between the calculated and experimental viscosities data, promoting an efficient approximation of the iso-viscosity curves for the CSAM slag system in the high-temperatures.

Nov 1, 2019

By Márcio Corrêa de Carvalho

Welded deposited chromium carbide overlay’s has been widely used in various branches of welding overlay’s industry related to wear. Characterization techniques are an important tool in the development of chromium carbide overlays resistant to wear, enabling the identification of phases, constituents and defects. In this work one used optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy on chromium carbide overlay’s deposited by submerged arc welding process. The characterization techniques identified precisely the elements of the overlay’s enabling point of the main cause of the observed defects such as cracks, porosity and clusters of particles known in the industry as " rice crispy" .

Aug 16, 2017

By Guilherme Liziero Ruggio da Silva

Uma marcha estável do alto-forno (AF) está ligada à consistência das propriedades químicas, físicas e metalúrgicas das suas matérias-primas (MP), especialmente, as do coque. As propriedades do coque são reflexos das propriedades dos carvões que lhe deram origem. Em termos de propriedades ligadas à natureza do carvão, a qualidade do coque é bastante influenciada pelo rank dos carvões, que compuseram sua mistura, ou seja, quantidades de macerais reativos e inertes, bem como suas propriedades coqueificantes, que é, exatamente, a habilidade inerente aos carvões aglutinantes de quando aquecido, amolecer, tornar-se plástico e solidificar em uma massa coerente. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho se propõe a evidenciar as mudanças no modelo de britagem de carvões da Gerdau Ouro Branco, bem como a operacionalização do padrão criado. Após a implantação, verificou-se a elevação de 1.8% em DI.

Aug 17, 2017

By Bruno Gomes Silva

Durante os reparos gerais nos conversores LD da CSN, as atividades de refratamento como demolição a quente, troca das ventaneiras, montagem do canal de vazamento e montagem do revestimento de trabalho e permanente, fazem parte do caminho critico do cronograma e são diretamente responsáveis pela dinâmica do evento. A montagem do canal de vazamento demandava uma série de atividades que exigiam maior tempo para execução e suporte para atividades em espaço confinado. Este trabalho apresenta sinergia entre fornecedores e diversas áreas envolvidas na montagem do canal de vazamento, onde a metodologia empregada resultou em redução no tempo de execução da atividade, disponibilidade da mão de obra e segurança operacional.

Jul 30, 2018

By Shibu John

The COREX® process is beside the FINEX® technology the only industrially realized alternative to the blast furnace route for the production of hot metal. Changes in the raw material sector in respect of decrease in quality, strictly enforced environmental laws and positive operation results of COREX® reference plants make it worth to carefully re-evaluate the COREX® technology in comparison with the traditional blast furnace technology. Integrated Plant concepts based on COREX® offer solutions for future challenges of the iron- and steelmaking industry, which include: economical hot metal production; efficient and highly economic export gas utilization (power generation, DRI production, syngas production for chemical products); lower raw material cost, higher raw material availability; environmental friendly high grade steel production. The economic evaluation of different COREX® gas based plant concepts in comparison with the traditional blast furnace route shows that the COREX® technology is highly competitive in the challenging iron and steel producing environment.

Aug 17, 2017

By Lara de Assis Moreira, Vinicius Thiago Lecco Rampinelli

The energy efficiency of reheating furnaces is a continuous challenge, as these equipment consume a representative portion of the total fuel of an integrated steel plant. Therefore, any investigation and implementation which brings improvement in this figure become an important issue for the mill competitiveness. In the case of production delays due to external factors (the condition addressed in this work), whether predicted or unforeseen, the slabs remain inside the furnace with high temperatures in order to avoid production delay during the production restart, elevating the specific consumption and scale formation. This work increased the energy efficiency of the two ArcelorMittal Tubarão’s walking beam reheating furnaces, by reducing the consumption of mixed gas during production delays (either scheduled or not) lasting less than 3 hours. The objectives were achieved through improvements, among them, tuning of Level 2 automation system parameters, automatization of procedures and operational training. The work resulted in a 34.4% fuel gas consumption reduction during the delays.

Oct 1, 2019

By Amilton Ferreira de Oliveira

Este trabalho se propõe a mostrar os resultados obtidos pela SunCoke Energy Brasil após as mudanças do perfil da mistura de carvões, na qual foram acrescidas criteriosamente as participações dos carvões denominados “soft” e carvões “steam coal”, seguido da redução também criteriosa dos carvões médio voláteis. A consolidação dos dados de qualidade do coque e do custo das misturas comprova que as modificações no perfil das misturas foram bem sucedidas, pois a qualidade do coque se manteve conforme a expectativa dos clientes (Altos-Fornos) e o custo das misturas apresentou uma significativa redução. Todos os testes e experimentos adotados foram embasados na utilização na metodologia denominada “Método e aparelho para avaliar as propriedades de coqueificação do carvão”, também conhecida como Box Test, e ainda no profundo estudo das características dos carvões utilizados e os impactos destes na qualidade do coque.

Aug 16, 2017

By Nelson SOUTO, Nicolas LEGRAND, Christian COUNHAYE, Don EARLEY

The work is motivated by the automotive customer requirements for a roughness with high peak density (RPc > 75 peaks/cm) on steel sheet surfaces to maintain a good strip surface finish after painting. For that purpose, a new approach is utilized to compute roughness transfer and predict final roughness on uncoated steel sheets (average roughness, skewness, peak density) as a function of temper rolling conditions. The approach is based on the Monte Carlo method combined with the Abott curves and an auto-correlation function to numerically generate roughness profiles for roll and strip respectively. To compute the roughness transfer due to the interaction between roll and strip surfaces during rolling, a composite Abott curve that combines roll and strip Abott curves is used with an asperity crushing model integrated with a rolling model. This enables simulating two roughness transfer mechanisms in the roll bite: the strip asperity crushing mechanism by roll roughness and the strip asperity ploughing mechanism due to roll-strip interfacial sliding speed. The model shows the importance of considering the two mechanisms to predict roughness transfer correctly when strip elongation is high, typically a few percent, and roll bite friction is low. In these conditions, the forward slip at the exit of the roll bite tends to erode strip roughness significantly and decrease considerably the peak density on the strip. For lower elongation levels (~1%) and high roll bite friction, the ploughing mechanism becomes negligible and roughness transfer is controlled by the crushing mechanism only. With these two mechanisms, the model reasonably predicts the evolution of average roughness and peak density over a wide range of temper rolling conditions (new/worn work rolls, hard/soft grades, various elongations), but skewness is more difficult to predict for some trials.

Oct 1, 2019

By Fabio Lerbach

The Powder Charcoal Injection in the main burner of the rotary kiln of Pelletizing Plant aims to reduce natural gas consumption and consequently cost reduction with thermal energy. This paper presents the technology, the injection process and the advantages of using powder charcoal to substitute natural gas.

Oct 30, 2017

By Walter Valery, Kristy Duffy, Alex Jankovic, Peter Holtham

Hatch’s Mine to Process Optimization projects integrate mining and processing strategies, minimizing operating costs and maximizing overall profit. The methodology involves ore characterization, blast audits, plant surveys, analysis of historical data, and integrated modelling and simulation of mining and processing. Blast designs are tailored according to ore type and the downstream process is optimized for the changed feed. This approach has increased throughput and minimized costs for many operations worldwide. The implementation of this methodology at an iron ore operation that faced challenges with increasing mining strip ratio and ore body mineralogy changes is presented in this paper. The larger stripping ratio increased mining costs and constrained the run-of-mine (ROM) delivery to the process plant. Process performance was affected as the ore mineralogy shifted from predominantly hematite to include greater proportions of magnetite. The project objective was to minimize overall cost per ton mined and processed and maximize profit. Tailoring the blast designs according to ore type and process optimization increased the throughput of all process lines. This provided the potential to shut down one of the five processing line, aligning the mine and plant capacity and significantly reducing the processing costs.

Oct 3, 2019

By Daniel Horta Fernandes, Walter Gomes de Albuquerque, Adriano Cesar Carvalhido, Victor Dias Martins

O trabalho apresenta a experiência recente da troca de 38 staves contribuindo no prolongamento da campanha operacional do Alto-Forno 3. Durante 13 dias ocorreu a substituição dos Staves originais de FoFo instalados em 1999 por novos Staves de cobre fundido. Além da recuperação do sistema de refrigeração, a mudança no material dos Staves contribui para maior troca térmica favorecendo a formação carga inativa (cascão) que protege os Staves e o corpo do Alto-Forno. Esta substituição foi fundamental para recuperar a estabilidade da temperatura da carcaça e prolongar a vida útil do equipamento até o final de sua campanha. Diversos aspectos do projeto serão apresentados: engenharia, metodologia, planejamento, segurança, qualidade técnica, cronograma e outros.

Oct 1, 2019

By Cintia Guimarães Ferreira

O uso de materiais compósitos possibilitou relevante avanço tecnológico em áreas biomédicas e industriais. As matrizes poliméricas reforçadas por Fibra de Vidro são predominantes em nível comercial devido à facilidade no processo de fabricação. Entretanto, podem apresentar variabilidade intrínseca de propriedades devido a fatores importantes, tais como: não uniformidade e não conformidades relativas ao reforço e matriz. Inspeções visuais identificam defeitos característicos de distorção de fibras, bolhas superficiais e áreas secas de impregnação. Para detectar porosidades, trincas ou delaminações outros métodos são necessários. Este estudo apresenta a técnica de Radiografia Direta (RD) para a inspeção de materiais compósitos. Utilizou-se um detector Flat Panel do tipo silício amorfo (aSi), uma fonte de raios X de potencial constante e uma mesa controlada por Arduino. Foram realizadas radiografias de duas juntas de 4 polegadas de diâmetro nominal de material polimérico reforçado por fibra de vidro. Como resultado, foram detectados defeitos de delaminação, descolamento, trincas e porosidades, que não poderiam ser detectados visualmente.

Oct 30, 2017

By Marcos Paulo da Silveira, Carolina Conter Elgert, Messias Prado de Almeida, Rafael Stella Galdino

Microalloyed steels have been intensely studied as an alternative to increase strength by grain refinement and/or precipitation hardening. Long steel products have a wide range of opportunities to apply well-defined principles of controlled rolling (CR) in order to increase strength and toughness with reduced costs. To evaluate the effect of microalloying elements as Nb and Ti with thermomechanical treatment, three conditions were tested: DIN 16MnCrS5 with hot rolling (HR), DIN 16MnCrS5 with Nb and CR and DIN 16MnCrS5 with Nb+Ti and CR. Austenitic grain size, obtained by direct quenching after rolling, has shown a decrease 32% with Nb addition, and 29% when Nb and Ti was added. Controlled rolling generated higher grain refinement and pancacked grains near the surface. When comparing ferritic grain size, controlled rolling plus niobium and titanium additions resulted in significant reduction of 35%. Yield strength increased 15% with microalloying and CR and more than 270% in impact toughness, even at -40°C.

Oct 1, 2019

By Francisco de Paula Pinheiro

Estudo das fontes de variação do processo de vazamento contínuo de chapas de alumínio, através da aplicação de uma metodologia prática e rápida para solução de problema. Após identificação das variáveis críticas à qualidade, ações foram tomadas de modo a minimizar as perdas do processo, o que contribuiu para a redução nos custos de produção das chapas.

Aug 16, 2017

By Flávio Beneduce Neto

As trincas a quente ou de solidificação em peças micro-fundidas em superligas a base de níquel podem ser um item importante no índice de perdas em componentes específicos. O aparecimento desse defeito está ligado fundamentalmente à quantidade de líquido interdentrítico nos últimos estágios da solidificação e, principalmente, ligado à composição química desse líquido. Há duas ligas amplamente utilizadas na produção de rotores para turbo-compressores ou turbinas para a geração de energia: o Inconel 713C e o Inconel 713LC. A diferença entre estas duas ligas é essencialmente o teor de carbono. Curiosamente, a liga LC tem uma maior tendência ao aparecimento de trincas de solidificação. O presente trabalho procura identificar as diferenças de comportamento na solidificação dessas duas ligas através da termodinâmica computacional e ligar essas diferenças no aparecimento das trincas. Os resultados indicaram que os teores de Zr e Nb do líquido remanescente da solidificação são muito superiores na liga LC causados pelo atraso na precipitação dos carbonetos tipo MC nessa região que deve ser a fase que aumenta a resistência mecânica da área. O correto balanceamento da composição química da liga em relação aos elementos citados permitiu que o índice de perdas por trincas de solidificação caísse para níveis próximos a zero.

Aug 8, 2018

By Gilmar Ferreira Bataglia

The possibility of parameterization of hot tensile data together with creep data is investigated, for Aluminium Alloy 7475-T7351. This study represents part of a broader research program aiming at the validation of a methodology recently proposed for analyzing both kinds of data together, considering different metallic materials. The results presented in Part 1 of this work, were analyzed according to 4 traditional methods of the literature for parameterization of creep data, namely: Larson-Miller, Orr-Sherby-Dorn, Manson-Succop and Manson-Hafferd. The compatibility of the hot tensile test results with those of creep is remarkably good, indicating the possibility of using both kind of data together also in extrapolation schemes. The criterion proposed for equivalence between hot tensile and creep data is verified to work well also for this kind of material, under the present experimental conditions.

Aug 8, 2018

By Johanna Alegría-Ortega

Cr/CrN bilayer coating was deposited on AISI 440C by Cathodic Arc. The composition and structure of the Cr/CrN coating were investigated by scanning Electron Microscope, X-Ray Diffraction and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The results show that crystal structure obtained was CrN phase with preferred [220] orientation. The hardness and adhesion of coating also were studied. The evaluation of erosion-corrosion (EC) on 440C bare and coated with Cr/CrN was performed by carrying out wear tests using a slurry jet with impingement angle 90° at 4 and 8 m/s. Corrosion, erosion and synergism wear rate were evaluated following the procedure described in ASTM G-119-09. This study presents that the synergism wear rate exceeds 40% of the total mass loss for coating and 60% of mass loss for the 440C, being the most aggressive wear component. The increase in impact velocity generated a rise in mass loss for both 440C bare and coated. The Cr/CrN coating offers better corrosion and erosion–corrosion resistance under all the tested conditions.

Aug 8, 2018

By Benito Barbabela Silva, Michel Garant, Mathieu Dubé

Pellets market challenging scenario has stimulated pelletizing experts to pursue innovative alternatives to process development in order to increase pellets competitiveness vis-à-vis sinter. When it comes to indurating process, pelletizing productivity is still limited and its OPEX inflated by the lower input of carbon into mixes due to quality impairment caused by magnetite formation in pellets core. This obstacle led to the rethinking of carbon distribution strategy within the green balls. To achieve such purposes, COREM through its precompetitive research program dedicated to its members, has proposed the layered pellets®, a two-stage balling technology. Balling in disc and pot-grate tests in COREM’s pilot plant were carried out to proof the concept, support the arising technology and evaluate its potential. According to first results, while CCS strongly improved, tumble and abrasion indexes as well dynamic LTD must be further investigated. Tests on four classes of equivalent carbon content pellets to evaluate layering strategy gave very good perspectives concerning the increase of productivity, and the reduction of fuel consumption and GHG emissions.

Oct 1, 2019

By Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional - CSN

Balanço Energético Global 2013

Jul 31, 2018