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By Lionel Loïc Limol

Polymeric materials, such as polyurethanes and rubbers, are widely used in the mining industry because of their moderate cost and excellent mechanical properties. Such polymers have been used mainly in transportation (conveyor belt systems and pipes coatings) and screening, for their appreciable abrasion wear resistance. Studies revealed the complex influence of test parameters, such as grit size and applied normal load, on the abrasion wear process for polymers. In this study, the abrasive wear behavior of several polyurethanes and rubbers were investigated at room temperature according to a rotary drum abrasion method (DIN 53516). Wear tests were carried out at 26 cm/s test speed and load value of 5 N and 10 N. Corundum paper grit varying from 60 to 400 mesh were used as an abrasive surface. After each test the mass loss of the pin was recorded and the wear rates were calculated from wear volume. The wear surfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscopy.

Jul 31, 2018

By Uwe Wilhelm

Pittini Group has contracted Danieli in 2011 for the supply and replacement of the existing EAF at Ferriere Nord Plant in Osoppo. This was a very challenging project: giving the fact that the Meltshop was operating already under very high performance level, there were many elements involved for the project to improve (reduce the amount of charges, promote highest possible chemical energy utilization, allow best optimization on existing transformer power, modification on Drop Out box and Water Cooled Duct, Hydraulic System for EAF, Scrap Bucket design to fit to new EAF with existing loading and transport system, Automation System Review and Upgrade) as well as limitations of the existing installation (limited space, lifting capacity building and cranes and the required solutions for fast shell and roof exchange). All furnace parts, as well as installation engineering, were developed and discussed carefully with the Customer to either provide proven and reliable concepts, but also to define solutions for fast installation/maintenance access and quick exchange for offline turnaround. In the end, from disassembly of existing equipment up to the first heat of the new furnace, only 38 days were necessary. First heat was made on January 24th 2013, on the 6th production day 32 heats where produced at nominal design capacity and 28 days after start up 100,000 t liquid steel have already been produced.

Jul 30, 2018

By Michel Rodrigo Luiz, Glaucio Augusto Polini, Giardini F. Lazzarin

ArcelorMittal's pickling and cold rolling line has been demanded to increase production since the installation of equipments in 2015. In addition to the improvement in productivity related to these new equipment, one of them the automatic surface inspection system (SIAS), work has also been developed in other equipment seeking improvement of production indicators. The present article exposes the actions and gains that were achieved with actions on two equipments in the same section as the Side Trimmer. The first one deals with the optimization of time gains with sequencing adjustments without financial contribution, using only internal labor seeking reduction of unproductive times by adjustments of the side trimmer in the cold strip mill. The second item discussed demonstrates the actions and the gains generated due to the availability of new resources (installation of SIAS equipment), the optimization of these resources seeking a focus on the reduction of ruptures in the tandem cold mill, configuring the same in the aid of the identification of critical defects and also in the automatic speed reduction action of the tandem cold mill in defects considered serious. In both cases the intention was to improve production, seeking to improve the results of the section and the line.

Oct 1, 2019

By Antônio Augusto de Morais Piau, Miguel Araujo de Vasconcelos Filho, Bruno Mynelly Galdino de Sousa

Sludges and dusts generated by steel mills usually cause environmental problems and has a high cost solution. This presentation offers a different aproach to the problem with a solution that not only solves the enviromental issue but also brings great savings to the mill. This technology, reuses dusts and sludges in the sintering process, after they are mixed to the right composition.

Oct 1, 2019

By Tiago Rafael Ferreira de Brito

O presente trabalho comparou o desempenho do fosfato de zinco e do microfosfato de zinco, ambos com tecnologia dry-in-place para verificação do comportamento destes revestimentos frente à conformação mecânica, por meio do ensaio de embutimento Erichsen, método Nakazima e curvas limite de conformação (CLC). Foram estudadas chapas de aço-carbono grau EM e grau EEP G4 eletrozincadas e fosfatizadas. As chapas foram fosfatizadas empregando-se dois banhos: fosfato de zinco e microfosfato de zinco, ambos com tecnologia dry-in-place. A caracterização da morfologia dos fosfatos estudados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura mostrou que as camadas de fosfato de zinco não apresentaram formação de cristais, quando aplicadas por roll coater e as análises por EDS comprovaram a presença do elemento fósforo. O ensaio de embutimento Erichsen somado aos resultados obtidos nas curvas CLC demonstraram que o microfosfato exibiu desempenho melhor em comparação ao fosfato. A diferença entre os dois tipos de fosfato foi mensurável e evidenciou que a tecnologia dry-in-place colaborou com a produção de camadas fosfatizadas adequadas para a lubrificação durante o processo de conformação mecânica.

Aug 16, 2017

By Thiago Pinto Silva, Leandro Rocha Lemos, Luiz Fernando Andrade de Castro

This paper shows an evaluation about effect of dispersant sodium silicate along to limestone, in the form of pulp, on the cold agglomeration process for iron ore sintering. Before that, it was verified the effect of pH, solids content and amount of dispersant on the stability of the system (limestone, water and sodium silicate). It was found that the lower the solids content, the more alkaline pH and the amount of sodium silicate equal to 20 l for each 1t of limestone, was the level of dispersion of the system. The influence of the limestone pulp with dispersant depended on the granulometry of the ore mixture and the type of technological route. For the thinner type (42,8% <0.15mm), the limestone pulp with dispersant reduced the resistance of the adherent layer of the cold agglomerates, regardless of the technological route. However, for the coarser type (24,7% <0.15mm), the limestone pulp with dispersant increased the average size of the aggregates, preserving the resistance of the adherent layer when manufacturing with two intensive mixers in series.

Oct 1, 2019

By Raquel de Souza Correa, Euglacyo L. Moura, Daniel A. G. de Carvalho, Bruno S. Cerchiari, Joyce C. Ribeiro

Ter um controle do teor de hidrogênio contido nos aços é vital para o funcionamento da aciaria, já que esse elemento pode provocar acidentes e prejudicar as propriedades mecânicas do aço. Por isso, a previsão do teor de hidrogênio é de grande interesse na indústria por meio de modelamentos matemáticos. Devido às complexas relações entre teor de hidrogênio e adição de materiais feitas durante diferentes fases no sopro do BOF, que causam incorporação de hidrogênio no banho, a utilização de redes neurais artificiais (RNA) se mostrou uma ferramenta computacional mais eficaz para conseguir fazer essa previsão do que o modelamento por regressão múltipla, pois possui habilidade de relacionar variáveis não lineares entre si e devido à sua capacidade de aprendizado.

Oct 1, 2019

By José Adilson de Castro

In this paper a new technology for a compact iron ore sintering machine is analyzed. The compact sintering process is based on the massive injection of gaseous fuels and the solid fuel is only agglomerated fine charcoal obtained by biomass. The solid fuel used in this study is obtained by agglomeration of fine charcoal produced from elephant glass which has very short period for production and CO2 capture(less than 6 months in tropical climate). To overcome the lower heat supply into the combustion front of the sintering process the simultaneous injection of oxygen and gaseous fuel is proposed. The proposed methodology is to combine the solid fuel (agglomerated fines charcoal) and steelworks gases in a compact machine to enhance heat and mass transfer with high productivity (about 5 times the conventional large machine). A multiphase mathematical model based on transport equations of momentum, energy and chemical species coupled with chemical reaction rates and phase transformations is used to analyze the inner process parameters. A base case representing a possible actual industrial operation of the sintering machine is used in order to compare different scenarios of practicable operations which represents advanced operations techniques. The model was used to predict six cases of combined operation with biomass and fuel gas utilization with oxygen support.

Aug 2, 2018

By Yuechang Wang

A new method of manufacturing the wavy-tilt-dam(WTD) mechanical seal has been mentioned. In this method, the special equipment is designed to provide a predetermined force to external and inner circular surface of the ring. After milling the end face of the seal by grinding miller and releasing the preload, the wavy-tilt-dam can be done on the seal surface. In this paper, a prediction model is built up to investigate the relationship between the predetermined force and the deformation on the surface of the ring by using ANSYS software. A WTD ring is manufactured by this method which approves that the prediction model is in accord with the real process and this manufacturing method of the WTD mechanical seal is a proper choice.

Jul 31, 2018

By Breno Totti Maia, Rubia Teodoro Silva, Daniel A. G. de Carvalho, Aline Lima da Silva, Gilvan Nascimento de Souza

Para a maior eficiência na técnica conhecida como Slag Splashing, empregada com fins de manutenção e reparo de refratários de convertedor LD, a escória deve apresentar características apropriadas em termos de viscosidade e fração de sólidos. No presente trabalho, desenvolveu-se uma metodologia híbrida, combinando a utilização de padrões para a caracterização visual de escórias na planta, baseada em critérios de atribuição de notas, com a simulação termodinâmica usando o software FactSage para determinação das fases presentes na escória, quantificação de fração de sólidos e cálculo da viscosidade efetiva. A metodologia proposta permite identificar os quadrantes ideais de viscosidade efetiva, fração de sólidos e teor de ferro total, de modo que se possa garantir escórias com notas altas, apresentando qualidade apropriada para o processo. Os resultados indicam que as escórias com nota 3 (ótima) são obtidas nas seguintes condições: temperatura de fim de sopro de 1690-1720ºC, viscosidade efetiva na faixa de 0,070-0,650 Pa.s, fração de sólidos de 13-22%, teor de ferro total na escória de 14-17,5%..

Oct 1, 2019

By Manfred Hackl, Sergey Bragin, Alois Seilinger

The demand for hot rolled strip is growing in multiple ways. To remain competitive, new and existing mills must meet arisen challenges in the best possible way. The production of hot strip is a key element of steel production. Since close to half of all steel produced is hot-rolled to strip, mills require maximum throughput and availability combined with geometrical precision and the ability to create optimum material properties. Today there is a clear trend in developing new steel grades with high-strength and improved formability, like 3rd generation AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steels), as well as a trend to produce thinner and wider gauges. This trend challenges hot strip mills because it requires new technologies which provide more flexibility in metallurgical treatment during the rolling process. In order to meet and promote these trends Primetals Technologies is currently working on different concepts and solutions. One example is the development of a new mill stand technology Flex-HI HOT which allows to adapt the last finishing mill stands by efficiently switching from 4-high to a 6-high mode with small work roll diameter based on production needs. Another solution is to apply a permanent 6-high rolling stand at the end of the finishing train. A smaller work roll diameter allows to achieve higher specific thickness reductions and deformation rates resulting in significant thinner hot-strip gauges with valuable metallurgical benefits. The developed solution concepts with technological and metallurgical benefits will be presented in this paper.

Oct 1, 2019

By Michaela Böberl

State of the art sinter coolers are working based on the cross flow cooling principle. Thus, only a part of the thermal energy can be used for heat recovery application. The other part of the cooling air is brought unused to the environment. Furthermore, environmental regulation regarding dust emission and intelligent usage of exergy are getting stronger. Therefore, Primetals Technologies developed sinter coolers based on the counter flow principle. The cooling air passes the sinter bed in counter-flow direction enabling a direct heat transfer from the hot sinter to the air. The exhaust gas temperature can be maximized by using the total heat of the hot sinter. Due to the possible usage of the total exhaust gas amount, diffusive dust emission is reduced to zero. Two types of counter flow coolers are in the portfolio of Primetals Technologies. One type is based on a stationary shaft, in which the hot sinter is charged. The flow of the hot sinter is in vertical direction from top to bottom, in counter direction than the cooling air. The second type is a circular hopper cooler. The hot sinter is charged on top of a moving bed. At the bottom of the bed the sinter is discharged. The cooling air flows also from the bottom to the top, following the counter flow principle. Depending on the requirements, one of the two counter flow cooler types can be chosen for optimized and efficient cooling of hot sinter..

Oct 30, 2017

By Sihai Jiao, Xiaoming Xia, Bo Yan

Checkered plate, which is also known as floor plate, has a raised pattern that provides excellent skid resistance for a wide range of applications, such as flooring, walkways, platforms, stair treads, covers, etc. As one of most common products, carbon steel checkered plate is used in low strength with a large thickness margin for corrosion and costs a lot in corrosion resistance treatment and maintenance. Although austenitic stainless steel checkered plate meets the requirements of general corrosion resistance, it is also hard to provide a highly comprehensive performance for its low yield strength, which mean higher thickness, higher weight, lower stability of structure. Combined the advantages of stainless steel and carbon structural steel, a roll-bonded clad checkered plate with high performance in skid resistance, high strength and corrosion resistant is developed. The metallography shows metallurgically bonded interfaces. Both external and internal bending at room temperature can be done successfully done without any cracks. The yield strength is also significantly improved. Therefore, roll-bonded clad checkered plate is superior in microstructure, strength, ductility and workability. An application case on a pulverized coal injection platform in an iron-making plant, is also introduced to show the way of processing and installation. After two years of installation on the platform, the product still keeps the original appearance. It implies that the developed plate could keep the facilities functions with much less or no maintenance and make them much safer.

Oct 1, 2019

By Wen Xuan

Oolitic iron ores have significant economical importance because of their extensive resources in the world. However, their utilisation is often quite limited due to the high content of phosphorus inside. The phosphorus is often finely disseminated in the oolite structure and generally not liberated in the form of free particles. The iron ore used in this work is a typical oolitic goethitic iron ore with high phosphorus. The process of phosphorus removal from this ore is difficult because the phosphorus is not present as distinct minerals. As a result, no physical beneficiation process is able to separate the phosphorus from the iron bearing phases. The current concentrate contains low iron grade (Fe ~49%) and high phosphorus content (P 0.7~0.8%). The acid leaching is a potential way to dissolve phosphorus. Previous studies have shown that the thermal treatment makes the phosphorus more accessible for the acids and enables more efficient phosphorus dissolution. Some chemical additives are reported to enhance this phenomenon. A series of tests have been carried out using roasting - grinding - magnetic separation - leaching technologies to remove the phosphorus from this current concentrate. In the first stage, several tests were performed at pilot scale under the same conditions as described in some publications. The achieved results were similar to those from previous tests at laboratory scale. In the second stage, new test conditions were investigated in laboratory scale in order to achieve better result and to reduce the operational cost.

Aug 1, 2018

By Piotr Pajaczkowski

Hydro generators installed in Itaipu Binacional power plant with 824/737 MVA rated output power (50/60 Hz) belong to the largest ones in the world. Among many unique features the generators are equipped with the largest hydrodynamic thrust bearings ever built (external diameter 5200 mm, axial load equals approximately 3600 t). This paper is an attempt to propose a new thrust bearing design with the use of the state-of-the-art technologies and simulation techniques that demonstrate a reduction of friction power losses generated by the thrust bearing. This paper is divided into two parts. Within the first one the original thrust bearing design which was implemented in the generators is described. Related calculation results based on a thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic (TEHD) calculation software used by Alstom will be presented. A comparison between measurement results gathered in the 1980’s is given. In the second part a potential solution of a more beneficial bearing design is described. The proposed thrust bearing design modification is an implementation of Alstom’s PolypadTM coating. This modern polymer (PEEK) coating material has already been used by Alstom in projects around the world for many years. This coating allows pushing the operating parameters limits toward higher temperatures and lower oil film thicknesses far beyond the limits known for the conventional bearing materials.

Jul 31, 2018

By Andreas Rohrhofer

Reliable high end automation and process optimization systems are main factors for excellent product quality, safe operation and maximized plant performance in the steel industry and its designated environmental plants. Primetals Technologies introduces new automation packages for consequent safe and cost efficient production. Many areas within the steelplant interested to be monitored and measured automatically are not implemented in the automation system due to limited access or technical reasons. A wireless, self-organizing network facilitates wide ranging data transmission in previously inaccessible areas and opens up a wide range of new opportunities. With Fluid Guard a system to detect leakages with highest accuracy and reacts properly for all kind of water cooled circuits is available, improving the safety in steelmaking process. Lance Guard can be utilized for all fully automatic and semi-automatic lance appliances, but is especially suitable for the products of Primetals Sublance Standard/2.0 and LiquiRob applications, since these systems make seamless integration particularly simple. Manual lance appliances may also be tested and diagnosed. Environmental plants have become a main part in steelmaking plants. Highest performance in combination with optimized energy consumption is the main target in Primetals Technologies’ innovations in automation optimization packages for dedusting systems. A new approach for preventive maintenance and operator assistance is introduced with the Acoustic Expert System. In combination with the new Ask cloud based system, Primetals enables a 24/7 monitoring and a whole lifetime observation of any equipment within a steelplant. Furthermore it is now enabled to check the condition of the plant at a fingertip at any time.

Aug 17, 2017

By Walter Luiz Castro dos Santos, Leandro Resinentti Zanon

In the production of iron ore pellets, one of the factors that strongly influence the cost of ore-pellet processing is the specific consumption of natural gas that occurs during the thermal processing stage of the pellets. The filtration process is the step where the adequacy of the moisture percentage of the retained pulp occurs, so that subsequently there is the processing in the subsequent stages of the pellet formation and hardening of pellets. The water contained in the raw pellet is withdrawn at the stage of thermal processing. For this purpose, the literature indicates the demand of 600 Kcal/kg of water for the heating and vaporization of the moisture of raw pellets. The statistical analysis of the performance data of a pelletizing plant showed that for each decrement of 0.1% of water in the retained pulp is equivalent to the reduction of 0.091 Nm3 in the consumption of natural gas per tonne of pellets produced. Thus, the proper performance of the filtration stage is essential to reduce the percentage of pulp moisture retained and consequently to increase the energy efficiency of the pelletizing furnaces. The aim of this article is to present the main steps in conducting a work to increase the filtration performance to reduce the percentage of retained pulp moisture and the positive impacts on the specific natural gas consumption of a plant Pelletizing.

Oct 1, 2019

By Günther Staudinger

Aperam is a global player in producing of stainless, electrical and special steel qualities. The steelmaking plant in Timoteo Brasil is equipped with one AODconverter for stainless steel and one MRPL-converter for special steel production. The MRP-L converter is almost in operation for 20 years. In order to improve production Aperam decided to install a new converter with increased reaction volume equipped with DANIELI state of art technology. This paper describes the major changes and improvements of the new converter installation.

Aug 16, 2017

By Ivan César Lopes Diniz

Stretcher Reducing Mill (SRM) is a mill used in production of tubes. It is composed with a set 24 of stands responsible to define the final outside diameter (OD) of tubes. External appearance is critical in this process even though this requirement has no effect on mechanical properties. For this reason, an investigation of external longitudinal marks mechanism is in progress using 6 Sigma methodology. This paper is a part of the investigation with focus on the rolls and its mechanical properties. Destructive tests were performed in the rolls and compared with the project. After a detailed investigation, it was concluded that rolls were out of hardness specification and the project was poor of information. A new supplier was developed (internal market) based on the new project and all requirements were achieved as demonstrated in this paper. A monopolistic market for this product in VSB (Vallourec Soluções Tubulares do Brasil) was eliminated. Concerning the effect on the external longitudinal marks, the new rolls developed within hardness range minimized the mechanism of wear on rolls surface and consequently on tubes surface. A collateral effect has been faced, but still better than external longitudinal marks on tubes surface. The quenched and tempered rolls are more sensitive for process variation, mainly linked with cooling system and temperature of tubes (mechanical resistance for deformation). Nevertheless, a new material has been aimed focusing on reduction of rolls breakage with good tenacity and affordable cost.

Oct 4, 2019

By Raquel Húngaro Costa, Jonathan Tenório Vinhal

The demand for natural resources has grown over the years, however, the environment offers a limited amount of these resources for exploration. Then, the investigation of new methods for recovering and reuse some compounds and elements are essential to know later tailings purposes. Zinc is used in corrosion resistance as a protective coating for several products. One of the steps for the extraction of zinc is by flotation process to obtain the concentrated ore, in which a residue is generated. The aim is to characterize this residue, allowing the choice of recovery routes for compounds and elements in future stages. The methods of analysis were Malvern, VA, Eltra and ICP-OES, besides the water content. In this study, a characterization of elemental chemical analysis was performed, in which the main elements presented were: calcium (17.4%), magnesium (10.3%) and iron (7.97%); the water content was 27% and the grain size of the material presented an average size of 50μm. With the presented characteristics the material can be used, after treatment, in the recovery of other compounds for applications in the sector of fertilizers, ceramics and steel industry.

Oct 3, 2019