Sharp increase in coke prices and huge investments in new coke plants in China characterize the present situation. In Europe, revamps of batteries are typical, but also a large new coke plant went on stream at ThyssenKrupp in Schwelgern. The article examines the situation in detail and describes major investments in Europe and China.

Blast furnace No. 1 of Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão has been in continuous operation for 20 years, accomplishing a high operational performance with high productivity and low fuel consumption. With a view to reach the major objective of 18,500 t/m3/IV of productivity, several works have been carried out in order to extend the furnace campaign until 2008. This paper presents the results of these activities along with a proposal for a new concept of hearth wear.

In 2003, Sidmar commissioned the renewed blast furnace A at the Ghent works. It will operate together with the existing blast furnace B to provide an ironmaking capacity of 4.5 million t/year under optimal circumstances. The furnace was designed and constructed under an engineering contract with Paul Wurth and by a joint Sidmar engineering and project team. This will be the fifth campaign of blast furnace A. This paper describes the relining operations.

“Consistent BOS Performance” was an ECSC funded project that began with the premise that internal converter shape influences process performance. Plant data were analyzed to quantify the effect of shape on performance and the process of slag splashing was studied in detail, as a means of shape control. It was found that the greatest influence on BOS performance is the availability of bottom agitation and this is affected by slag splashing practices.

The accidental melting of radioactive sources is impossible to prevent completely because some radioactive sources are extremely difficult to detect. When a radioactive source is melted, the people involved have concern for their safety, and there can also be very large costs to the steel plant. The aim of this study, sponsored by the European Commission, has been to give guidance to steel makers on the radiation safety aspects of an incident, and on what measures should be taken to minimize the impact on the steel plant.

In order to decrease the silica content in 16% Cr ferritic stainless steel, the phases present in deoxidized inclusions were predicted by the FACT model. To decrease the amount of deoxidized inclusions and slag inclusions in the melt, the capacity of alumina absorption was compared using different top slags. In trial tests, the cleanliness of slabs was significantly improved in 16% Cr ferritic stainless steel produced by AOD processes and the number of surface defects of cold coils was also significantly reduced.

The technological package SMART®/ASTC, developed by VAI and already applied in many continuous casting plants worldwide, combines automatic strand taper control (ASTC) with hydraulically adjustable SMART®segments. It allows to improve significantly the internal quality of both slabs and blooms. The principle and working mode of these equipments are described and their multiple benefits are presented.

For the production of steel with an EAF (especially, also, for stainless steel, as shown at CORUS Engineering Steels in Stocksbridge), the RCB system of VAI FUCHS (Refining Combined Burner) represents an important step forward, in many respects, for the injection of oxygen. The constitution of the system, its working mode and its advantages are described. This innovative solution is already applied in the case of quite a number of furnaces.

CRM has developed a dynamic model of the EAF. Combined with a complete acquisition of process parameters and of events occurring during a heat, the model continuously assesses the mass and thermal balances; it simulates the scrap movement inside the furnace during melting down as well as the foaming slag. It is in daily use at Carsid-Marcinelle since two years. Its second application is at the furnace of ProfilArbed at Esch-Belval. The model allows to determine the optimum time for the charging of the second scrap basket, to control the heating during the flat bath phase and to predict the end point of the melting. The model is also an efficient tool for the optimization of the electric furnace.

A project manager who designs a steel construction for a long duration takes into account, in his choice between steel and concrete particularly, the durability and maintenance programme of each component. The metal + paint route is thus very often the most competitive thanks to the painting industry. This industry has been reorganized with objectives of quality and high durability, by the creation of ACQPA which manages the performance certificate of paint systems, painting operators, inspectors. OHGPI, by examining the H form summarizing all the parameters of each project, approves the guarantees of performance and durability. A profession perfectly controlled during the whole life time of the steel construction. Look at the Eiffel Tower!

In the metallurgical industry, very few innovative processes reached the industrial stage. The purpose of this article is to identify the key principles for monitoring an industrialization process, and to assess their validity. Mastering the industrialization process is a key to hopefully succeed in developing efficiently an innovative and competitive process; according to industry characteristics and past cases of process developments, there might be a “virtuous” six-step industrialization process for metallurgy; the review of present industrialization processes within two metallurgical routes tends to confirm that point.