Alternative routes of Iron

making

I
World crude steel production since 1950 in mtpa

II
Country wise crude steel production 2014 in mtpa

III
Company wise crude steel production 2014 in mtpa

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IV
Countries wise DRI production 2007 to 2014 in mtpa

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 Alternative routes of Iron Making
• More than 90% of world iron production is through Blast
furnace technology route

• Driving forces for development of Alternative

Ironmaking technologies
– Costly and scarce coking coal:
• Need to look beyond coking coal
– possibility to use iron ore fines directly
– Land-constraint
– Environmental considerations
• Eliminate pollution-intensive sintering and coke-making
processes
– Water scarcity
– Large scale of economy
• High capital cost
– Scientific/ engineering knowledge
• To think/ design alternative processes 2
Possible Solutions: Alternatives for Ironmaking
1] Production of Non-Liquid Iron (DRI)
– Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) has emerged as an
excellent substitute for scrap for electric furnaces.
– That’s why, DRI production has zoomed throughout
the world (`~73 mt in 2015)
– SL/RN, MIDREX, HyL, ITmk3 etc.

2] Alternative method for Liquid Iron (Hot Metal)

– Smelting Reduction (SR) processes:
– COREX, FINEX, Hismelt etc.
• using non-coking coal
• obviating the need for coke oven batteries and
sinter plants
– needing smaller land/ area
– Iron ore fines can be used directly (except COREX)
– Lesser pollution

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 DRI Production Technologies
• DR processes have overcome many of theirs
conceptual & engineering problems, and
hence have been commercialized throughout
the world in a big way.

• Two major production technologies:

– Coal Based DR processes
– Coal based rotary kiln process
– Coal based rotary hearth process
– ~20% of world DRI production

– Gas Based Shaft Reduction processes

– ~80% of world DRI production
– MIDREX (~60% among all DRI processes),
– HyL (~20% among all DRI processes) 4
 DRI Technologies
Both gas-based & coal-based DRI technology readily
available
Scale of operation
 Gas based : 0.8 – 2.0 mtpa/module
 Coal based : 0.03 - 0.15 mtpa/module
Feed stock :
Gas based processes
• Pellet (8-15mm): 33 - 100 %; Iron ore (6-30mm): 0 - 67%
• Natural gas / Coal gas (not practiced yet)
Coal Based Processes (rotary kiln)
• Iron Ore/Pellet ( 6- 20 mm): 100%,
• Non-coking Coal

•Any of these can be adopted based on techno-economics

•India : World Leader: ~ 20 mtpy: 27% of world production
• India: Pollution specially rotary Kiln processes 5
 Production Technologies

• Coal Based Rotary Kiln process

Lump ore/ pellets

DRI
Rotary Kiln
Coal Char

Scheme for DRI Production in Rotary Kiln

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Flow sheet of SL/RN Process

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• INMETCO Process
• International Nickel Company, Canada developed
the thermal reduction process in 1970 for reduction
of various metallic wastes in the plant
• Input of wastes 150 tpd or 45,000 tpa producing
alloy required iron 20,000 tpa
• In 1983 SMS Demag signed a worldwide license
agreement with Inmetco for development &
marketing
• Process has the following three basic steps
o Feed preparation, blending & pelletising
o Reduction
o Smelting & casting
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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• INMETCO Process
• The ground oxide materials, ground coal and binder
are mixed and palletized
• The green pellets are charged on a moving rotary
hearth in layer thickness of 20 mm
• Pellets are heated in counter current flow of gases
• The burners are arranged in the heating & the
reduction zone
• In the heating zone pellets are heated to the
reduction temperature by means of radiation from
the off gas and the walls
• CO generated in the reduction zone is totally
combusted along with volatiles of the coal
• Off gas leaves the furnace at 1100°C 9
Flowsheet of Inmetco process

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• INMETCO Process
• DRI is extracted at about 900°C and charged into air tight
refractory lined transportation hoppers. In hot condition
it is charged into downstream melting furnace
• Metallization achieved in about 90%
• Depending upon the quantity of carbon & lime in the
charge, the chemistry of hot metal can be as following
C: 0.1 – 3.5%
Si: 0.1 – 0.6%
S: 0.05 – 0.15%
P: 0.01 – 0.05%
• ELLWOOD City Plant
• Pelletiser – 47, 000 tpy
• Rotary Hearth Furnace - 60,000 tpy
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• Melting Furnace - 25,000 tpy
 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• INMETCO Process
• Typical operating figures for a 300,000tpa plant
production
Requirement/t
Iron ore fines 1.55 t
Coal fines 0.70 t
Electric power 950 kWh
Carburizer 40 kg
Lime 50 kg
Binder 15 kg
Electrode paste 8 kg

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• FASTMET Process
• This process is being developed by Midrex Corporation.
• In 1991 – 2.5m dia rotary hearth was installed at Midrex
• Technical Centre to simulate the reduction process.
• In 1994 – Midrex & Kobe steel constructed 2.5 tph
Fastmet plant at Kobe steels Kakagawa works in Japan
• Iron ore concentrate, pulverized coal and binder are
mixed and pelletized
• Green pellets are either fed to a drier or charged directly
to RHF
• The pellet layers on rotary hearth are one to three
pellets depth
• Burners & post combustion of CO provides the heat to
raise the pellets to reduction temperature 13
 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• FASTMET Process
• Burners are fired with NG, FO, COG or pulverized coal
• Pellets are heated to 1250- 4 ‘C when the iron
oxides are reduced to metallic iron
• Reduction time on hearth is 10-12 minutes
• DRI is continuously discharged at around 1000°C from
the furnace easily into the refractory lined vessels for
hot transfer to melt shop or into briquetting
machines for production of hot briquettes (HBI)
• C in the product can be controlled between 1-6%
• Off gas from the plant is used in heat exchanger to
preheat the combustion air and dry the green pellets
• Additional heat can be recovered to produce power
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FAST MET process flowsheet

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• FASTMET Process

Unit consumption
Iron ore (67% Fe), t 1.2-1.35
Coal, t 0.3-0.4
Aux fuel, G cal 0.7
Power kWh 100
Water, m3 2

• Midrex & Kobe steel have also developed the molten

iron production process (FAST MELT) by charging the
hot DRI into a submerged arc furnace

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• ITmk3 Process
• In ITmk3, the iron ore fines & pulverized coal are
formed into green pellets
• The pellets are fed to a rotary hearth furnace and
heated to 1300 -1450°C
• At this temp. range, the pellets are reduced and
melted
• Iron making process takes only 10 minutes against
BF(10 hrs), Rotary Kiln (8hrs)
• Iron & slag get separated & product is called nuggets
• Iron nuggets can be fed directly into BOF or EAF as
pure iron source and substitute of scrap
• By substituting scrap, it can dilute tramp elements like
Cu, Pb, Sn & Cr 17
ITmk3 process flowsheet

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 Rotary Hearth Furnace Based DR Processes
• ITmk3 Process

Quality of iron nuggets

Fe met % 97
Carbon % 2-2.5
S% 0.07-0.1
P% 0.01-0.02

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GAS BASED DR PROCESSES

1. Retort processes
2. Fluidized bed processes
3. Shaft reactor processes

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1. Retort processes
HYL-I:
• Developed in Mexico by HYL Technologies
• First plant in Monterrey Mexico in 1957
• Uses lump iron ore / pellets
• Natural Gas is reformed by steam
• Batch type process, carried out in 4 reactors

CH4 + H2O  CO + 3H2

Consumption of energy 15 GJ/t

HYL-II:
Similar to HYL-I.
It is the second plant installed in Sidor, Venezuela 21
 2. Fluidized bed processes
Fior:

• Fluidized iron ore reduction process

• Developed by ESSO Research & Engg Co, USA
• Uses iron ore fines (-12mesh)
• Reduction takes place in series of 4 fluidized bed
reactors
• Reaction pressure 10 atm
• Reducing gas NG is reformed by steam
• Temperature of reduction 800°C
• NG consumption is 5 Gcal/t
• Compacted hot (650°C) in briquettes
• First plant built in Motanzas, Venezuela in 1976 –
0.4Mtpa 22
Fior process flowsheet

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Fluidized bed processes

Finmet:

• Also a fluidized iron ore reduction process

• Developed jointly by Fior de Venezuela & Voist
Alphine, Austria (VAI)
• There are four heating and reduction reactors
• Temperature for reduction in final reactor is
800°C
• Reactor pressure 11 to 13 bar
• Hot reduced fines are briquetted
• Gas after reduction is recirculated after scrubbing
of H2O & CO2
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 Fluidized bed processes
Finmet:

• Making up gas (NG) is reformed by steam

• NG consumption is 3 Gcal/t
• One plant built in Matanzas, 1999
• Capacity 2Mtpa, 4 reactors each of 0.5Mtpa
• Capital cost USD 800 million
• Ownership BHP + Sivensa
• Production cost is cheaper than Midrex & HYL
(20%)
• Capital cost is higher than Midrex & HYL (20%)

The other processes in this category are circored and

spinex 25
3. Shaft reactor processes
• Counter current flow moving bed system
• Important processes –
o HYL-III
o Midrex
o Purofer
o Plasmared
o Armco
o NSC
o Arex
o Ghaem

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 Production Technologies of
Gas based Reactor Processes

Lump Iron ore or Pellets

Reformed
Natural Gas Shaft Hot H
HBI
Reactor Briquetting
Press

Cold DRI Product

Scheme for HBI Production in Shaft Reactor

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 Shaft reactor processes
HYL-III
• Lump ore / pellets charge descends by gravity
• Hot reducing gas move upward in the reactor
• Gases are heated in a gas heater to 900°C
• Natural gas is reformed by steam in a gas reformer
• CH4 + H2O  CO + 3H2
• Top gas after scrubbing of H2O and CO2 is mixed with
make-up reducing gas
• Cooling zone in lower part of reactor is supplied with
cooling gas which is recycled by a cooling gas compressor
• Energy consumption: 9-10GJ/t
• HYL plants are available in capacities between 0.2Mtpa
and 2Mtpa
• Welspun plant capacity is 0.8 mtpa (In Maharastra) 28
HYL III process flowsheet

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 Salient Features of Midrex Process
• Both pellets (8-18 mm) & sized lump ore (6-20 mm)
upto 50% can be charged.
• The following reforming reaction takes place in the
reformer:
CH4 + CO2 = 2CO + 2H2

• Reformed Natural Gas: CO=80%, H2=20% Specially

suitable for countries/ locations where natural gas is
available in plenty and less expensive
• Indian Scenario:
–Midrex process plant in Essar Steel, Hazira (Gujarat)
Capacity 4 mtpa

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Midrex Process Flow Sheet - HBI Production

RDCIS 33
31
 Coal gasification based DRI process

• Coal gassification based DRI plant (JSPL plant at Angul,

Odisha) may open a new trend in India/ world
• The DRI-BF-EAF route technology would be adopted for
steel production.
• The DRI plant (2mt) has a unique feature of using Syn Gas
from the coal gasification plant as reductant.
• The DRI-Gasification route: first time in the world: using
high ash coal.
• JSPL has agreement with Lurgi Sasol Technology
Company, South Africa, for coal gasification technology.

Blast Furnace and DRI can co-exist !

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Process flow chart of coal gasification based DRI plant

HYL Process Scheme for Syngas

Iron
Ore

P. Gas
Sulphur H2O
Compressor
removal Plant
Coal Gasifier

WHB &
Cooling PG Heater
Cooler DR
CO2
Reactor

Gas Conditioning CO2 Oxygen

Removal Expander or Humidifier
compressor
Fuel

Gas conditioning DRI

HYL Module

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SMELTING REDUCTION
PROCESSES
for
IRONMAKING

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 Advantage: Smelting Reduction Processes

 They produce hot metal; hence more relevant

to BOF based Integrated Steel Plants

 Direct use of non-coking coal and Iron ore fines

 They need much less land as compared to

conventional BF complex

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Available Smelting Reduction (SR) Processes
 4 SR Technologies currently commercially
exploited or ready for commercial exploitation

) COREX (Two stage): Operating commercially

) FINEX (Two stage): Operating commercially

) HISMELT (Single stage): Not Operating

commercially at present

) ROMELT (Single stage): Not Operating commercially at

present

• Single stage: Reduction & melting in the same vessel

• Two stage : Reduction in one vessel; melting in the 2nd vessel
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COREX Process
for
Ironmaking

37
A schematic diagram of COREX process

38
 COREX: Process Features

 Developed by Siemens VAI

 Commercially most successful amongst SR
Technologies

 Commercial units in operation

) Korea: POSCO (COREX C-2000 - Capacity: 0.8 Mtpa)
) India: JSW Steel, India (2 Units) (COREX C-2000)
) South Africa: Mittal-SALDANHA, (COREX C-2000)
) China: Baosteel, (COREX C-3000) - Capacity 1.5 mtpa

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 Experience of COREX at JSW
 Total fuel rate requirement = 950 kg/thm. Out of
which ~200 kg coke is required.

 All the non-coking coal is imported. NCC of very high

VM or very low FC cannot be used.
 ~ 100% pellets are charged.
 Oxygen requirement = 550 Nm3/thm (very high!)

 Corex HM:
 Typical HM Composition: C~ 4%, Si=0.5-0.9%, S=0.025-
0.07%, P=0.13-0.19%, temp= 1480-1515C

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 COREX: Process Limitations

 Can't use ore fines directly

 Restriction on non-coking coal

• VM of carbonaceous material to be maintained
at ~25%.
 Net export gas (1650 nm3/thm; CV:1800 Kcal/Nm3) to
be utilised very economically, the process becomes
un-viable.
Hence, gas is used for production of DRI in MIDREX shaft
(SALDANHA) and Power Generation (POSCO, JSW Steel
and Bao Steel)

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FINEX Process
for
Ironmaking

42
FINEX Process Flow Sheet: Jointly developed by VAI and research
Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Korea

CO2 Power Plant

Removal

Oxygen Plant

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 FINEX: Process Features

 Off-shoot of COREX Process:to use iron ore fines (-8 mm)

directly
Direct use of non-coking coal (-6 mm)
VM of carbonaceous material to be maintained at ~25%

 Fine ore is pre-heated and reduced to DRI in a four stage fluidised bed
system. R4 & R3 for preheating. In R2, fine ore is reduced to 30%. In
R1, final reduction to 90%. Operational pressure: 4-5 bar.
 The DRI : melted in the COREX like melter- gasifier

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 FINEX: Process Features
 FINEX HM ~ [C= 4.5%, S = 0.03%, Si = 0.60% , Temp= 1520C
 Export gas (CV~2000 Kcal/Nm3) can be utilised for
production of DRI or generation of power
 Coal consumption @ 720 kg/t HM achieved:
• Pulverised coal injection @ 150 Kg./t HM.

 It is claimed by Finex Technology that Capital cost is

lower by 20% and production cost is 15% lower as
compared to BF process.
 Commercial unit of 1.5 Mtpa at Pohang, Korea -
commissioned in 2007 and in operation since then.
 The FINEX process is being considered for 12.5 mtpa
steel plant in Odissa
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HISMELT Process
for
Ironmaking

46
 Smelting Reduction Vessel of HIsmelt

Off-gas

Oxygen-enriched
Ore and
hot air blast
coal fines:
Injection
lances

Fore hearth

Slag notch

HM
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 HIsmelt: Features
 Developed by HIsmelt Corporation, Australia
 1-Stage hot air based Smelting Reduction Process using metal bath as
primary reaction medium which is unique:
 Bulk of smelting of ore takes place via dissolved carbon resulting in
high reaction rate
 Direct utilisation of ore fines (-0.6 mm) and non-coking coal fines (-0.3
mm): feed martial is directly injected thru water cooled lances into
metal bath.
 No oxygen requirement - only preheated air is used
Variety of coals containing 10 to 38 %VM can be used, Low coal rate
(600-620 kg/thm)
 HM: Low P (0.02-0.05% based on ore of 0.12% P) and very very low Si
Off-gas not rich (CV ~700 Kcal/Nm3) - no need to generate value from
off gas

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 HISMELT: Present Status

 First industrial HIsmelt Plant (capacity 600,000 tpa)

commenced operation in Kwinana, Australia in 2005.

 The plant is under maintenance as per their press-release.

 No other plant in the world
 Currently, there are two other licencees in China who have
signed a HIsmelt Process Licence. Under the agreements,
the groups can replicate the 800,000 tonne per year HIsmelt
Plant.
 Process seems to be suitable under Indian conditions,
specially for Flat product plant producing API X70/80
products needing low P steel.

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ROMELT Process
for
Ironmaking

50
 Schematic Flowsheet of Romelt Process

Ore Fines Stream Turbine

Coal & Flux

Wast e
Heat
Boiler
Boile

Active Bath Oxygen

Slag
Metal

Romelt Smelter
Pig Iron

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 ROMELT: Process Features
 Developed by Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISA
in mid 1980s)
 Process operates under a slight negative pressure
(1-5 mm WC)
 Greater raw material flexibility
 Accepts iron ore, slimes and other iron bearing
materials in a wide range of sizes (0 - 20 mm)
without any pre-treatment
 Non-coking coals of size 0 - 20 mm with moisture
content < 10% are acceptable. High VM non-coking
coals can be used without any preparation

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 ROMELT: Process Features Contd..

 Small scale production of 200,000 to 300,000 tpa HM

 Excellent quality of hot metal (C ~4%, Si ~0.6%, S
~0.040%, Temp. ~14000 C). Approx. 40% of input P
goes to slag phase & 90% of input S goes to gas phase
 High coal (1.3 - 1.5 t / thm) and high oxygen (900-1100
- Nm3/thm) consumption

 Fairly high degree of combustion. It produces rich off

gas (CV ~1000 Kcal/Nm3) - has to be utilised efficiently
(e.g. power generation to meet the demand of oxygen
plant) to make economic production of hot metal.

 No commercial plant anywhere in the world

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 Comparison of Commercially exploited/
Potential SR Processes
COREX FINEX HISMELT
Level of Fully Commercially One 1.5 mtpy One 0.8 mtpy plant was
development commercial in operation in 2005,
plant in operation but not now
since 2007
Ability to use No Yes Yes
ore fines
Reductant Non-coking coal Non-coking coal Non-coking coal fines
(VM ~ 25 %) (VM ~ 25%) (-0.3mm)
(to be imported) (to be imported) (to be imported)
Oxygen (Nm3 / ~ 550 (High !) ~ 550 (High !) ~ 300
thm) /
HM Quality Comparable with Comparable with BF Very low P & Si
BF
Viability Yes Yes No
dependent on
use of off-gases?

Ease of Commercially Uncertain Available

obtaining the available
technology 54
Conclusions: Selection of SR Processes under Indian Conditions

 Out of 3 potential SR processes, only COREX is commercially

exploited till date. FINEX is on the verge of commercialisation.
 COREX & FINEX processes: sensitive to quality of input material
particularly w.r.t. VM and ash of coal. Type of coal required for these
processes is scarcely available in India.
 Experience of COREX at JSW suggest that still ~ 15% coke is
required in the process to control VM of the input reductant. Same
may be the case for FINEX process.
 Use of pellet atleast partially is a must for COREX process. For FINEX
& HISMELT process, iron ore fines can be directly used.

 For COREX & FINEX processes, large amount of oxygen is required.

 For COREX & FINEX processes, rich off gas generated in the process
need to be used either for generation of power or for production of
DRI.
 HIsmelt is suitable for steel products with low P.
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 Development of the HIsarna process
An alternative iron-making technology with CO2 capture potential

 HIsarna technology is the combination of HIsmelt (Rio Tinto group)

& Isarna (Tata steel group) processes
 This process is being developed under low carbon dioxide steel making
(ULCOS) mission
 World steel consumption will double in 2050. The ambition is to cut
CO2 emissions by 50% in 2050
 One of the missions of HIsarna process is to reduce CO2 emission by
20% in 2025
 Steel accounts for 5% of total man-made CO2 emissions

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