Suez University

Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department

Summer Training Report:

ESME Online Training in Steelmaking Processes

From 21/7/2020 to 30/8/2020

Under The Supervision of:

Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ammar

By:
Ali Mohamed Mohamed Abdelrahman Awadallah- Sec. 3- No. 10

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Introduction
The steel industry has been greatly restructured. It is now much more competitive and is going
through a technological revolution driven by capital requirements, shortages in raw materials
such as coke and low residual scrap, environmental concerns, and very important customer
demands. It is very important to know if production technologies are still appropriate in present
and which are the new processes that have to be developed in order to meet the future needs of
steel market

It is well known that the quality of the main raw materials for EAF plants – scrap – has
deteriorated during recent years. Scrap becomes more and more polluted by metallic tramp
elements and organic compounds; this requires improved cleaning and sorting of scrap, by
physical and chemical treatments. If the scrap quality is insufficient for achieving the required
steel properties, virgin iron has to be added to the metallic charge.

This addition can be hot metal, cold pig iron or direct reduced iron in order to improve the quality
of products because they are tramp elements free.

Another reason for developing iron making alternative technologies is the possibility of wastes
recycling as raw materials. Waste recycling processes will reduce the environmental impact of
waste disposal. Minimizing plant waste/by-products (by in-works recycling) and valorizing them
(by the use of slag in agriculture or civil engineering) are other important objectives including the
ecological one.

In recent years, many alternative iron making processes have been proposed and developed to
replace the conventional iron making process (e.g. the blast furnace process).

Direct reduction processes are widely known alternatives for the blast furnace route to iron
manufacture. The direct reduction processes which today are in commercial use (e.g. MIDREX
and HYL) produce about 20-25 million tones DRI (direct reduced iron) per annum. Fig.(1) shows
steelmaking different roots.

Fig.(1) Steelmaking Different Roots

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Production Processes

1- Iron Oxide Production and Main Characteristics

The major iron oxide ores used for iron production are Hematite (Fe2O3) which is the most stable
and available form exists in nature, Magnetite (Fe3O4) and Wustite (FeO). The ores may
undergo several processes called "beneficiation." These processes include crushing, screening,
froth floatation, filtration, and pelletizing. The refined ore is enriched to over 65% iron by these
processes and is often formed into pellets before shipping.
Forms of iron oxides:
▪ Iron ore oxide pellets: The most used form due to its high strength and the high iron content
(75% - 80%) that’s why it’s the most preferred form for direct reduction process (DRI).
▪ Iron oxide lump ore: Contains low iron content about 25%.

2- Direct Reduction Process

Two major processes are available to produce DRI:
▪ MIDREX process
▪ HYL process
Training was focused on the HYL process of the direct reduction planet at EZZ steel EL-Sokhna
which will be discussed latter. Fig.(2) shows the HYL process.
Direct reduction is the reduction of iron oxide ore (pellet or lump) directly by H2 or CO gases at
relatively high temperature to get the required degree of metallization. These reactions occur at
temperature over 560 ⁰C.
The overall reduction reaction is:
Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2 or Fe2O3 + H2 → 2Fe + 3H2O

Fig.(2) HYL Process

Direct Reduction Plant Main Areas

▪ Material Handling System:
Iron ore in the form of oxide pellets or lump ore is delivered by sea from Brazil, Canada, and
Sweden to the nearby port of Sokhna. On arrival, it is transported by a system of belt conveyor to
the Direct Reduction Plant (DRP). The iron ore from material handling equipment is fed through
the top of the reactor rand flow downward by the effect of gravity.
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▪ Reactor Tower:
The HYL reactor is a moving bed reactor called heterogeneous reactor (reactions inside are
between gases and solids). Its function is to contain solids and gases at the required conditions
of temperature and pressure to allow the reduction reactions of iron ore by means of reducing
gases. Reactor consists of three zones Reduction zone, Isobaric zone, and Cooling zone.
The hot reducing gas (970 ⁰C) is injected at the middle and flows upwardly counter-current to the
solids flow. The product (Cold DRI) is cooled and carburized by counter-current cooling gas
(natural gas) in the cooling section. The reducing gas leaves the reactor as the top gas at
approximately 450 ⁰C. Cold DRI is produced and Exhaust reducing gases are recycled after
passing to gas treatment area.
▪ Gas Treatment Area:
The reducing gas and dust, which leave the reactor, enter the gas treatment area consisting of a
gas heater to raise temperature of reducing gases to about 970 ⁰C , top gas heat recuperator, top
gas quenching/scrubbing unit for removing the dust, cooling and H2O elimination from top gases
and finally a reducing gas recycle compressor.
▪ CO2 Removal Plant:
The system is designed so that the exhausted reducing gases (8.16 bar and 50 ⁰C) coming from
the compressor passed through the CO2 absorption system where the CO2 content is reduced
from the inlet concentration of approx. 10% to 2% and H 2S content is reduced from 30 PPMV to
0 PPMV in the treated gas leaving the absorption column.
▪ Reformer:
Reformer is stand-alone equipment consisting of a set of stainless-steel pipes packed with a
nickel-based catalyst which uses steam to reform the natural gas to the required reducing gases
according to the reaction: CH4 + H2O → 3H2 + CO reforming reactions are carried out at 830 ⁰C.
The reformer consists of two sections the radiant section and the waste heat recovery unit
(WHRU). The radiant section consists of 252 catalytic tubes in which the reforming reaction
occur and the WHRU consist of 7 modules which are (mix preheater, duct burners, steam super
heater, flue gas boiler, natural gas preheater, flue gas boiler and boiler feed water preheater).
Natural gas is preheated to 370 ⁰C then passed through a desulfurization system to reduce the
sulfur content to permissible levels for the reformer catalyst operation.
▪ DRI Handling System:
Consisting of conveyors and related equipment for the storage or transporting cold DRI to the
melt shop.

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3- Melt Shop
3-1 Electric Arc Furnace
Worldwide, approximately 40% of steel is produced based on electric arc furnace. The main task
of modern EAFs is to convert the solid raw materials to liquid crude as fast as possible. Electric
arc furnace operates as a batch process and the steel batch produced is known as “heat”. Its
operating cycle is known as “tap-to-tap” cycle. Modern operations aim for a tap-to-tap cycle of
less than 60 minutes.
▪ Construction
The furnace is primarily split into three sections: The shell, which consists of the sidewalls and
lower steel bowl, The hearth, which consists of the refractory (Magnesia carbonate) that lines
the lower shell and The roof, which may be refractory-lined or water-cooled, and can be shaped
as a section of a sphere through which one or more graphite electrodes enter the furnace. As
shown in Fig.(3)

Fig.(3) EAF Construction

▪ Charged Materials
• Scrap (20-30%) which is as light scrap (0.2 ton/ m3) in the top and bottom line of charge in
order to make a foaming slag. Scrap is divided into reclaimed scrap, industrial scrap and
revert scrap.
• DRI (70-80%).
• Fluxing materials (lime, dolomite, coke).
• Other materials as Oxygen, argon, nitrogen, CH4.

▪ Operating cycle
1- Preparation
Tapping hole is inspected and filled with Olivia sand, EAF roof opened and EAF refractory
inspected and repaired if there is any need for repair. Repairs can be made by EBT repair, EAF
gunning and EAF fettling.

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2- charging
Scrap is brought into the melt shop inside rail cars. An overhead crane is used to load the scrap
into the charging bucket. When the charge bucket has been loaded, the loading crane picks up
the charge bucket and puts the scrap into the EAF.
3- Melting
It’s the heart of EAF operation accomplished by supplying energy to the furnace interior. The
electric arc furnace can have temperatures risen between (1630 – 1650 ⁰C). Source of energy
are Electric energy (60-70%) to melt scrap and DRI and chemical energy (30-40%). Energy
needed for melting scrap is about 330 KWh/ton and about 530 Kwh/ ton for the DRI.
Electrical energy is supplied via the graphite electrodes and is usually the largest contributor in
melting operations. Chemical energy is being supplied via several sources including oxy fuel
burners and oxygen lances. Heat is transferred within the scrap by conduction oxygen from lance
will react with several components in the bath including, aluminum, silicon, manganese,
phosphorus, carbon, and iron.
• Slag is generated during the melting process by the addition of lime and the effect of non-
metallic materials which generally contaminate the scrap. In addition, slag contains all the
solid productions generated by the oxidation of some metals contained in the scrap (Si, Al, Ti,
Mn, etc.).
• Function of foaming slag is to cover the arcs to protect the refractories from arc-flair,
improving steel quality by absorbing deoxidation products and inclusions, reduction of
electrical disturbance and noise and to isolate steel to minimize heat losses.
4- Refining
It’s started from melting process as aimed to remove undesirable elements as phosphorus from
the steel from steel before tapping. De-phosphorisation process is necessary because
Phosphorous has a bad effect on steel properties as it decreases ductility and strength and
cause cold shortness during rolling. So; the reduction of its content in the steel bath is a must
before steel is sent for casting.
5- De-slagging
The furnace is tilted backwards, then slag is poured out of the furnace through the slag door.
Removal of the slag eliminates the possibility of phosphorus reversion. If the high phosphorus
slag has not been removed prior to this operation, phosphorus reversion will occur.
6- Tapping
By reaching the required steel analysis and tapping temperature (1640 ⁰C), the taphole is
opened, then the steel is poured into a ladle for transfer to the next operation (usually a ladle
furnace). During tapping, additions of Ferroalloys, deoxidizers and slag formers are performed.
Tapping period is (3-5 minutes).

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3-2 Ladle Refining Furnace

Ladle refining furnace is probably the most important part of steel making process as it changes
steel to high quality product. The goal of the furnace is to deliver a ladle of good quality steel to
the caster on time at right temperatures meeting total chemical specifications. Also a very
important function is to increase productivity in the melt shop (decrease refining time at EAF).
Fig.(4) shows a real figure of the ladle furnace.

Fig.(4) Ladle Refining Furnace

▪ The Main Objectives of Ladle Metallurgy are:

1- Homogenization of chemical composition and temperature of liquid steel in the ladle by
stirring.
2- Heating of the liquid steel to a temperature suitable for continuous casting and to
compensate the energy losses during ladle furnace treatment time and energy
requirements for alloys.
3- De-oxidization or killing by removal of oxygen to avoid porosity and blowholes.
4- Ferro alloys and carbon additions to adjust in the chemistry of liquid steel.
5- De-sulfurization by reduction of sulfur content as low as 0.002% because sulfur has a
great tendency to segregate and react with iron causing hot shortness. This done by using
deoxidized basic slag and temperature about 1620 oc.
6- Micro cleanliness by removal of undesirable nonmetallic elements.
7- Mechanical properties improvement as toughness, ductility, and transverse properties.
8- Inclusions modification by calcium treatment.

4- Continuous Casting
The most effective method that used in steel industry to produce billets or slabs is called
continuous casting and this is the method used in EZZ steel. Continuous casting, also called
strand casting, is the process whereby molten metal is solidified into a "semi-finished" billet,
bloom, or slab for subsequent rolling in the finishing mills. The machine is shown in Fig.(5).

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 Fig.(5) Continuous Casting Machine

▪ Continuous casting process

1- The ladle from ladle furnace is transported to the top of the casting machine.
2- Molten metal is transferred via a refractory shroud to a holding bath called tundish acting
as a buffer of hot metal, as well as smoothing out flow, regulating metal feed to the molds
and cleaning the metal.
3- Metal is drained from the tundish through another shroud into the top of an open-base
copper mold. The mold is water-cooled to solidify the hot metal directly in contact with it;
this is the primary cooling process.
4- The mold oscillates vertically and a lubricant is added to the metal in the mold to prevent
the metal sticking to the walls and to trap any slag particles that may be present in the
metal bringing them to the top of the pool to form a floating layer of slag.
5- The shroud is set so the hot metal exits below the surface of the slag layer in the mold and
is thus called a submerged entry nozzle (SEN).
6- In the mold, a thin shell of metal next to the mold walls solidifies before the middle section
called a strand. The bulk of metal within the walls of the strand is still molten.
7- The strand is immediately supported by closely spaced, water-cooled rollers which
support the walls of the strand against the Ferro static pressure of the still-solidifying liquid
within the strand.
8- To increase the rate of solidification, the strand is sprayed with large amounts of water as
it passes through the spray-chamber; this is the secondary cooling process.
9- The molten metal is continuously passed through the mold, at the same rate to match the
solidifying casting. This results in casting of long strands of metal.

5- Hot Rolling Process

After leaving the continuous casting machine, billets enter the reheating furnace in order to be
prepared for the rolling process. This stage is called Hot Rolling. In which the billets are rolled to
reshape into the needed dimensions and shapes.

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▪ The Rolling Machine Constituents
1- QTB (Quenching tempered core box): Pressure of water is 10:12 bar to produce martensite
on surface and core still hot to produce self-tempered martensite.
2- Dividing shear: To cut billets into double of final length.
3- Upruns: Used to raise billets to the cooling bed.
4- Trolley: Takes billets to the cold shears to take their final shape.
5- Mobile pocket: Where billets are tied together forming 2 tons.

Fig.(6) Shows a roller

Fig.(6) Roller
▪ Hot Rolling Products
There two main different products of rolling which are:
▪ Long products (rebars)
In which billet is rolled to a diameter ranging from 5.5 mm to 40 mm. Cooling system (Quenching
tempered core box) is used at the end of the line after finishing stage that produce a rebar with
excellent surface quality and dimensional accuracy. As shown in Fig.(7).
▪ Flat products (sheets or coils)
The slab passes continuously through a series of finishing stands which progressively squeeze
the steel to make it thinner and longer. Strip width ranging from 800 mm to 1,600 mm. It has
been coiled to make storage and handling easier. As shown in Fig.(7).

Fig.(7) Rebars Vs. Coils