Steel Times International March 2021 by Quartz Business Media

TUBE AND PIPE

INNOVATIONS

ENVIRONMENT

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Increasing durability of piercing plugs for oil country seamless tubes

New products and contracts from global plant builders

Linde Technology examines solutions for melting and reheating

We hear from two senior executives working for the SMS group.

Since 1866

www.steeltimesint.com March 2021 - Vol.45 No2

STEEL TIMES INTERNATIONAL – March 2021 – Vol.45 No2

A FIRST IN CHINA

ZM coatings for hot-rolled galvanized steel strip

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CONTENTS – MARCH 2021

TUBE AND PIPE

INNOVATIONS

ENVIRONMENT

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Increasing durability of piercing plugs for oil country seamless tubes

New products and contracts from global plant builders

Linde Technology examines solutions for melting and reheating

We hear from two senior executives working for the SMS group.

Since 1866

www.steeltimesint.com March 2021 - Vol.45 No2

STEEL TIMES INTERNATIONAL – March 2021 – Vol.45 No2

Front cover photo courtesy of John Cockerill A FIRST IN CHINA ZM coatings for hot-rolled galvanized steel strip.

A FIRST IN CHINA

ZM coatings for hot-rolled galvanized steel strip

2 Leader By Matthew Moggridge, editor, Steel Times International. 4 News round-up The latest global news.

IS THE GLOBAL STEEL INDUSTRY THE NEW CLIMATE CHAMPION? STI Cover – read ok MM.indd 1

17/03/2021 13:31:35

EDITORIAL Editor Matthew Moggridge Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855151 matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com Consultant Editor Dr. Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor Annie Baker

9 USA update Biden to retain steel tariffs? 13 Latin America update Peruvian steel in turmoil.

Advertisement Production Martin Lawrence SALES International Sales Manager Paul Rossage paulrossage@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855116 Sales Director Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855117 Managing Director Tony Crinion tonycrinion@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855164

16 Innovations Three pages of the latest contracts and products news from international plant builders and suppliers. Environment 21 Steel: the new climate champion? 26 Driving energy efﬁciency and sustainability.

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Steve Diprose SUBSCRIPTION Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email subscriptions@quartzltd.com

30 Special steels Saving Fallingwater 33 Tube & pipes Extending the life of piercing plugs. 36 Decarbonization Solutions for melting and reheating. 40 Continuous casting Trends in continuous casting. 44 Process control Primetals on through process optimisation. 49 Perspectives Q&A: SMS group Enormous demand for digital solutions. 51 History 18C ironmaking in western Romania.

Steel Times International is published eight times a year and is available on subscription. Annual subscription: UK £195.00 Other countries: £270.00 2 years subscription: UK £350.00 Other countries: £485.00 ) Single copy (inc postage): £45.00 Email: steel@quartzltd.com Published by: Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, England. Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034

www.steeltimesint.com Steel Times International (USPS No: 020-958) is published monthly except Feb,

May, July, Dec by Quartz Business Media Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER send address changes to Steel Times International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Printed in England by: Pensord, Tram Road, Pontlanfraith, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 2YA, UK ©Quartz Business Media Ltd 2021

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March 2021

17/03/2021 15:56:11

LEADER

Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit – be a part of it...

Matthew Moggridge Editor matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com

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It’s a bit of a tongue twister: try saying Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit after a few glasses of wine, but this event, which takes place over two days (22-23 June 2021) is, arguably, one of the most important get-togethers of the global steel industry this year. It’s all to do with two words: ‘sustainable’ and ‘strategies’. The idea is to bring together senior level executives from around the globe to discuss the sustainability strategies employed by their companies as the world moves forward after COVID. Sustainability is a big word and an important one for the steel industry, which is mindful of the fact that steelmaking currently contributes towards 7% of global CO2 emissions. “Left untamed, heavy industrial emissions will make up the bulk of emissions by 2030,” says climate organisation Mighty Earth in an article in this issue. But let’s be fair to the steel industry, which has been hard at work developing technologies to decarbonise the steelmaking process. According to Mighty Earth, around 74% of the global steel market falls under a company or nationwide carbon neutral or net zero emission commitment, and that

includes big players on the global steel stage, such as ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel and POSCO. The Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit is supported by Linde, Smart Steel Technologies and NEL, three leading businesses with sustainable steelmaking at the heart of everything they do, and has already secured cutting edge presentations from Tata Steel Europe, Liberty Steel Group, Finnish steelmaker Outokumpu and American steelmaker Carmeuse. I know that other leading players on the global stage are likely to speak and, of course, I will keep you updated as the programme develops. Subjects under discussion will be wideranging and the closing date for abstracts submission is Friday 2nd April, plenty of time for anybody who would like to make a presentation, just email me. Steelmakers around the world reel at the thought of being the ‘climate bad guys’ and while our industry is one of the largest emitters of environmental pollutants, it is also an industry that is doing plenty to reverse the situation. Please visit https:// www.steeltimesint.com/sustainable-steelstrategies-summit for more information.

2/9/21 2:16 PM www.steeltimesint.com

18/03/2021 07:13:17

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4 NEWS ROUND-UP

• EVRAZ North America has been listed in the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance Deal Tracker Top 10, an annual list highlighting procurement of renewable energy by large commercial and industrial buyers. The list includes EVRAZ North America for its partnership and long-term agreement with Xcel Energy and Lightsource BP to build a 300 megaWatt solar facility in Pueblo, Colorado. Bighorn Solar will provide renewable electricity to the company’s new long rail mill now under construction and the existing EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel facilities in Pueblo. Source: EVRAZ, 10 February 2021. • As part of ThyssenKrupp’s Steel Strategy 20-30, the German steelmaker has received investment approval and is about to award contracts for the construction of new core units at its Duisburg and Bochum sites. The company aims to expand its premium steel range and thereby strengthen its overall competitiveness. Source: ThyssenKrupp, 12 February 2021.

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• EUROFER’s recently released Economic and Market Outlook illustrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has slashed EU steel consumption forecasts and punctured the overall outlook. According to Axel Eggert, director-general of the organisation, the third quarter of 2020 was a period between two waves of the pandemic and the year as a whole one of the worst on record, even if the fourth quarter shows positive results. Source: EUROFER, 16 February 2021. • British Steel has released an enhanced range of its Zinoco rail protection system originally released in 2016. It is claimed that the product is capable of withstanding some of the harshest corrosive environments in the world, such as a coastal line, level crossings and wet tunnels. Rail in these areas, says British Steel, can become contaminated with salt water, minerals and biological matter and need a tough, durable solution. Source: British Steel, 16 February 2021.

• H2 Green Steel (H2GS) will be a large-scale steel producer based on a fossilfree manufacturing process targeting large OEMs. It will be located in the BodenLulea region of Northern Sweden where, it is claimed, unique conditions exist for fossil-free steel production. The project includes a gigascale green hydrogen plant as an integrated part of the steel production facility. Production begins in 2024 and by 2030 will have an annual production capacity of 5Mt of high quality steel. Henrik Henriksson, currently CEO of Scania, will lead the company. Source: H2GS, 23 February 2021.

• The Repsol Group, through Petronor, its Basque subsidiary, presented its strategy for the development of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C). The presentation took place at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, Spain. The proposal is a collaboration of all the industrial sectors of the Basque Country and has been made official with the signing of 78 public and private entities. Saralle, an engineering company involved with the project, described it a ‘great energy-industrial commitment to the future’. The company is working on developing technologies for the use of hydrogen in the electric arc furnace and reheating furnace. Source: H2GS, 24 February 2021.

• Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel claims it has successfully demonstrated the technology that can reduce a significant amount of CO2 emissions from blast furnace operations using Midrex technology and advanced pellet production know how for blast furnaces as well as relying upon artificial intelligence in the latter. The company claims it will continue to improve its CO2 reduction technology and aims to reduce the costs of the process going forward. Source: Kobe Steel, 24 February 2021.

17/03/2021 14:06:13

NEWS ROUND-UP

• Liberty Steel Group has signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Paul Wurth and SHS-Stahl-Holding-Saar to assess the building and operating of an industrial-sized, hydrogen-based steelmaking plant in Dunkerque, France. If developed, the plant would be one of the first operations of its type in France. Source: Liberty Steel Group, 25 February 2021.

• Rio Tinto, Paul Wurth SA and SHS-Stahl-HoldingSaar GmbH have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to explore the production of a lowcarbon steel feedstock. The partnership will explore the viability of transforming iron ore pellets into low carbon hot briquetted iron using green hydrogen generated from hydro-electricity in Canada. Source: Rio Tinto, 25 February 2021.

• Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland Cliffs, is over the moon with his company, claiming that a year ago its main focus was iron ore, but now it’s the largest flat-rolled steelmaker in North America, following the company’s acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA. He said that Cleveland Cliff’s ‘unique business model’ was the envy of the steel industry and that he couldn’t be more pleased with his newly acquired workforce. The company now employs 25,000 people. Source: WDIO.com, 25 February 2021. www.steeltimesint.com

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• The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL) has announced its 2025 vision for recycling – Zero steel packaging to landfill – as part of Steel for Packaging Week, a virtual event designed to showcase steel as the model material for the 21st century circular economy. Alexis Van Maercke, secretary general of APEAL, said that its 2025 vision will be supported by four key areas of action that will focus on optimising separate waste collection, establishing a scrap quality standard, the collection and sorting of steel closures, and designing for recyclability. Source: APEAL, 25 February 2021.

• ArcelorMittal USA is facing a lawsuit from those overseeing the estate of Brent Elliot Stocker who died from cancer in 2016. Stocker was a welder working inside storage tanks at the company’s Warren plant in Ohio. The plant manufactures coke for the steelmaker’s Cleveland operation. Those representing Mr Elliot claim he was provided with inadequate personal protection equipment and that the steelmaker ‘knowingly and/or deliberately misrepresented the hazards of carcinogenic substances that Elliot was working with. Source: Mahoning Matters, 25 February 2021.

• Equipment enabling the production of 32-ton hot

rolled coil at Metinvest’s hot strip mill 1700 at the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, Mariupol, Ukraine, have been completed. It’s all part of a long-term modernization project designed to improve competitiveness of the company’s flat steel products. Source : Steel Orbis, 25 February 2021.

• Based on preliminary Census Bureau data from the USA, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has released January 2021 imports figures, claiming that the USA imported a total of 2.42Mt (net tons) of steel of which 1.23Mt was finished steel. Total and finished steel imports are up 62.2% and down 7.5% respectively when compared with December 2020. Source: AISI, 25 February 2021

• Nucor Corporation is to build a 120,000 square foot TrueCore manufacturing facility in Brigham City, Utah, USA. The new facility will open in 2022 and will produce insulated wall and roof panels using cutting edge continuous line equipment. TrueCore was acquired by Nucor in 2019. Source: Area Development, 25 February 2021.

March 2021

17/03/2021 14:06:39

• Russian steelmaker MMK has contracted Danieli Automation to upgrade processing lines at the company’s Magnitogorsk facility in the Chelyabinsk Region of Russia. The plan is to implement new process control systems based on virtualized servers and a new HMI application as well as a new Ethernet network infrastructure for galvanising, cut-to-length and colour coating lines. Danieli is doing similar work for MMK’s rolling mills. Source: Steel Guru, 26 February 2021.

• Terminate Section 232 tariffs, says the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU). The organisation wrote to President Joe Biden requesting that he put a stop to tariffs which, CAMMU claims, are damaging US consuming industries, hurting relations with overseas trading partners and are responsible for current steel supply shortages. Source: Steel Orbis, 26 February 2021. March 2021

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NEWS ROUND-UP

• Gerdau, Latin America’s largest producer of long products, is using artificial intelligence to reduce manufacturing costs. The company has dispensed with traditional methods of predicting where potential cost savings could be made and turned to Fero Labs for a more accurate solution based on the use of sensors strategically located throughout the mill. Source: TechTargetNetwork, 26 February 2021.

•The Russian Sibanthracite Group and Baosteel Resources Int, a subsidiary of China’s Baowu Steel Group Corporation, have signed a strategic partnership agreement under which the former will increase its supply of products (PCI coal and high-quality anthracite) to the Chinese company. The Russian company is the only one that has a strategic partnership agreement with China Baowu Steel Group and will additionally provide PCI Siban, a metallurgical coal produced by the Russians since last year and the largest volume supplied as part of the deal. Source: Port News, 1 March 2021.

• Chinese investment in Australia took a nosedive last year as the two countries found themselves locking horns diplomatically and politically. Chinese investment in the land down under dipped 62% and was down almost 94% from a 2016 peak of 16.5 billion Australian dollars (US$12.8 billion). Australia supplies China with much-needed iron ore for its steel mills in addition to wine, timber, beef and coal. With foreign investment rules being tightened by Australia and comments by PM Scott Morrison calling for an international COVID-19 investigation, things haven’t exactly been rosy. Source: Fox 40, 1 March 2021.

• Dr. J J Irani, a former managing director of Tata Steel and Padma Bhushan, was admitted to Tata Main Hospital after collapsing at his bungalow in Beldih Road, Bistupur, India. Dr. Irani served as MD of Tata Steel from 1992 to 2001. Source: Times of India, 2 March 2021.

• German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp will create Canada’s first green hydrogen project, according to an online media report. The plant will be commissioned in late 2023 and will be based on an 88MW water electrolysis facility capable of producing 11,000 metric tons of green hydrogen annually. Source: Gastopower Journal, 2 March 2021.

• China’s three north-eastern provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin, achieved positive economic growth in 2020 despite the global pandemic. The Chinese say it’s a sign of the country’s economic resilience. Five years ago it was known as the ‘rust belt’ with an ageing population, a lack of any discernible talent and falling levels of investment. Ansteel is based in Liaoning. The stateowned steelmaker reported record high profits last year. Source: CCTV.com, 2 March 2021.

www.steeltimesint.com

17/03/2021 14:07:18

NEWS ROUND-UP

• The American Iron and Steel Institute’s president and CEO Kevin Dempsey has applauded Governor Gina Raimondo’s confirmation as US Secretary of Commerce. “We appreciate her commitment to addressing the issues facing the American steel industry, including vigorously enforcing the US trade remedy laws and remaining aggressive in combating unfair trade practices by China and other trading partners,” he said. Source: AISI, 2 March 2021. • With the American Society of Civil Engineers’ recent report giving the state of US infrastructure a pitiable C-minus, US Steel’s CEO David Burritt has entered the fray claiming that the report makes it clear that meaningful infrastructure funding is long overdue. “If Congress and the administration take decisive action and invest in infrastructure, they can create million of jobs, make the domestic supply chain and manufacturing more competitive and save families money,” he said. Source: US Steel, 5 March 2021.

www.steeltimesint.com

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• ArcelorMittal is planning to build a 12Mt/yr steel mill in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. The world’s biggest steelmaker is to make an investment of Rs 500 billion ($6.9 billion). Source: Deccan Herald, 6 March 2021.

• Chinese lawmakers are working on a five-year plan to reduce carbon emissions and it is thought likely that the country’s coal-powered steel producers will take the brunt of the new plan. According to one commentator, ‘the anti-pollution push means that a fall in steel production is unavoidable’. The Chinese government has already announced plans to cut crude steel output this week. Source: Financial Review, 4 March 2021.

• Following its acquisition of Bhushan Power and Steel, Indian steelmaker JSW is set to become ‘the largest and most geographically diverse steelmaker’ in India, according to an online media report. The company will have an installed capacity of 27Mt when it takes over Bhushan’s 2.8Mt Odisha facility and when the 5Mt expansion of the Dolvi facility in Maharashtra is completed. Currently, it is in third place, behind Tata Steel (20.6Mt) and Steel Authority of India Ltd (19.63Mt). Source: Telegraph India, 8 March 2021 .

• Trouble at mill for Liberty Steel Group as Greensill Capital falls into administration; this is a body blow for Sanjeev Gupta, widely touted as ‘the saviour of the British steel industry’, and a big headache for the Government, which has held meetings with the steelmaker’s CEO, John Ferriman. Nationalisation was not on the agenda. Source: BBC.co.uk, 9 March 2021. • The European Parliament has voted on its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) resolution, prior to a legislative proposal expected to be published by the European Commission in June. The resolution passed with a firm majority; Parliamentarians agreed on the principle that the EU’s higher climate ambition requires improved carbon leakage protection. Source: EUROFER, 10 March 2021.

• Geert Van Poelvoorde, formerly CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe (Flat Products) has been appointed CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe, responsible for the full scope of the company’s activities in the region. Mr Van Poelvoorde takes over from Aditya Mittal. Yves Koeberle has been appointed CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe (Flat Products). Mr Van Poelvoorde will work closely with the CEOs of the three segments of ArcelorMittal Europe: Augustine Kochuparampil, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products, Cedric Bouzar, CEO of ArcelorMittal Downstream Solutions and Yves Koeberle, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products. Source: ArcelorMittal, 8 March 2021.

March 2021

17/03/2021 14:08:20

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USA UPDATE

Biden to retain steel tariffs The US steel industry, with its ears close to the ground monitoring the level of steel imports flowing into the country, noted with relief that the downward slide in steel imports also continued in January 2021. Manik Mehta* reports

BASED on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the US imported a total of 2.42Mt (net tons) of steel in January 2021, including 1.23Mt (net tons) of finished steel, down 23.1% and 24.8% respectively compared to January 2020. Total and finished steel imports are up 62.2% but minus 7.5%, respectively, compared to the previous month, December 2020. Despite the easing of the import onslaught, the US steel industry sees imports as a challenge to maintaining a sustained recovery. After all, as industry experts point out, the January 2021 import figures rose by 62.2% over the figures of the previous month, December 2020. Consequently, the AISI applauded the Congressional push to retain the steel tariffs, a legacy from the Trump administration which imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports. Kevin Dempsey, AISI president and CEO, praised members of the Congressional Steel Caucus who had sent a letter to President Joe Biden supporting the retention of tariffs and quotas on imports of foreign steel. In a statement, Dempsey welcomed the acknowledgment by the Steel Caucus that the steel industry is, again, making new investments in expansion

and modernization following the import restrictions, and ‘our global leadership in the production of sustainable steel products, will be at risk if the existing tariffs and quotas do not remain in place. Steel is key to helping America build back better our economy by promoting American manufacturing and the jobs it supports. We stand ready to work with these members of Congress and others to address the global trade distortions in steel that continue to threaten the steel industry and its workers.’ Cases of such new investments present a strong argument to press the retention of the steel tariffs. US Steel Corporation started production at its brand-new facility in Fairfield, Alabama, using an electric arc furnace hailed as a ‘game changer in steel

production because it is the latest and cleanest steelmaking technology, and will produce 1.6Mt of steel a year. Nucor Steel began with the construction of a new steel-plate mill in Brandenburg, Kentucky, while in the earlier part of summer 2020, Commercial Metals Company announced plans to build a second rebar steel mill in Mesa, Arizona. Both plants, experts say, will create the badly-needed job opportunities for workers. The 25% steel tariff was imposed in 2018 by the Trump administration under Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1962 using national security consideration. The tariffs have led to a rise in steel investment and a shift to using the latest technologies creating new jobs for thousands of new steelworkers.

* USA correspondent www.steeltimesint.com

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March 2021

17/03/2021 06:54:01

USA UPDATE

The US steel sector’s big fear is the market being swamped by cheap foreign steel, mainly from China. The Chinese steel industry accounted for some 53% of global production in 2019. China’s steel production is supported by massive government subsidies, facilitating millions of tons of steel being dumped in foreign markets, including the US, where the steelmakers find it extremely difficult to compete. President Biden’s administration sees tariffs as a valuable policy tool, the US Trade Representative nominee, Katherine Tai, told lawmakers at her recent confirmation hearing. “Tariffs are a very important part of our fair trade remedies toolbox,” Tai told the Senate Finance Committee, suggesting that the new US team on commerce policy did not plan to completely reverse the hardline stance of the Trump administration. “We have to acknowledge that we have ... a very significant global marketplace problem in the steel and aluminium markets that are driven primarily by China’s overcapacity,” Tai said. “But it’s not just a China problem.” Tai said she would work to ensure that China meets its commitments under a January 2020 trade accord between Beijing and Washington. The Biden administration also faces tremendous pressure from the steel industry, with some steel company executives urging the government not to roll back the tariffs which had been an effective way to curb foreign dumping practices. US Steel’s president and CEO David Burritt, said this was not the time to roll back the tariffs which checked China’s steel exports. “We have always said we can compete

with anyone on a level playing field. It’s very clear we haven’t had that level playing field. Section 232 [tariffs] were necessary. The steel that would come from China – the illegal steel that would come from China – would find its way into Europe and then into the US,” Burritt was quoted as saying on Yahoo Finance Live. According to Burritt, the risk lay at the borders where greater enforcement was needed. He maintained that steel coming from Europe might actually be from Asia and find its way into the US market. That was the ‘real danger’. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal launched a major expansion project that would add an electric arc furnace to the AM/NS Calvert steel mill located north of Mobile, Alabama. The mill is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel-Sumitomo Metals. ArcelorMittal announced that ‘a small gathering of internal leadership’ had held a groundbreaking on 2 February for the project, which it valued at $775 million, a significant rise over the $500 million previously offered by the company. The mill mainly processes millions of tons of slab steel into coil steel annually for use by various industries, including automotive. A large part of the slab steel, estimated at nearly 3.8Mt in 2019, is imported through the Pinto Island Steel Terminal in Mobile. Not much information is available from AM/NS on the nature of the expansion planned, but an official of the Alabama State Port Authority had forewarned in the past that Pinto Island was running at or near capacity, implying that the steel mill could face expansion constraints unless incoming slabs were available. The AM/ NS project – an electric arc furnace – is

capable of producing 1.5Mt of slab steel to feed the mill, and ‘one that can deliver’, as one analyst put it. According to local sources, construction could take 24 months. The company expects the expansion to create 200 direct and 100 indirect jobs. The AM/NS Calvert mill was originally built for $4 billion by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp. However, it was later acquired by ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel Corp. as a joint venture in 2014. The partners have reported investing more than $200 million in development since then. There is, of course, the flip side of the tariffs which, some critics claim, have increased steel prices and squeezed the profits of steel-consuming industries. “Our members have been reporting that they have never seen such chaos in the steel market,” said Paul Nathanson, executive director at Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU). The group, which represents more than 30,000 companies in the manufacturing sector and downstream supply chains, has called on President Biden to roll back Trump’s metal tariffs. In a letter sent to President Biden, CAMMU said that the Trump tariffs “…have hurt small, family-owned manufacturers and the communities in which they built their businesses, while fracturing relations with overseas trading partners and spurring a frenzy of retaliatory trade measures – with little to nothing to show for it at home.” “The domestic steel industry, which believes the tariffs should remain in place, fails to understand that, without US steelconsuming manufacturers to buy their steel products, any misperceived advantage derived from the tariffs will be useless if their customers go out of business because of high steel prices and lack of supply,” the letter states. �

March 2021

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LATIN AMERICA UPDATE

Peruvian steel in turmoil

In 2020, Peru experienced a combination of strident political and COVID-19 problems. Obviously, the pandemic is a worldwide issue, but having three Presidents in just 10 days is definitely a peculiar (and negative) situation. By Germano Mendes de Paula* PERU is an Andean country of 33 million people, which is well known for the former Inca Empire and the exuberance of Machu Picchu. Underpinned by mineral exports (being the world’s second-largest producer of copper), the country has experienced a reasonable economic performance along the 2010-2019 period, with a 4.5% GDP CAGR. Peruvian mining exports amounted to nearly $28.7bn in 2019, accounting for 60.1% of Peru’s total value of exports that year. Regarding politics, in 20 years, all seven Presidents have fallen from grace. Four spent time in jail, the oldest of whom, Alberto Fujimori, is still there, and one, Alan García, committed suicide when the police arrived to arrest him. In common, there was strong evidence of corruption. More recently, Martín Vizcarra, former governor of a remote province, assumed the presidency in 2018 because he was the deputy of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who resigned over a vote-buying scandal. According to the political risk consultancy Eurasia, in November 2020: “Vizcarra, an understated anti-corruption crusader, was popular with the Peruvian public, but not

with a fragmented Congress wary of his efforts to crack down on graft and limit their power. For context, more than half of Peru’s congress members are currently under investigation for crimes ranging from money laundering to homicide”.

Vizcarra, following allegations that he had taken bribes years ago as a province governor, was impeached on 8 November 2020. He was replaced by the unpopular President of Congress, Manuel Merino, who briefly served as the President for five days, between 10 and 15 November 2020. Eurasia stressed that: “The vote to remove Vizcarra and replace him with the President of Congress, Manuel Merino, touched off mass protests over what looked to many

Peruvians like a congressional coup. When police killed several demonstrators, Merino and his cabinet resigned on Sunday 15 November 2020), leaving no one in charge until Monday evening on 16 November, when lawmakers were able to agree that Congressman Francisco Sagasti – a 76-year old centrist technocrat with a post at the World Bank on his resume – should take the helm”. Sagasti took over on 17 November 2020 and is guiding the nation until presidential elections, the first round of which is scheduled for 11 April 2021. It is a wide open election, with a record of 22 candidates, and may result in the triumph of a political outsider, as Peruvians seem sick of the same old faces. An Ipsos poll on Peru’s forthcoming election released in late January 2021, shows George Forsyth, a former football goalkeeper as the leader of the race with a 17% intention, followed by Keiko Fujimori, with 8%, who is daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori. THE COVID-19 Peru has experienced an unsatisfactory performance dealing with the pandemic,

* Professor in Economics, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. E-mail: germano@ufu.br www.steeltimesint.com

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March 2021

18/03/2021 14:04:48

LATIN AMERICA UPDATE

Fig 1. Peruvian crude steel production (kt). Source Alacero

although in line with some South American peers. Based on Worldometers, on 5 February 2021 data, Peru has 1,165,052 cases, which is equivalent to 35,045 cases per million population and that is 20.5% lower than Brazil. It registered 41,753 deaths, or 1,256 deaths per million inhabitants, which is 17.1% higher than Brazil. It tested 19.5% of its population, against 13.4% in Brazil. The option to compare with Brazil instead of the world average refers to the fact that the latter seems underestimated because of data provided by China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Peru, vaccination had not started as of 5 February 2021. Indeed, the first batch of vaccines (1 million doses) was expected to be on 7 February 2021, provided by Sinopharm, after which phase 1 of vaccination should start. Covax Facility vaccines (for 1.8 million doses) are expected to be delivered late in Q1 2021. Astrazeneca vaccines are waiting to be distributed in September 2021. The country acquired 38 million doses from Sinopharm, 14 million from AstraZeneca and 13.2 million from Covax Facility. The total amount is sufficient for 99% of the population, but according to the Economist, Peru’s widespread vaccination coverage will be achieved only in mid2022, similar to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, but in advance of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. The steel business UBS forecasts that Peruvian GDP dropped 12.5% last year and will improve by 10.1% in 2021 and 4.3% in 2022. It is estimated that construction is responsible for roughly 70% of steel demand in the country. Fitch Solutions, for its part, claims that Peruvian construction contracted by 16.6% in 2020 and will be followed by an enlargement of 17.2% in 2021 and an average growth of 2.8% between 2022 and 2025. Fig 1 shows Peruvian crude steel March 2021

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Fig 2. Peruvian rolled steel production (kt). Source Alacero

Fig 4. Peruvian rolled steel imports (kt). Source: Alacero

Fig 5. Peruvian steel apparent consumption (kt). S: Alacero

Fig 3. Peruvian rolled steel exports (kt). Source: Alacero

production in 2019 and 2020. It has a clear “V shape”, emphasising a null output in April and May, due to government determination to halt production. The recovery was fairly fast, as November 2020’s level was marginally higher than the same month of the previous year, maybe beneficiated by the fact that all steel production is based on EAFs. Considering 2020 as whole, production diminished 40.6%. Similar shape and rate reductions are observed regarding rolled steel in Fig 2. For the sake of comparison, in 2020, copper production in Peru plunged 12.5%, gold dipped 32% and zinc was down 5.3%. Fig 3 demonstrates that exports of rolled steel performed poorly for most of 2020. Taken into consideration the first 11 months of 2020, exports plummeted 33.6% yearon-year. Simultaneously, imports of rolled steel were more resilient, as they were only 6.2% lower year-on-year (Fig 4). Apparent consumption experienced a less pronounced drop than crude steel production (Fig 5). In November 2020, for instance, its level was 12.7% higher than the respective month of 2019. Bearing the first 11 months in mind, there was a 25.5% retraction year-on-year, which was similar to what was observed with the cement industry (a 24.5% diminution). In the context of COVID-19, the governmental determination to stop steel production temporarily, the shrinking GDP and political turmoil, just to survive seems to be a good outcome. Aceros Arequipa, one of two steel companies fabricating steel in the country (the other is Gerdau Siderperu), is concluding a large project to install a $207 million, 1.25Mt/yr EAF at is Pisco plant. It is expected to be operational in April-May this year, boosting melt capacity to 2.1Mt/yr. Rolling capacity will be maintained at 1.25Mt/yr. This investment will allow not only the substitution of billets imports, but also the increase of exports to the Americas. � www.steeltimesint.com

18/03/2021 14:05:05

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INNOVATIONS

Primetals wins major thyssenkrupp contract operations continue and will be connected to the production network from late summer 2023. The hot strip mill will include proven as well as innovative and energy-efficient solutions in the new roughing train, an upgraded finishing train with, it is claimed, a highly innovative downstream strip cooling section, and new automation and process models. Comprehensive Industry 4.0 solutions, such as integrated process optimization and quality monitoring across the facilities, will enhance the viability of the overall project. According to Arnd Köfler: “The reconfiguration of this area will enable us to achieve higher quality and better utilize the capacity of our upstream melt shop by increasing our casting and rolling capacities. This will further improve the overall performance of our production network at a central point with lasting positive effects also on the security of supply for our customers.” A further unit to be built under the forthcoming measures is continuous caster 3. It will replace the existing continuous caster 1 at the Beeckerwerth plant in Duisburg and provide improved surface quality. It will be built after the revamp of the casting-rolling line in 2024.

Following the recent approval of investment funds, the German steelmaker thyssenkrupp is pushing ahead with implementation of projects under its Strategy 20-30. The greater part of the contracts – revamping the casting-rolling line, rebuilding an existing continuous caster, (both in Duisburg) and constructing a new double reversing mill in Bochum – have been awarded to Primetals Technologies. Bernhard Osburg, CEO of thyssenkrupp Steel, commented: “We are implementing the approved investment projects immediately in order to achieve the associated positive portfolio effects as quickly as possible. In Primetals Technologies we are delighted to have an excellent partner at our side for the implementation of the forthcoming major projects.” Satoru Iijima, CEO of Primetals Technologies added: “We are delighted to be supporting thyssenkrupp in realizing its forward-looking strategy.” Olaf Meininghaus, key account manager for thyssenkrupp at Primetals, said that the contract marked a new high point in what he called the ‘decades long’ co-operation between the two companies, which he said was ‘on a scale rarely found anywhere in the world’. All the new-build and revamp measures will be completed by the end of 2024, according to thyssenkrupp, and they represent an investment ‘in the high three-digit million range’. Presumably we’re talking Euros. ThyssenKrupp says that the centerpiece of what it calls ‘the quality offensive at thyssenkrupp March 2021

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Steel’ is the separation of the casting-rolling line at the steelmaker’s Bruckhausen plant, and transforming it into a new continuous caster and hot strip mill with new key components. The existing 20-year-old unit, it is claimed, has integrated casting and rolling sections. “Its quality capabilities are no longer sufficient to meet future customer requirements,” claims thyssenkrupp. The company’s chief operating officer, Dr. Arnd Köfler, commented: “The interface between our upstream operations and hot strip production is a core element of our integrated production network. We are now making this area fit for the next generation. By separating and rebuilding the casting and rolling sections, we can further enhance our capabilities for high-strength steels and premium finishes. By splitting off the rolling section into a separate hot strip mill we will also make our slab production more flexible.” Keeping things moving The plan is for the new and revamped units to be installed with minimum disruption to production. Many major components will be manufactured in advance and then installed while some existing plant parts will be integrated into the new units, such as the ladle turret, which will be used to supply liquid steel from the melt shop to the new continuous caster. The switch from the existing casting section of the casting-rolling line to the new continuous caster will be carried out from September 2023. The new hot strip mill – the biggest construction measure under the investment package – will be prepared while

High strength and electrical steels Primetals has also been awarded the contract to build a double reversing mill at the Bochum site. The plant on Essener Strasse will be expanded into a centre of excellence for e-mobility over the next few years. Here, too, the trend is towards ever thinner and high-silicon materials, which place increased demands on cold rolling technology. According to thyssenkrupp, the new double reversing stand will meet these demands and significantly enhance the site’s capabilities for non-oriented electrical steel. With its back and forth (reversing) action, the mill will be able to roll thin materials, which is important for sheet used in electric motors and generators as it minimizes magnetic losses. “The individual measures of Strategy 20-30 will mesh together,” Dr. Köfler explained. “Material for the new double reversing mill will be supplied from the new hot strip mill 4. In this way we will exploit quality improvements throughout the process chain in order to excel, for example, with high-strength multi-phase steels or the optimized electrical steel of the future.” Investments support portfolio offensive as part of steel strategy 20-30 According to thyssenkrupp, the measures now commissioned form an essential basis for the successful implementation of its steel strategy. “With the biggest investment package under our Strategy 20-30, we are moving onto the offensive in order to maintain and strengthen our position as leader in key growth and focus segments,” said Osburg: “Our customers will require different and better products in the future: lower www.steeltimesint.com

18/03/2021 08:37:21

INNOVATIONS

Contracts awarded for investments in core units at the Duisburg and Bochum sites

tolerances, increased crash safety requirements, steel for more powerful electric motors. The investments in our facilities will enable us to meet these requirements. Moreover, our customers will not have to do without any of their accustomed products for the duration of the conversion and construction work.” Osburg said that, as part of thyssenkrupp’s transformation to producing climate-neutral steel, the company will also be able to offer new high-quality green steel grades in the future.”

2021

2024/2025

cc1 in Duisburg Bruckhausen

New cc3 in Duisburg bruckhausen

Construction of a new continuous caster 3 (CC3) as future replacement for continuous caster 1 (CC1) in Duisburg with key metallurgical advantages.

CC1

CC3

Roughing stand

Continuous Slab Hot strip mill Continuous Slab Hot strip mill caster caster Blast furnace

Melt shops

Separation of the Casting rolling mill (CRM) into a new continuous caster 4 (CC4) and a new hot strip mill 4 (HSM 4) in Duisburg to further enhance slab and hot-rolled quality and increase flexibility of the production network; the new double reversing mill in Bochum will also be supplied from this line.

CRM

The construction of a new double reversing mill in addition to the tandem line at the Bochum cold rolling mill serves to extend the portfolio of high-strength steel grades and steels for e-mobility.

Cold rolling mill

Coating

Double reversing mill

CC 4 + HSM 4

For further information, log on to www.primetals.com

Roughing stand

Casting rolling mill

Upstream operations

Continuous Slab Hot strip mill caster

Hot strip production

Cold rolling and coating

Next generation stamp charging coke oven technology for China Xinxing Ductile Pipe Company of Handan City, Hebei Province, China, has contracted Luxembourg-based Paul Wurth Group, part of the SMS group, to supply engineering services, coke oven machines and SOPRECO valves for two ‘jumbo’ coke oven batteries. The Chinese company, which built the coke oven batteries, is relying upon Paul Wurth’s stamp charging technology, claims Paul Wurth. Paul Wurth will also provide engineering services for the construction of two new stampcharged coke oven batteries for another Chinese company, Shandong Province Metallurgical Engineering Company. The batteries will feature 69 ovens each with an oven height of 6.73m and are designed for a gross production of 1.9Mt/ yr of coke. This project, says Paul Wurth, is part

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of the Chinese government’s environmental programme to reduce emissions generated by coking plants. The batteries’ environmental performance will be significantly enhanced, it is claimed, by the installation of Paul Wurth’s SOPRECO® system for single oven pressure control and reduction of fugitive emissions. Start-up of the plant is expected in Q3 2021. For the same project, Paul Wurth has secured its first order for stamping-charging-pushing (SCP) machines in China since KOCH Industrieanlagen became a part of Paul Wurth’s cokemaking portfolio in 2018. Paul Wurth will be involved in all of the engineering work on the new 6.73m SCP machines and will supply its stamping systems as part of a key equipment package to Zhangjiagang Changli

Machinery Co., Ltd, the business responsible for manufacturing, erection and commissioning of both SCP machines at the new Jumbo coke oven batteries of Xinxing Ductile Pipe, in Hebei Province. The timeline anticipates a first pushing of coke by the end of August 2021. According to Paul Wurth, these orders represent a significant market breakthrough and a reference of utmost importance, considering the increasing market share of stamp charging technology in China and the numerous projects likely to materialise in the near future.

For further information, log on to www.paulwurth.com

March 2021

18/03/2021 08:37:26

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INNOVATIONS

Chinese pipe works chooses SMS group SINOPEC Shashi Steel Pipe Works in China has placed an order with German plant builder SMS group for the supply of a spiral pipe plant for its Jingzhou facility. The plant will be designed for both submerged arc and MAG (Metal Active Gas) welding. The company is planning to process higher material grades with the new plant and boost productivity. It hopes to achieve this due to a stable forming process and what SMS group describes as ‘the perfect arc technology’, apparently offering energy savings of up to 30%. When the plant is up and running, it will produce spiral tubes for oil and gas applications within the 508mm (20 inch) to 2,032mm (80 inch) diameter range and a maximum wall thickness of 25.4mm (1 inch) and a length of 15 metres. Both online and offline pipe production will be possible, claims SMS group, and after forming, the pipe can be either directly finish-welded on the machine (online) or tack-welded at a three-to-four-times higher speed and then finish-welded later on separate finish-welding stands (offline). Industry 4.0 technologies will be employed for production planning and management and will provide data in real time. It will also include the very latest of automation systems, including Siemens TIA (Total Integrated Automation) and digitally controlled processes to enhance production flexibility. Perfect arc welding technology includes features to record and evaluate the measurement data. The latest current source technology with insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power electronics, which control the weld, is fully dig-

italised and achieves consistent welding results with a reduced heat input. Qi Suo, president of SINOPEC Shashi Steel Pipe Works, said that the plant has been producing pipes ‘of excellent quality’ for many years and that there has always been a very strong argument for investing in spiral pipe plant from SMS group. “We trust in SMS group’s expertise and expect an accordingly high quality from the new plant. The company has been operating a plant for

the production of longitudinally welded large-diameter pipes from SMS since 2002. Plans to extend the plant and include separate finish-welding stands are on the cards for a later date, ensuring that the plant is ready to meet future demand from the market. Equipment for the new plant will be supplied during Q3 2021 and commissioned in Q4. For further information, log on to www.sms-group.com

Handheld XRF analyser for elemental detection The new Thermo Scientific Niton XL5 Plus handheld XRF analyzer helps businesses mitigate risk through the use of x-ray fluorescence technology by providing lab quality elemental analysis directly in the field. The Niton XL5 Plus is the smallest and lightest portable XRF analyzer on the market and weighs 2.8lbs. It provides users with greater accessibility in hard-to-manoeuvre workspaces while reducing operator fatigue. Featuring enhanced software and improved detector technology, the Niton XL5 Plus provides unprecedented analytical performance and accuracy when analyzing light elements and heavy metals. The versatility of the Niton XL5 Plus makes it an ideal tool for numerous applications where elemental analysis is needed. “Inspection personnel tasked with material verification or contaminant detection are faced with constant pressure to provide quick and accurate analysis. A challenging task when considering the often harsh or remote environments that these www.steeltimesint.com

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professionals work in,” said Chloe Hansen-Toone, vice president and general manager with Thermo Fisher’s field and safety instruments business. “With the Niton XL5 Plus, we’ve made significant advancements to our legacy handheld XRF analyzer that improves the accuracy and accessibility of data, empowering operators to make insightful decisions that enable a safer worksite.” As a go-to resource for organizations in a variety of industrial settings, the Niton XL5 Plus features new detector protection to mitigate the risk of damage to the detector window. This greatly enhances the durability of the XRF analyzer, particularly in recycling and scrap metal settings where punctures from sharp objects is common. As a result, operators can avoid costly repairs and enjoy an extended product lifetime.

For further information, log on to www.thermofisher.com/NitonXL5Plus

March 2021

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ENVIRONMENT

The new climate champion?

Not too long ago, if you tried to talk to someone inside or outside of the steel industry about ‘green steel’ or ‘clean steel’ you mostly got blank stares, furrowed brows, and the occasional, “Oh, I know all about recycled steel.” But fast forward to now and it’s a different story as the steel industry forges ahead with a number of big initiatives that might well make it the new climate champion. By Margaret Hansbrough*

FAST forward to today, and about 74% of the global steel market falls under a company or nationwide carbon neutral or net zero emission commitment. That number includes China, Japan, and Europe’s commitments and ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel, and POSCO commitments – all of which were made official in the last three months. In fact, it is safe to say that the race to zero emissions in steel has begun. Although the near-term details are still vague and much remains to be determined, the steel industry’s burgeoning commitment to carbon neutrality is a monumental and positive shift. The state of play So, what happened to drive this change? Let us look back. Broadly speaking, climate change is increasingly being viewed as a top-level, existential threat, and the real-time effects

are being felt by individuals and businesses alike. Recent reports by the UN IPCC and other major bodies forecast natural disasters of biblical proportions and major global disruption. We all watched as climate-driven wildfires and hurricanes have dislocated millions, and youth and activist movements are gaining steam. That growing public call to action is resulting in specific demands of steel companies and other manufacturers. From local ‘Buy Clean’ legislation in California to robust and interlocking comprehensive industrial decarbonization policy on the table in Europe, to architects around the world declaring climate emergency, to carbon neutrality pledges from automakers like Volkswagen – demand for clean steel is growing by the day. Building on this growing consumer demand, other market transformation efforts are bearing fruit. Just a year

ago, the cross sector global standard and certification body Responsible Steel launched and includes companies like ArcelorMittal, BlueScope, Tata Steel, Daimler, BWM, and Lendlease among others. This voluntary initiative provides the entry point for companies across the steel value chain to align toward the same climate, human rights, and environmental goals and standards that will define what clean and responsible steel will look like across the market. The pace at which breakthrough technology for steelmaking is moving complements all this. The viability of hydrogen, the best alternative in the long term to replacing coal for key aspects of production, is growing rapidly, aided by cheap renewable electricity, hungry investors, and its potential use in a variety of high-emission industries from steel to transport to power.

*Director, Mighty Earth. Website: www.mightyearth.org www.steeltimesint.com

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March 2021

17/03/2021 06:59:48

Our goal, help our clients produce sustainably Producing without destroying. Helping our clients to focus on quality & performance, while minimizing the use of resources, energy and emissions throughout the lifecycle of the metal processing equipment & lines that we supply.

The Continuous Annealing & Hot Strip Galvanizing Lines recently supplied to one of India’s leading steelmakers, JSW and the Chinese steel giant Shougang, are prominent examples of our desire to provide efficient responses to the needs of our clients.

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16/10/20 08:32

ENVIRONMENT

Even the devastating global pandemic has cast new opportunity. Suddenly, governments are eager to issue relief and stimulus dollars toward major decarbonization efforts. The lockdowns have given people around the world a glimpse of what it is like to live with cleaner air and water as well as a moment of pause as we all saw how quickly our global supply chains can be destabilized by unforeseen crisis. And the irony is, one of the unintended consequences of President Trump’s chaotic trade war was that it helped push China (responsible for half of all steel production and consumption) to reduce some overcapacity from some of its dirtiest steel plants. Overcapacity in the market has long been a sticky issue when it comes to tackling emissions. However, long-lasting declines in China are still elusive, as recent production increases are causing experts to call this trend a ‘high carbon’ COVID recovery. Left untamed, heavy industrial emissions will make up the bulk of emissions by 2030. And within the broader industry, the iron and steel sector has an outsized carbon footprint – producing around 7% of global emissions. The time to act is now. Planning for carbon neutrality: A primer These signals are enormously promising. But it is early days, and these pledges need major political and financial capital behind them to become a reality, and that starts with compelling and aggressive public plans. These strategic plans for www.steeltimesint.com

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steel companies to achieve and implement carbon neutrality over the next 30 years will have to account for both near-term, dramatic emissions declines by 2030 as well as longer-term carbon reductions.

What will success look like? We have a good checklist for what these plans should include. • One, three, five, and 10-year sciencebased targets calibrated to a 1.5 deg C trajectory for the entire steel industry. Reduction targets will need to be in the range of 49-65% reduction by 2030 if they are to align with remaining global carbon budgets. • A just and equitable transition for the workforce to shift toward low and zero carbon jobs across the value chain. • Amends for communities directly harmed by localized industrial pollution. • A near and mid-term plan to address the steel industry’s outsized impact on global climate emissions through restoration and conservation of carbon and

bio-diverse rich ecosystems. • Explicit end to alliances with climate dodging companies in the political arena and formally aligning with aggressive climate agendas around the world. • Public support for a green recovery that ties corporate climate emissions reductions to economic recovery funds in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and helps lock out future climate pollution from our global economic recovery. • Support for Responsible Steel and other market transformation mechanisms. • Reducing over-production. Trade and technology development deals should hinge on agreements between nations to create a strategic and phased approach to reducing fossil fuel use in heavy industry, especially steel, and sharing of breakthrough technology. There are no winners and losers in the climate crisis, there are only losers. We are in this together. But the biggest steel producers have the biggest responsibility on this front. Reinventing steel, again Coal lies at the heart of steelmaking, but this will have to change. Just a few decades ago, recycling scrap steel and melting it with huge amounts of electricity seemed disruptive, now it is 30% of the global market and expanding each year. The reality is, steel is always pushing for greater material and energy efficiency, because it saves money. Reinvention is something steel is good at. And before anyone thinks ‘what about biochar’ for steel production – have you seen the state of our forests lately? Burning forests that currently sequester more carbon than we can comprehend and are home to most of the world’s biodiversity is not an option. International Energy Agency models may point to bioenergy as a viable alternative, but the agency has no accounting for the catastrophic impacts that kind of shift would have on ecosystems already on the brink of collapse. If you have been paying attention, it has been a hot couple of years in emerging technology for steel. A few encouraging highlights to note include: • One of the most exciting projects globally is HYBRIT, a public-private partnership in Europe that is working to bring fossil-free steel to the market by 2026. This unique venture recently also announced that LKAB, which produces highly upgraded iron ore products, will March 2021

17/03/2021 06:59:54

ENVIRONMENT

dramatically ramp up investments in this new technology which uses hydrogen to displace coal. Iron production is one of the most carbon-intensive parts of steelmaking. • A look at IEA data reveals hundreds of breakthrough technology projects are in the pipeline in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and the Middle East. With some of the ones that are furthest along for steelmaking specifically based in Europe aided by policy and venture philanthropy from the likes of Bill Gates. • Plummeting prices and projections for clean electricity have also proven to be a game changer for a company like Nucor Corporation which uses EAF production and is buying up wind and solar. Few industries are as complex as steel. A silver lining to look to is also the inherently collaborative culture within the industry. From engineers, to metallurgists, to plant managers, and executives— the workforce genuinely enjoys learning and collaborating, even with their fiercest competitors. This is exactly the culture that is capable of accelerating climate action and industry transformation. Global markets, global climate solutions It has been a busy year in steel mergers and acquisitions and if you read the market right, the moves have everything to do with climate risk and opportunity. Here are a few events to note that illustrate this point. • In 2019, China’s Baowu Steel bought a majority stake in Mashann Steel, which is apparently in line with larger nationwide plans for major steel industry consolidation that should reduce over production and take some of the dirtiest plants offline. • In 2019 and finalized in 2020, Nippon Steel and ArcelorMittal bought bankrupt Essar Steel in India which is now named AM-NS India. This move could cut both ways as under the Paris Climate Agreement, India has a longer timeline to reduce industrial emissions than Europe and Japan, but with both parent companies now committed to carbon neutrality there is considerable leverage for investors and creditors to demand comprehensive plans for how those commitments will manifest in this joint venture. • Cleveland Cliffs acquired both AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA in the last year, which will likely make it the top March 2021

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steel producer in the United States. With ArcelorMittal unloading its US assets for cash and stock, they can more effectively manage the climate risk to their portfolio. • Last year Nucor brought on a new CEO, Leon Topalian, and recent statements and signals from the company, which had seemed intractable on climate just a year ago, show that any company can shift if the conditions are right. Nucor’s growing consumption of renewable electricity and dominance in the scrap market positions the company well to win in a race toward a zero-carbon steel market, but Nucor has yet to make a definitive public commitment toward carbon neutrality unlike some of its bigger rivals. Companies are not just decarbonizing their products and facilities; they are trying to figure out how to decarbonize their business strategy. The number one question each company needs to ask itself is how they will decouple their success from fossil fuels. It may seem confounding at first glance, but it is more than possible, it is actually happening. Beyond steel, we need to see the same kind of growing ambition in cement, paper, chemicals, and other industrial products – which all told are responsible for a staggering 40% of global emissions when the full scope is considered. This is a ripe moment as governments around the world are undertaking dramatic Covid-19 recovery efforts that could double down on solutions to the climate crisis. Should heavy industry and governments fail to grasp this

opportunity, that inaction would lock in a path to climate disaster. The future of steel: clean electrification and green recovery The hockey great Wayne Gretsky always said, “Skate to where the puck is going to be.” In other words, anticipate. For the steel industry, that means betting big on clean electrification and clean industrial technology and shifting away from fossil fuels. The future for steel will be in wind turbines, commuter trains, light-weight electric vehicle car frames and not in oil pipelines or fracking infrastructure. But this also means there is a clearer opportunity for steel in a carbon neutral planet than for any other industrial material. Steel’s indispensable role means the industry will not disappear, but it must change. A notable example of this coming full circle is with the former fossil fuel company Ørsted. For decades they sold oil, now they sell wind energy. With the launch of the Steel Zero Initiative in December, Ørsted along with dozens of other major consumers of steel signaled they are ready to buy and buy in big with steel producers who can offer them the lowest emission steel products and a pathway to carbon neutrality. And as in any business, the customer is always right. Steel’s climate risk is still growing though, and the stakes have never been higher. Good things are happening, but not yet big enough or fast enough to beat the climate clock. � www.steeltimesint.com

17/03/2021 06:59:57

ENVIRONMENT

Driving energy efficiency and sustainability Clean external environment of steelmaking plant

High-efficiency motors combined with variable speed drives (VSDs) have a crucial role to play in reducing iron and steel plant energy costs and meeting environmental targets. Pasi Mannisto* examines these issues from the perspective of motor and drive specialist ABB.

* Global segment manager, metals, for drives at ABB. March 2021

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www.steeltimesint.com

17/03/2021 07:02:00

ENVIRONMENT

SUSTAINABILITY is the number one challenge facing this industry over the next 20 or so years, as envisioned in Metals 20401 – a report jointly published by Aalto University and ABB. Its authors paint a clear picture of a technologically advanced and sustainably managed world and set out the changes necessary to maintain success in it. According to the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC)2 in 2019, iron and steel companies were emitting a massive 2.3 Gt of carbon each year – accounting for 7% of today’s total global carbon emissions. The Iron and Steel Technology Roadmap3 published in 2020 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that steel industry emissions must be cut by at least 50% between now and 2050 to meet global energy and climate goals. Additional pressures in the form of carbon taxes and increased energy and fuel prices threaten the profitability of businesses. In response, they need to look for more efficient and sustainable solutions in every aspect of their operations – including their use of electric motors. Motor-related improvements According to a US report4 motor-driven equipment uses around 7% of the industry’s overall energy consumption. Therefore, its contribution to CO2 emissions may seem small compared to that of blast furnaces, for instance, but it is still significant. Furthermore, a large proportion of the energy consumed by these motors is wasted – in some extreme cases as much as 70%. Here there are opportunities to make readily achievable gains. The scope for change is very wide, as electric motors are found in many applications within iron and steel plants. Examples include hot and cold rolling mills, blowers, fans, pumps, compressors, roller tables, conveyors and other materials handling systems such as overhead cranes. Importantly, these motors should be controlled by variable speed drives (VSDs) to maximise their operating efficiency. An essential advantage of this arrangement relates to the fact that in applications such as centrifugal pumps and fans, the motor’s power consumption is proportional to the cube of its speed, while there is a quadratic relationship between the speed and torque. By matching speed to actual demand, rather than running the motor at full speed all the time, huge savings can be made. A fan or pump, for example, can be precisely www.steeltimesint.com

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regulated to deliver the required flow at any given moment. In practice, cost reductions of anything up to 60% have been achieved, with payback sometimes taking less than a year. By avoiding unnecessarily high speeds, and smoothing out start-ups, VSDs also reduce wear and mechanical stress on machinery – and hence save on maintenance, repair and downtime expenses. When selecting motor and drive combinations, buyers should consider build quality and reliability, along with efficiency, as keys to lowering lifetime costs. In addition, choosing those with the most accurate control and dynamic performance will optimise processes and productivity. Suppliers can offer off-the-shelf drives ranging from small, low voltage (LV) units to multi-megawatt, medium voltage (MV) products, as well as customised solutions where necessary. Taking an holistic approach Conserving energy is always good for business profitability. When the energy saved would have been generated by burning fossil fuels, there is a consequent planet-friendly reduction in CO2 emissions and carbon footprint. It also makes sense to make the most efficient use of energy, even when the needs of an industrial plant can be met entirely from renewable resources. Because more green energy is then available to other users, so less generation from fossil fuels is needed elsewhere. On top of its climate-related benefits, this also lowers the levels of harmful airborne sulphur and nitrogen oxides, particulates and other pollutants. Another holistic consideration relevant to electric equipment is that anything which extends its lifetime – such as applying VSDs – reduces energy expenditure and emissions associated with manufacturing replacements. An additional commercial bonus is that all of these gains can contribute positively to a company’s environmentally friendly image, corporate social responsibility credentials and public relations. Improving energy efficiency is one of the main sustainability issues and trends which will help reduce this industry’s CO2 emissions, environmental impacts and climate effects. Some others include: switching to renewable energy sources, like solar and wind; moving from coal to hydrogen; and capture, reuse and storage

of carbon. Since CO2 emissions are now becoming tradeable, there may even be possibilities to open up new revenue streams through carbon reduction. Just as electric motors and drives permeate all processes and equipment in an iron or steel plant, their manufacturers have connections with every issue related to them. That is why ABB is involved in studies, projects and developments in each of the fields mentioned and is developing products and expertise to support them. Sustainable advances Distribution and supply of electricity generated by wind and sun requires electrification technology. Specific needs include high-power rectifiers for the powerful electric arc furnaces which will become increasingly common. As an example of what is possible, Nucor is currently working on what will be the first steel plant in the US to run on wind energy. The micromill in Sedalia, Missouri, will be supplied with renewable electricity from sources including a new wind farm. Its electric arc furnaces will melt scrap steel, from which recycled steel rebar will be produced. In another example, in September 2019, Xcel Energy, EVRAZ North America, and Lightsource bp announced that they had formed an innovative long-term partnership to develop the 300 MW Bighorn Solar project in Pueblo, Colorado, in order to power the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel mill facility. It will be North America’s first solarpowered steel mill. Electric motors and drives maximise efficiency across all the processes involved in the HYBRIT initiative (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology), in Sweden, which aims to develop the first fossil-free steel from iron ore. The processes in this or any similar operation require handling and transport of solids (including ores and steel), liquids (including water) and gases (including hydrogen). ABB’s support in relation to capturing, reusing and storing carbon focuses largely on provision of copper-based catalysis technology – a field in which it has many years of experience. The company also works with compressor OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) producing equipment used in liquefying CO2. Drives are a good place to start The IEA’s roadmap3 says that carbon capture, reuse and storage, along with March 2021

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ENVIRONMENT

Machine with conveyor belt with glowing metal frame in the production line of a steel mill replacement of coal by hydrogen, will be vital for further decarbonisation beyond 2030. However, in the meantime it expects improvements in technology’s performance and efficiency to deliver 90% of annual CO2 emission reductions. Motorised equipment and systems are ideal targets for such improvement, especially if they are not currently being controlled by variable speed drives (VSDs) or if they are technologically outdated. There are numerous applications in which motors are either run constantly at their maximum speed or regulated by mechanisms which provide little control and precision. A good example is the baghouse fans which draw in contaminated air from production processes to filter out metal

dust. This is an especially energy-hungry application. One of ABB’s US customers estimates that 98% of baghouse fans are not operated by a drive. These and other quadratic load applications, such as the fans and pumps found throughout iron and steel plants, may offer the greatest potential for energy savings. Co-operation is essential When assembling something like a baghouse fan as a complete system, any turnkey supplier might consider the use of a low-cost mechanical flow control device, unless the use of a VSD is specified. Not using a VSD will keep the package price down, but adds ongoing costs through operational inefficiency. ABB works with

OEMs to ensure the optimum motor and drive combination. In a recent illustration of such co-operation, the company worked with an iron and steel production machinery manufacturer on a project for a US-based steelmaker. ABB supplied an optimised package of motors, drives and ancillary equipment for mills, coilers, edgers and descaling pumps which will be used in a state-of-the-art steel plate mill. Similarly, the company collaborates with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and other consulting partners to achieve the best results from projects. ABB also works with iron and steel producers to assess existing installations and recommend improvements. This gives specialists a chance to discuss issues on-site and demonstrate the value of VSD solutions to engineering and maintenance managers. Retrofitting of VSDs where no existing motor control is present, or to replace inefficient mechanical controls or upgrade older drives, is relatively straightforward. The latest VSD technology offers a high degree of flexibility to allow effective integration with legacy equipment and easy adaptation to changes in processes. An important development across the whole of manufacturing industry is the introduction of the latest EU (European Union) energy-efficiency-promoting legislation (Eco Directive) that sets new minimum efficiency criteria for low voltage motors used inside the EU. Furthermore, Eco-directive-compliant motors, combined with the latest VFDs and smart sensors, provide not only improved energy-efficiency, but also savings in maintenance through the capability for remote, condition-based preventive maintenance regimes. Although today’s sustainability crisis may seem daunting, the technological ingenuity already evident in the iron and steel industry promises an exciting transformation to an energy-efficient future. Adopting highefficiency motors operated by drives will be a key element in the process. �

1. Downloadable at https://new.abb.com/metals/future 2. Downloadable at https://www.energy-transitions.org/publications/mission-possible-sectoral-focus-steel/ 3. Downloadable at https://webstore.iea.org/iron-and-steel-technology-roadmap 4. Downloadable at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241972048_Energy_Efficiency_Improvement_and_Cost_Saving_ Opportunities_for_the_US_Iron_and_Steel_Industry_An_ENERGY_STARR_Guide_for_Energy_and_Plant_Managers

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SPECIAL STEELS

Saving Fallingwater What was intended to be a weekend retreat for a wealthy Pittsburgh department store magnate and his family, Fallingwater now stands as one of the most iconic tributes to architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Molybdenum-alloyed Type 316L stainless steel plays a small but crucial role in preserving one of the greatest buildings of all time. By Robert Bukk

FALLING WATER, Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous creation, welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year. In 2015 alone, over 167,000 people travelled to the Laurel Highlands of rural southwestern Pennsylvania to see the legendary home. Fallingwater is defined by its relationship with the waterfall that traverses the property and spills out from beneath the living room. Frank Lloyd Wright famously told the Kaufmann’s, the family who lived March 2021

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at Fallingwater, that “I want you to live with the waterfall, not just to look at it, but for it to become an integral part of your lives”. Yet, the idea to design a home physically integrated with its natural surroundings was not without structural challenges. By the 2000s, key elements of Fallingwater were at risk of being lost forever. As part of an intensive restoration effort, Type 316L stainless steel was used in the famous staircase that leads from the living room

into the river. The family and the falls In 1934, global economies were in the throes of the most severe depression of the 20th century. Without jobs to provide economic stimulus, people around the world were struggling to make ends meet. Edgar J. Kaufmann, a department store magnate from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an exception. www.steeltimesint.com

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SPECIAL STEELS

Over the years corrosion weakened the structural steel of the famous staircase.

Founded in 1871, Kaufman’s Department store grew to become a giant among merchandising businesses in the eastern United States. It was a recession-proof staple of the local economy. Fifty miles southeast of Pittsburgh, the Kaufmanns purchased a rundown camp on a stream named Bear Run. Kaufmann loved the unspoiled surroundings, especially the waterfall that cascades from a rock outcropping. This idyllic setting was perfect for the Kaufmann family getaway. Enamoured with Frank Lloyd Wright Kaufmann’s son, Edgar Jr. returned from studying art in Europe in 1934. A friend encouraged him to read the autobiography of Frank Lloyd Wright. Young Kaufmann was so impressed with his organic architecture philosophy that he joined a select group of apprentices at Wright’s school, Taliesin, to study the master’s principles. There is disagreement as to which of the Kaufmann men contacted the architect to design the country retreat. Whether it was Edgar Sr. or Edgar Jr. is moot. Wright would receive the commission to design the iconic home. At age 67, Frank Lloyd Wright was considered by some to be past his prime. His most notable work before designing Fallingwater was the summer home of an entrepreneur from Buffalo, New York. The Fallingwater commission revived the ageing architect’s career. He would go on to complete more than one-third of his total work, including the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan. The Bear Run retreat was always a playground for the nature-loving Kaufmanns. The falls are the focal point of the property, both aesthetically and www.steeltimesint.com

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Close-up image of severely corroded steel hangers and concrete deterioration.

recreationally. A staff member who worked at the retreat once observed the Kaufmanns and friends bathing beneath the falls au natural! The Kaufmanns thought that their new country home would be built on the banks of Bear Run with a view of the falls. Wright, however, had a different perspective. After an initial site visit, he would apply his philosophy of organic architecture that promotes a harmonic relationship between the human habitations inherent in the house with the natural surroundings. The home would be constructed atop the falls. Three years after Wright and Kaufmann Sr. first walked the site, Fallingwater was completed. On the precipice of disaster Although Fallingwater is an architectural marvel, reinforced concrete design and placement issues coupled with gravity, caused serious structural problems from the outset. A month after the Kaufmanns took up residence, deflection and cracking of the cantilevered portions of the house occurred. The second-floor master terrace contained the largest fissures. Engineers began monitoring and documenting the downward deflection of the cantilevered terraces. An extensive computer analysis by Robert Silman Associates in 1996 confirmed that Fallingwater’s terraces had continued to deflect or sag – one of them nearly 18 centimetres from its original position. These findings lead to a massive restoration effort, headed by Silman’s engineering firm, to save the masterpiece before it collapsed upon itself into Bear Run. After extensive evaluation, a system of steel cables or

tendons was installed to relieve pressure on both the concrete and the existing steel reinforcement to check the sagging terraces. Stairway to the waterfall A unique feature of Fallingwater is a stairway leading from the living room to the head of the falls. It offers easy access to the stream and a plunge pool while providing ventilation for the home when the hatch cover is opened. The original design indicated that the stair treads and landing were to be suspended from the east terrace using steel hangers. However, early pictures document that, in addition to the tread hangers, larger vertical steel members connected the bottom of the east terrace with the riverbed at the landing of the stairs. Over time the steel members have gradually become more substantial, as more vertical structural support was needed for the sagging terrace. The mild carbon steel used in the original tread hangers of the ‘hatch’ stairs corroded over years of exposure to the moist environment. At times, the staircase would become partially submerged during flood conditions. It also acted as a trap for flotsam and jetsam, adding additional stress to the steel supports. At one point, during a violent storm in the 1960s, the staircase was torn from the structure and had to be replaced. To prevent the future weakening of the structure from corrosion and the forces of debris-filled storm water, restoration architects replaced the stair hangers and the reinforcement within the concrete treads and landing with molybdenumalloyed Type 316L stainless steel. The same March 2021

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stainless steel was also chosen for the replacement of the structural columns at the landing that support the east terrace, which can be submerged in the stream after heavy rains. An additional benefit of this alloy is its’ impact resistance to flooding debris. A specially formulated ‘Cherokee Red’ paint, that Wright claimed reflected both the colour of iron ore and the fiery process used in steelmaking, was applied to blend the new stairs with the existing construction. The legend lives on With all its faults, Fallingwater stands as one of the most remarkable architectural achievements of the 20th century. The American Institute of Architects designated it ‘The Building of the Century.’ And in 2019, Fallingwater was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with seven other Wright-designed sites. This prestigious recognition is the first designation of modern architecture in the United States. Molybdenum-alloyed stainless steel plays an important role in maintaining both the beauty and structural integrity of this priceless building. �

Fully-restored “hatch” staircase over Bear Run

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18/03/2021 13:52:41

TUBE & PIPE

Extending the life of piercing plugs The life of piercing plugs for 13%Cr oil country seamless tube has increased by a factor of four as a result of adjusting the composition and heat treatment of the plug steel to modify the microstructure and by improving the retention of a protective oxide layer through machining fine ribs onto the working surface. By Ivan I Lube*, Andrey V Krasikov**, Aleksandr V Vydrin*** and Andrey A Korsakov**** There is increased demand for seamless pipes made of martensitic stainless steels with 13% chrome content, for use in oil and gas extraction where the hydrocarbons contain a high concentration of corrosive components (CO2, H2S, etc). Production of these pipes is of top-priority at TMK [1-3]. In 2018, for the first time in any Russian factory, the Volzhsky Pipe Plant (VTZ JSC) produced over 1000 tonnes of pipes of dimensions 244.48×11.99mm and 273.05×11.43mm in grade L80 type 13Cr stainless steel. Each was machined with the TMK UP PF Premium threaded connection, and couplings for this were also produced according to specifications TU 14-3R-1292015 [2, 4]. Compared to carbon pipe steel, this high-

alloy steel with a Cr content of around 13% has low ductility and a narrow deformation temperature range [5, 6]. This makes pipes production from such steel difficult to process due to the intense wear of the rolling tools, in particular the plugs of the piercing mill [2]. An additional reason for this high plug wear is the increased resistance to plastic deformation of 13Cr steels compared to carbon steels [7]. To solve the problem of greater piercing plug wear during piercing 13Cr steel billets, work was carried out to select an alternative material for plug manufacture. Table 1 shows the base material traditionally used for plugs and a new steel proposed to increase durability. The microstructure of the plug made of

the conventional material is characterised by coarse austenite grains of GOST 5639 1-2 size[8], within which there are areas of coarse bainite (Fig 1a). In plugs made of the new steel composition, a microstructure of secondary fine carbide, is observed within a polygonal ferrite matrix, with the carbide evenly dispersed within the grains. (Fig 1b). During trial piercing using plug diameters of 247, 253, and 263mm, unacceptable wear was observed on the working surface of the plugs made from the conventional steel after just three passes (Fig 2a). Increasing molybdenum, tungsten and cobalt content for the plug steel made it possible to double the durability of the plugs (Fig 2b), with an increase in the cost

Fig 1. Plug microstructures of conventional steel type: a) 20Kh2N4MFA and improved steel b) 20KhN2MV3KB

*Head of the Chief Roller Section, PhD in Technical Sciences, TMK, **Chief Roller, PhD in Technical Sciences, Volzhsky Pipe Plant JSC, *** Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor. **** Senior Research Associate, PhD in Technical Sciences, Russian Science and Research Institute of Pipe Industry ****Senior Research Associate, Russian Science and Research Institute of Pipe Industry OJSC. Contact e-mail LubeII@tmk-group.com www.steeltimesint.com

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TUBE & PIPE

Fig 2. Appearance of plugs after three passes piercing 13Cr steel billets: a) Conventional 20Kh2N4MFA b) Higher alloy 20KhN2MV3KB

Average % by mass

Number of 13Cr type steel billets

Plug steel grade

pierced using one plug

20Kh2N4MFA1

0.15 1.58 3.40 0.38 0.42 0.06 0.03 0.48 0.38

20KhN2MV3KB2

0.23 0.49 1.47 1.20 0.04 2.80 0.96 0.51 0.50 0,19

3 6

– material name in Russia is 20X2H4MFA; 1 – material name in Russia is 20XH2MB3KB.

Table 1. Chemical composition of plugs and their durability piercing billets of 13Cr steel

of plug manufacture by not more than 1.6 times. In addition, special surface machining of the plug working taper in the form of ribbing was added (Fig 3a). This type of surface machining provides greater scale formation along with better retention of this renewable scale, which acts as a protective layer on the working surface of the plug so reducing wear of the base material. The presence of ribbing on the surface of the plug taper increased durability up to 12 passes for plugs made of the new 20KhN2MV3KB steel without a significant

change in the cost of the tool (Fig 4 a & b). The results obtained significantly exceed the life of the conventional plugs (3 passes), by a factor of four times achieved by a combination of the new steel manufacturing material properties, machining fine ribs and the production process. � References 1 Zabello E. Great success of the Russian shelf // Offshore Russia. – 2018. – No 1. – P. 42-46. 2 Trutnev N.V., Krasikov A.V., Ylianov A.G.,

Lube I.I., Kosmatsky Y.I., Korsakov A.A. Mastering the production of 13Cr type martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes on PRU 159-426 VTZ JSC // Iron and steel industry. Scientific and technical economical information bulletin. No12. 2018. P.68-71. 3 Matveev B.N. Japanese rolling operators improve the process of piercing high-alloy steel billets // Resource-saving technologies. – 1999. - No10.- P. 3-22. 4 TU 14-3R-129-2015. Seamless casing steel pipes and couplings from 13Cr type martensitic steels and super 13Cr type with gas-proof threaded connections for Gazprom PJSC fields.

Fig 3. Appearance of new plug working surface: a) with ribbing on working surface; b) without ribbing

March 2021

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TUBE & PIPE

Fig 4. Appearance of plug with ribbing after piercing 13Cr steel billets: a) after three passes; b) after 12 passes

5 Morioka N. Development of manufacturing technology for high alloy steel seamless pipe by Mannesmann process / N. Morioka, H. Oka, T. Simizu // Kawasaki steel technical report. – 1998. – No 38. – P. 38-46. 6 Korsakov A.A., Michalkin D.V., Alytina E.V., Zavartsev N.A., Achmedyanov A.M., Samoilov S.P., Ylianov A.G., Niklyaev A.V.

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Investigation of heating temperature effect on the technological plasticity of 15Kh13N2 steel as applied to the process of screw piercing // Iron and steel industry. Scientific and technical economical information bulletin. 2020. T. 76. No. 2. P. 169–177. 7 Ostapenko A.L., Zabira L.A. Resistance to deformation of steels during rolling and methods of its calculation // Iron and steel

industry. - 2009. - No. 3. - P. 54-79. 8 GOST 5639-82. Steels and alloys. Grain size identification and determination method.

For further information on the TMK Group, visit https://www.tmk-group. com/about

March 2021

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Solutions for melting and reheating The challenges of massive and increasing use of energy and of industrial pollution have grown into one of the biggest issues of our time. Decarbonization and carbon neutrality are words in the visions and commitments of companies and governments. The drive to create a decarbonization of the steel industry has put focus on the use of hydrogen in steelmaking. Clearly this will be a journey, with several different steps and solutions over time. By Joachim von Schéele, Pravin C. Mathur, William J. Mahoney and Ola Ritzén* NATURALLY an important starting point is to focus on reducing the energy demands and thereby not only reduce the existing CO2 emissions, but also decrease the future demand for hydrogen. Preferably, to fast-track this, it should be done by further implementation and development

of existing technologies and solutions. Wherever possible, these technologies and solutions should also be prepared for a smooth and seamless adaptation into use of hydrogen. Linde’s approach as a solutions provider to the steel industry, follows those lines. Moreover, Linde has committed to

invest heavily in decarbonization and spend at least one third of its R&D budget on this. Much attention is paid to the reduction processes, as these are the largest emitters of CO2, and Linde works in that field. However, having a world-leading portfolio of combustion technologies, it makes sense

* Linde Technology, Linde plc March 2021

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HYDROGEN STEELMAKING

CoJets at Nucor Steel, Berkeley

to bring use of that for decarbonization and use of hydrogen. Three out of four of Linde’s Technology Centres for combustion globally are already equipped for 100% oxygen–hydrogen firing. Examples that will be discussed here include burners and combustion solutions for Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) operation, ladle preheating, and reheating. All these technologies have two important features in common: they are well-proven, and they can operate with hydrogen. CoJet© gas injection system using hydrogen CoJet gas injection technology was developed and first introduced by Praxair (now Linde) 25 years ago, and it has www.steeltimesint.com

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CoJet with hydrogen

revolutionized EAF operation. Today there are more than 170 CoJet installations world-wide. The key to CoJet technology is the invention of a process and injector nozzle that delivers a three- to seven- foot laser-like jet of oxygen at supersonic speeds into the molten bath. The specialized, wall-mounted injector nozzle keeps the jet of oxygen coherent – retaining its original diameter and velocity – to deliver precise amounts of oxygen to the steel bath with less cavity formation and splash compared to traditional manipulators. A supersonic jet would typically maintain its original supersonic velocity for a distance of 15-35 times the nozzle diameter, depending on the ambient conditions. However, by applying the concept of coherent jet using a flame shroud, where a fuel is combusted around the jet, the distance can be increased to about 70 nozzle diameters. This is very important for the penetration of the oxygen injection into the melt, and it means that there is no longer any need for lancing through the furnace door, and instead automated fixed CoJets are installed in the cold spots of the EAF providing the oxygen injection uniformly in the furnace. This also creates less splashing and faster decaburization with lower overall oxygen consumption. CoJet technology was earlier developed to operate with natural gas, LPG, coke oven gas, and fuel oil. Tests with hydrogen as a fuel have shown excellent results. With hydrogen, the shrouding improves further, and the jet can travel at its original

supersonic speed at least 85 times the nozzle diameter. Relative to all other fuels, H2 is the ideal fuel! Another advantage of hydrogen fuel coherent jets is that the burners operate at significantly higher exit velocities, which increases heat transfer and reduces plugging/maintenance of the injectors. CoJet is now available with hydrogen as fuel, and hydrogen injection can also be used separately in the EAF. H2 can be used as fuel also in existing CoJet injectors. Flameless Oxyfuel Linde first developed Flameless Oxyfuel to meet the requirements for lower NOx emissions in reheating furnaces. It was the natural next step in a development that started with conventional oxyfuel, then moved into use of staged combustion oxyfuel, and finally Flameless Oxyfuel. The first installations of Flameless Oxyfuel took place in 2003 at Outokumpu’s plants at Degerfors (slabs reheating) and Nyby (strip annealing) in Sweden. The benefits were clearly confirmed, and the technology was immediately integrated into Linde’s REBOX© solutions portfolio for steel reheating and annealing. The expression ‘flameless combustion’ communicates the visual aspect of the combustion type, that is, the flame is no longer seen or easily detectable by the human eye. Another description might be that the combustion is extended in time and space – it is spread out in large volumes; therefore, it is sometimes referred to as March 2021

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HYDROGEN STEELMAKING

Flameless with 02-H2burners

‘volume combustion’. Such a flame cloud has a uniform and lower temperature, practically the same temperature as airfuel combustion, yet containing the same amount of energy as the bright oxyfuel flame. In Flameless Oxyfuel the mixture of fuel and oxidant reacts uniformly through the flame volume, with the rate controlled by the partial pressures of reactants and their temperature. Fundamentally here, using burners or lances or a combination of the two, is a matter of utilizing velocity in a beneficial way while separating the injection points of the fuel and the oxidant, leaving the traditional design of a burner. In Flameless Oxyfuel, the combustion gases are effectively dispersed throughout the furnace, ensuring more effective and uniform heating of materials even with a limited number of burners installed. Although the first installations took place in reheating and annealing, Flameless Oxyfuel was quickly adopted for preheating of ladles and converters where it has demonstrated great results. The next area being exploited, with substantial positive impact, could be the blast furnace hot stoves. Also, the use of low calorific fuels has been emphasized lately, for example, March 2021

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using blast furnace top gas; use of oxyfuel strongly supports a successful use of low calorific gases. Energy-efficient ladle preheating Flameless Oxyfuel using Linde’s OXYGON© solution has produced excellent results in ladle and converter preheating. Typically, fossil fuel consumption is reduced by 50% – a great step towards decarbonization! Another important result is the faster heating, which provides shorter heating cycles for less ladles in circulation. Customers have also noted the improved temperature uniformity, and the massive reduction of flue gases, 75-80% lower due to less fuel and no nitrogen in combustion. Moreover, ultra-low NOx emissions have been achieved. So far over 100 OXYGON installations have been made. Tests have shown that OXYGON technology works perfectly well using hydrogen as fuel. When already 50% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reached in today’s installations, the next step can now be taken including operation with H2 or mixtures of H2 and other fuels. Ultimately, with 100% H2 we can then get a 100% reduction of CO2 emissions.

Reheating with hydrogen Linde is world-leader in the use of oxygen in steel reheating; its REBOX oxyfuel solutions have been installed in more than 180 reheat furnaces of all kinds; batch and continuous, up to 300 t/h, and for all steel grades. This has already contributed to decarbonization as the REBOX installations decrease the consumption of fossil fuel by 20-50%. Partial or full conversion of reheat furnaces from air-fuel to oxyfuel combustion is not only an easy first step to decarbonization, but it also prepares the furnace for subsequent hydrogen fuels. Indeed, oxyfuel combustion will be necessary with hydrogen fuels. To be able to heat steel of different grades in a viable way in a 100% H2O atmosphere, produced by using hydrogen as a fuel, a number of questions have to be answered regarding potential quality impact on the steel, capacity and uniformity in the reheating process, NOx emissions, safety issues, and changes in the combustion system. To evaluate the scaling, descaling, decarburization, hydrogen embrittlement, heating capacity, temperature uniformity and NOx formation, a pilot test campaign was carried out. The pilot tests were made in Linde´s Technology Centre outside of Stockholm, Sweden, in October 2019. These tests involved heating smaller pieces of different steel grades from four different steel companies using Hydrogen Flameless Oxyfuel and comparing the results with the established Flameless Oxyfuel combustion with LPG as fuel. After thorough analyses by Linde and the participating companies, it could be concluded that all the results were encouraging. No negative impact could be identified related to the material, combustion, or emissions. Based on the positive outcome from the pilot tests, Ovako and Linde decided to make a full-scale demonstration at Ovako’s Hofors mill in Sweden by applying a 100% hydrogen-oxyfuel heating in full scale in one of the soaking pit furnaces. The existing combustion system was upgraded to handle hydrogen and LPG as fuels. The changeover between the fuels can be done in only a second with complete safety, following all norms and regulations. A full-scale demonstration was carried out in March 2020 when 24 ball-bearing steel ingots from the steel plant were charged into four soaking pit furnaces, all equipped with Flameless Oxyfuel. One www.steeltimesint.com

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HYDROGEN STEELMAKING

pit was fired with hydrogen-oxyfuel using REBOX Hyox, while the other three operated with their normal LPG-Oxyfuel. All relevant data (flows, temperatures, oxygen levels in the flue gases, etc) were logged. These data indicated that the capacity, temperature uniformity and controllability of the combustion system worked at least as well as the normal operation. After heating and soaking, the ingots were successfully rolled to bars in the rolling mill. Rolling forces, dimensions, scale losses, and temperature uniformity were at the same high level of quality as always. A thorough inspection and analysis of the final bars showed that heating using hydrogen as fuel does not impact the quality. Göran Nyström, EVP, head of technology and marketing at Ovako, summarized the results: “Hydrogen can be used simply and flexibly, with no impact on steel quality, which would mean a very large reduction in the carbon footprint.” Summary Hydrogen can be used in Electric Arc Furnaces combined with Linde’s CoJet technology, beneficially producing longer jets than with any other fuel. 25 years after introducing CoJet, a new hydrogen generation is now available, adding additional customer benefits. Flameless Oxyfuel has a proven track record in ladle preheating and steel reheating with hundreds of successful installations. Flameless Oxyfuel works well with hydrogen as fuel, still maintaining all its benefits including reduction of NOx emissions. It has been demonstrated in full-scale production that reheating furnaces with Flameless Oxyfuel work very well with hydrogen and without producing any negative impact related to neither the operation nor the material heated. It is important to note that the combustion technologies mentioned here – CoJet, OXYGON, and REBOX – are made in such a way that they can operate with natural gas or hydrogen as fuel, or any combination of the two, without requiring any hardware changes. The development and implementation of combustion technologies for use of hydrogen as fuel in industrial furnaces pace ahead of the availability and supply of hydrogen. The steelmakers have decarbonization options ahead of the hydrogen revolution as several proven www.steeltimesint.com

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Rolling of world’s first hydrogen-heated steel

technologies are available to successfully decrease the use of fossil fuel in the first instance and be turned into full use of hydrogen in the next. If we would fully implement already existing oxyfuel technologies in the steel

industry, this industry sector’s total CO2 emissions would be decreased by more than 200Mt annually – an important step towards decarbonization, and a preparation for going to carbon neutrality using hydrogen instead of a fossil fuel. �

Flameless Oxyfuel ladle pre-heater

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CONTINUOUS CASTING

Trends in continuous casting 97 to 98% crude steel produced worldwide is cast on continuous casting machines. The future trends in continuous casting follow the overarching trends of the industry: improve the quality of cast products to fulfill future requirements on steel products and improve the environmental footprint by saving energy or increasing yield of the casting process. In addition, digitalization is gaining importance. For these challenges, SMS Concast has a bundle of appropriate technologies and a few of them will be described in this article. The measures concentrate on rebar production as well as on SBQ applications including solutions for high-end steel products that are usually cast in ingots and used, for example, in the renewable energy sector for tidal and wind power. By Phoebe Egge1 and Stephan Feldhaus2

Fig 1. 1000mm blooms are no longer an exceptional section size for the curved continuous casting process.

1.Technical marketing, SMS Concast AG, Zürich 2.CEO, SMS Concast AG, Zürich March 2021

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CONTINUOUS CASTING

VERSCON Verscon is an economical alternative to ingot casting for special steel grades. Contemporary casting plants successfully produce very good quality jumbo blooms with round sections of up to 1000mm in diameter. Such large blooms can be cast on bow-type and vertical casters with production ranges of 500kt to 1Mt/yr (Fig 1). This trend also effects niche players who produce less than 200kt/yr focusing on high quality steel making for forging applications and relying on classical ingot casting. Compared to the conventional continuous casting process, ingot casting has no restrictions in terms of steel grades and is

more flexible in terms of bloom sizes and weights. However, the continuous jumbo bloom casters offer a strongly increased yield (liquid steel to bloom) compared to ingot casting, are more environmentfriendly and benefit from better surface qualities. A response to this challenge for special steel makers is the development of a highly flexible, yield-optimized and economic production process, which combines the advantages of continuous casting at low CAPEX with attractive OPEX levels. SMS Concast has adapted the semi-continuous casting process known for non-ferrous metals to steel casting and has overcome the challenge of much slower solidification rates. The result of these efforts is verticial semi-continuous technology (or VERSCON), described below (Fig 2). The four main advantages of VERSCON technology in comparison to ingot casting are: • Improved material yield – better profitability with possible revenue improvements • Higher surface quality (no surface conditioning required). • Homogeneous solidification structure. • Lower environmental impact – less refractory, lower pollution, higher process safety). Possible section sizes for VERSCON start at a diameter of a medium sized round section and reach up to 1200mm and above. Typical production units range from 30kt to 200kt/yr. One or two ladles are cast on one or more vertical strands into long blooms. The process mainly follows two steps: A long bloom is cast with a conventional mold and oscillation

Fig 2. Vertical semi-continuous casting machine with VERSCON-Technology by SMS Concast

table. As soon as the strand has reached its final length, the casting process stops and the strand is held in position until final solidification is achieved. The final solidification can take some hours depending on the section size (Ref 1). A patented hot top treatment minimizes the shrinkage cavity allowing a substantially improved yield compared with ingot casting. High-speed casting Sustainable, energy efficient and costoptimized steel production processes are in high demand from the worldwide steel industry. Producers, therefore, are seeking strategies for compact and efficient production units using local resources and distribution markets. High-speed casting for rebar steel grades directly linked to the rolling mill is one answer to these requests and sees developments reaching casting speeds beyond 6.5 m/min combined with high throughputs thanks to bigger section

Fig 3. High-speed billet casting on a six-strand continuous caster by SMS Concast with yearly production of 2.0 Mt/yr

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CONTINUOUS CASTING

No. of strands Section sizes (mm²) Strand capacities (t/h) Plant productivity (t/year)

1-6 130x130 up to ca. 190x190 50 up to 105 300’000 up to 2’400’000

Typical parameters and productivities for high-speed casters

sizes. High-speed casting means lower capital expenditure and vastly improved yield results in billet product (Fig 3). The direct link between continuous caster and rolling mill is either realized by direct rolling of hot billets from a multiple strand caster – allowing the highest caster productivity of around 2.4Mt/yr – or by CMT® technology from SMS with combined endless casting and rolling on one strand – strongly improving the yield. In both cases, no reheating furnace is required. Only an induction-heating unit for the first billets might be needed. Compared to the conventional route, direct linking can save up to 90% and more of the energy required for reheating the billets. In addition, no foundation works in the reheating furnace area and no billet storage are necessary, reducing CAPEX and OPEX. Multiple strand high-speed casters aim at maximum strand throughput that can be achieved without containment out of foot rolls only. Typical strand throughputs are around 50 to 60 tons per hour. Endless high-speed casting, on the other hand, reaches even higher strand throughputs of up to 105 tons per hour. In these cases, the one (or maximum two) strands of the caster must be equipped with longer strand containments.

Fig 4. New strand section (extended round) by SMS Concast for CAPEX-reduced containment in high-speed casting

High-speed casting with CAPEXreduced containment The disadvantage of higher strand throughputs by combining bigger billet sections with extreme casting speeds is the need to ‘contain’ the strand in order to control bulging, rhombic deformation and to ensure safe ‘castability’. Apart from being costly, the segments are also maintenance intensive in case of breakout and other incidents. To overcome these obstacles, SMS Concast developed and patented a new smart strand section ensuring the highest throughput with the shortest possible containment. The new proposed section is a merger of a round and square section, taking the best out of both geometries. Due to the round corners (which actually represent a small round section), the shell is self-supporting and the containment length is determined only by the straight part of the section between the quarter circles. The straight part of the section serves to increase the section area compared to a pure round section and at the same time ensure good guiding to the strand within the mold (Fig 4).

Technological and digital solutions for best quality control in SBQ steel production The key for quality is located at the heart of any continuous casting machine, namely in the mold area. Stable casting conditions strongly rely, among other things, on the lubrication conditions in the mold and the mold oscillation. In this context, the following technological and digital solutions developed by SMS Concast stand out. A compact detector simultaneously measuring the liquid steel level and the casting powder layer In a continuous casting plant, uniform casting behaviour in the mold for optimum product quality strongly depends upon a precise control of the steel bath level (meniscus) and the thickness of the powder and slag layer lying on it. Measuring the bath level controls the steel flow into the mold. A correct and fast measurement is vital for the stable casting process. The casting powder, on the other hand, covers a multitude of tasks: it protects the steel from oxidation, serves as molten slag for

Fig 5. CONGAUGE LB6755 detector simultaneously measuring steel level and powder thickness for best quality control

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CONTINUOUS CASTING

lubrication between the solidified strand shell and the mold wall, thermally insulates the bath level (meniscus) and ensures uniform heat exchange between steel and mold. Additionally, an insufficient melting behaviour of the casting powder can lead to severe casting defects or even to an interruption of the casting process. For these reasons, the continuous control of the slag and powder thickness on the meniscus is vital for maintaining uniform conditions in the mold and the resulting steel quality. SMS Concast Switzerland has developed and proven the concept of a multi-tasking sensor and finalized in development. The sensor is called CONGAUGE LB 6755 and has been developed and finalized in close co-operation with Berthold Technologies, Germany. The CONGAUGE LB6755 detector is based on the widespread, fast and reliable radiometric measurement of the casting level for usual mold level control. In addition, it allows the simultaneous determination of both the steel level and the powder layer thickness in the mold based on a multi-crystalline detector (fig 5) combined with an advanced evaluation programming code. In contrast to other solutions for powder thickness measurement, the sensor combines two measurements in one compact unit in order to avoid high costs and increased

complexity with regard to maintenance and measurement evaluation. By measuring and evaluating both levels, CONGAUGE LB6755 allows greater insights into the casting process and enables automated and well-controlled feeding of casting powder. In that way, the new sensor contributes to a clear improvement of product quality and opens the door to Industry 4.0 solutions for better control in the casters’ mold area (Ref 2). Direct torque drive for best mold oscillation results Mold oscillation plays a crucial product quality role in continuous casting. Online adjustment of the oscillation curve – fast and precise according to every steel grade and section size – can make all the difference. Simple electro drives are compact and cheap but miss this online feature. Hydraulic drives on the other hand, are the classic solution when online adjustment is required, but they can become very expensive very quickly in terms of acquisition and maintenance. CONDRIVE combines a compact design with advanced online controlling features and is more precise than other solutions (Fig 6). One big advantage of CONDRIVE is its very low maintenance requirement. The first CONDRIVE running in the field shows more than four years without major maintenance. In addition, it used 50% less energy compared to the former electromechanical drive. CONDRIVE can be applied for billet and bloom casters and allows very short revamping times in modernization Fig 6. CONDRIVE direct oscillation drive for best mold oscillation and quality control

projects of only half a day per strand. Since 2016, SMS Concast sold more than 70 CONDRIVE oscillation drives and all drives installed in the field are running successfully. CONDRIVE can be also leased on the basis of different EaaS solutions (Equipment as a Service), which allow to convert CAPEX into OPEX (Ref 3). Conclusion VERSCON-Technology allows niche highend steel producers to replace ingot casting with a vertical semi-continuous casting process offering higher yields, reduced environmental impact and better surface qualities. High-speed casting is designed to achieve optimal productivity by increasing strand throughputs and cutting yield losses. Multiple strand high-speed casting with direct semi-continuous feeding to the rolling mill is aimed at maximizing productivity, while endless casting directly feeding the rolling mill with strand throughputs of up to 105 tons/hr and aiming for maximized yield. SMS Concast has developed and patented a special section geometry that reduces the length of costly maintenance-intensive containments, which are necessary for higher strand throughputs with increased casting speeds and section sizes. For SBQ producers, SMS Concast presents two technological and digital solutions acting on the mold area, which is key to quality in continuous casting. CONGAUGE LB6755 allows great insights to the lubrication conditions in the mold and simultaneously enables automatic feeding and control of the powder layer in the mold. The CONDRIVE direct oscillation drive on the other hand is the new front player for accurate and online-controlled mold oscillation. The retrieved signals of both solutions support detection of process irregularities and can be well integrated with Industry 4.0 solutions, such as digital process condition analyzers. � References 1. S. Feldhaus, M. Meier, T. Meier: Semicontinuous casting for the efficient production of ingots, ESTAD, Düsseldorf, 24.-28.6.2019, Paper 263. 2. S. Feldhaus, B. Kündig, G. Michelon, P. Egge: Industry 4.0 applications in continuous casting, ESTAD, Düsseldorf, 24.-28.6.2019, Paper 152. 3. P. Egge, M. Hogenschurz: How small things make the difference, SMS group Newsletter Issue 02-2020, Düsseldorf, SMS group, p. 58-61. March 2021

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PROCESS CONTROL

Through process optimisation To meet new market requirements and to ensure their leading position in China, Tangshan Iron & Steel Group Co Ltd (Tangsteel) decided in 2013 to upgrade its production lines, encompassing hot melt treatment, steelmaking, casting, and hot rolling. The company also invested in a new cold rolling plant with PLTCM, CAL, and CGLs (CGL4, 5, 6) for production of IF grades up to advanced high-strength steels for the automotive and home appliances industries, as well as other high-end applications. Primetals Technologies was involved from the conception phase, collaborating on plant design, supply, erection, and commissioning of the project. By Tan Wen Zhen1, Xue Jun An1, Pei Hong Jiang1 and Yuyou Zhai2, Thomas Pfatschbacher2, Klaus Jax2, Wolfgang Oberaigner2

Fig 1: Tangsteel production chain: Steelmaking, continuous casting and hot rolling by Tangshan Stainless/TSS, pickling, cold rolling, annealing, and galvanizing by Tangshan High Strength Automotive Strip/THSAS

TO ensure efficient product development, smooth ramp-up of the production lines, stable quality, and fast access to markets, Tangsteel awarded Primetals Technologies a know-how-based service contract for Through-Process Optimization in 2014. The main scope of the service contract included product development, quality management, training, KPI improvements, installation of the Through-Process Quality Control system (TPQC), and data mining for mechanical property prediction and more. During the project execution phase, different coating technologies were successfully developed and also applied to mass production, such as hot-dip aluminium-silicon coating (AS) and hot-dip zinc-magnesium coating (ZM). Now Tangshan can supply high-quality products to domestic and internationally renowned OEMs in the automotive and home appliances industries. This article

highlights the key features and main achievements of the know-how project. Project overview The use of advanced steel has allowed automobile manufacturers to achieve the desired standards of strength and safety for their vehicles at relatively low cost. Producing the right quality for each application requires proper product design of the steel, a control plan with key process parameters, quality control, and monitoring, grading, and performance improvements. The plant configuration of Tangsteel for automotive steel is shown in (Fig 1). The Tangshan Stainless Steel plant was an existing, older plant, equipped with a 100-tonne LD converter, slab caster, and a hot strip mill. The mechanical equipment and automation systems were upgraded as

necessary. The new THSAS plant was built completely from scratch. The first CGL coil was produced on 15 January 2015. The know-how-based service, ThroughProcess Optimization (TPO) from Primetals Technologies, supports the entire process, from accelerating product development to quality control and mass production. Fig 2 shows the typical cycle of the process. To facilitate market entry, smooth the development process, and accelerate mass production, the project was implemented in steps, where three classes of steel were defined based on strength and microstructure (Fig 3). Initially, metallurgical recipes for each steel grade were developed based on Primetals Technologies’ in-house know-how and using various product development tools, such as computer and physical modelling, taking into account actual

* 1.Tangshan ISCO, China. 2. Primetalas Technologies Austria GmbH March 2021

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PROCESS CONTROL

Fig 2. From automotive requirements to supplier certification

Fig 3. Classes of steel grades

CLASS PLCTM

CAL

CGL

DDQ

EDDQ

not defined

S-EDDQ

HSS-340-BH

HSS-440-CQ

HSS-440-DQ

HSS-440-DDQ

HSS-590-CQ

590 DP

590 TRIP

780 DP

780 TRIP

980 DP

980 TRIP

1200 DP

plant configuration and limits. The detailed trial run plans, including grade design and targets, process parameters for each production unit (PU), preparation of the raw materials, special operational equipment, and measurement requirements, sampling and testing procedures, production schedules, protocol templates, and responsibilities of each party, were defined in collaboration with the client. The team comprised Primetals Technologies experts, Tangsteel metallurgists, production team members, and others. Trial run production started upstream first in order to minimize the impact on production. After positive confirmation and simulation, the hot coils were processed downstream as prototypes. The simulation results supported the defined key process parameters, including reduction ratio, annealing cycle, line speed, and skin pass mill settings. Thanks to Primetals Technologies’ expertise in the product and in process design, combined with the close alignment and quicker feedback between upstream and downstream, and the emphasis placed on trial-run production and testing by www.steeltimesint.com

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Tangsteel, the entire product development process was accelerated, thereby facilitating Tangsteel’s market entry. The overall project schedule is shown in Fig 4, where the different milestones are defined. The achievement status and necessary adaption of the strategies and actions were regularly reviewed, discussed, and agreed jointly, in order to meet market requirements and to align with the overall company business demands of Tangsteel, which were well supported by the project steering committee. Over and above equipment condition and the advanced automation levels of the plants, the know-how of the operators is key to the success of product development and stable mass production. Therefore, numerous training courses were organized, including product development, quality management, plant operation in different production units, maintenance, SPC (Statistical Process Control), FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), and so on. The know-how-based IT system, ThroughProcess Quality Control (TPQC), supports the entire process and guides actual

production. The collection of all qualityrelevant data and the application of data analytics accelerated the development process significantly and acted as a powerful tool for further quality and performance improvements. Fig 5 indicates the IT structure of the steel plant. TPQC collects all quality-related, highresolution equipment, process, and quality data from L1, L2, L3, laboratory, and surface inspection systems along the entire production chain. This enables the ThroughProcess Monitoring of all production steps, identifying possible deviations from the targets, root causes, and suggestions for corrective measures on the actual lines or compensational measures on the next processing units. Through-Processes data collection along the entire production chain guarantees a solid foundation for rapid quality analysis in the event of possible client claims. Fig 6 shows the main function modules of TPQC and the interaction between TPKH and TPQC. The rule engine of TPQC provides an open platform for integrating all possible knowhow-based rules for process monitoring, product grading, root causes for possible deviations, and suggestions for corrective and compensational measures (Fig 7). TPQC monitors performance based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and stabilizes production by applying advanced Statistical Process Control (SPC) measures. The centralized storage of high-resolution process data across the production route allows for intelligent data analytics for product optimization and development of new steel grades within a short timespan. Main features of TPQC: • Centralized storage of high-resolution process data • Full product genealogy • Quality assistance through rule-based conformance checks • Root-cause analysis/corrective and compensational action • Product explorer for process data inspection/product comparison • Product grading • Key Performance Indicators (KPI) • Statistical Process Control (SPC) • Interface to data mining platforms • Data cube for multi-dimensional analysis of KPIs, quality and production data • Comprehensive reporting and data visualization March 2021

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PROCESS CONTROL

** (3) Through-Process know-how. Through-Process Optimization.

Fig 5. Integration of TPQC within automation IT system

Fig 4. Overall project schedule

Fig 7. Rule Engine of TPQC for implementation of the Fig 6. Overview of the TPQC function modules

TPKH – Know-how-based service and achievements The main priority was implementation of the production of common grades on Tangsteel production lines. This was facilitated by Primetals Technologies’ expertise in chemical analysis design, process design, and testing/certification, leading to quick ramp-up of the entire lines. For high-strength steel grades like DP 780 and higher, a special developing procedure was defined, from process design, recipes, trial runs, testing, analysis, and remedial actions, through to trial production and final certification. The entire process benefited from expertise in equipment checks, comprehensive process design and testing procedures, grading standard and service agreements between production units. Besides the ramp-up of the production lines and product development, Primetals Technologies’ know-how services encompassed: I.

Training in product development,

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know-how-based rules

quality management, special coating, equipment maintenance, customer relationship management, and so on. Training is integral to a better understanding of the theoretical principles, metallurgical backgrounds, standard procedures, and key issues. Different training courses were available for related fields; product development training focused on metallurgical principles, microstructures, influences on the final product properties and developing procedures, simulations and grading standard as well as quality management training focused on quality design, monitoring of each process step, and detecting possible deviations. Specialized training such as AlSi, ZnMg coatings, was provided, including the coating principle, practice handling and quality standards, applications and special topics, like bearing lifetime, bath management, furnace temperature, and atmosphere control for different grades and coatings. II.

On-site services for special tasks

and KPI improvement Based on the overall project schedule, a standard service procedure is put in place to guide each service and ensure optimum performance. The process is based on a PDCA cycle: Each service was initialled with a definition of the service topics and target together with the client, based on actual conditions and challenges related to performance, quality, and market requirements. A detailed action plan was created, nominating experts from both parties, and including a detailed time schedule and work plan, daily review of target achievements and possible problems, final report, and agreement on follow-up activities. The key to a successful service is trust, team-building, and follow-up. The service can be repeated periodically to ensure sustainable improvement. The performance of the service is also monitored and confirmed based on KPI improvement: • Improved hitting rate of the converter tapping temperature and carbon content www.steeltimesint.com

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PROCESS CONTROL

Fig 8. Improvement procedure

Fig 9. Decrease of the hot coils cobble rate

Fig 11. Example of Quality Guard prediction accuracy for tensile strength and yield Fig 10. Trend of the monthly output (t) on CGL4

over 90%. So direct tapping applied to over 90% of the heats, without taking temperature or sampling. • Better heat pacing for better temperature control, to minimize/avoid the chemical heating at the RH station, reforming the top slag after tapping to reduce the FeO content, total Alconsumption for IF grades is reduced by 20%. • Proper equipment maintenance and process standardization. The continuous casting sequence length could be extended to 10 heats for IF grades. • Improved operation of the reheating furnace via proper production schedules, taking into account the cold and hot charging and rolling sequence. Monitoring the working condition of the equipment improved process control for a better profile of HSM. Application of proper cooling strategy for different steel grades to achieve correct mechanical properties. Fig 8 shows the development of the cobble rate on the HSM, which significantly improved the output and economic performance of the www.steeltimesint.com

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strength after hot strip mill

plant (Fig 9). • Proper operational process of pickling to ensure good performance for a high surface quality of the final products, like production of exposed parts. Proper rolling process for good profiles of the coils, especially for high-strength steel grades up to 1200 MPa. • Proper production scheduling for high output and best surface quality, surface quality meets the standard GS93032 of BMW. • Cleaning section process and cleaning effect monitoring, tension, annealing cycles, proper furnace atmosphere and wetting system control, ingot quality and bath management procedures, air knife control. • Adjustment of SPM operation for good surface and mechanical properties. • Top roll sleeve application and working roll treatment of the SPM for highest surface quality. • Inspection procedures and grading standards for final quality release. • Cross process order design to minimize side trimmer loss and ensure high

yield. • Cross process order design regarding reduction ratios to ensure correct properties. • The reject rates caused by properties for high-strength steel and by surface defects were reduced by 12% and 11% respectively between 2016 to 2019. At the same time the output of CGL 4 was increased by more than 20%, as shown in Fig 10. III. Other achievement highlights: After three years of operation, the products produced by Tangshan High Strength Automotive Strip covered all ranges for automotive applications up to DP 1200 and 22MnB5 for hot forming. Since 2018, Tangshan has also been the leading producer of ZnMg in China, partly for export. Tangsteel is also qualified for OEMs like FCA group, VW Skoda, BMW-Brilliance, Changan Ford, Shanghai General Motor, SAIC Motors, Foton automotive, Great Wall, GAC Group, Aion, NEVS(SAAB), FAW Haima, SAIC-IVECO, Geely, Gree, Faurecia, March 2021

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PROCESS CONTROL

• Reduce/eliminate sampling/tests by 21% for HSM.

Fig 12. Quality Lab for HSM with Partial Dependence Plot (PDP)

and Bosch. The total output for automotive products was 1.8Mt in 2019. Tangsteel is also a leading supplier of home appliances steels for Haier and Gree. Data analytics and property prediction The DNA of the final steel products comes from chemical analysis and process parameters along the entire production chain, such as thickness reduction, temperatures and cooling rates. The data collected on TPQC contains a lot of valuable information that can be ‘mined’ through data analytics methods coupled with metallurgy, data mining, and information science. Most benefits can be gained only through a combination of data processing methods, involving domain expertise in the fields of metallurgy, automation, and engineering. Methods such as data mining and machine learning algorithms are used for the development of consistent and stable data-based models for the prediction of mechanical properties, called Quality Guard. Subsequently, the models can be implemented in process automation systems and TPQC to improve product quality, or can be used as standalone quality optimization software. Taking into account practically all possible process variables and the application of suitable models, the accuracy of prediction models for mechanical properties is close to the standard deviations of common laboratory tensile tests. These kinds of models generate additional new knowledge about a number March 2021

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of influential parameters for special cases, which, so far, have not been considered by process technologists. Fig.11 shows the scatter plot for model accuracy, measured Rm and elongation from laboratory versus predicted Rm and elongation from Data Analytics models. Based on the prediction of mechanical properties, Primetals Technologies developed Quality Lab, a property optimization tool, which can be fully integrated into TPQC or used as a standalone application connected to the required production data. The Quality Lab enables steel producers to carry out virtual process and product optimization, where the process parameters can be modified in order to achieve lower operational costs by optimization of the product design (alloying concept) and process parameters, or to develop new steel grades. Target requirement from customers will be considered. Fig 12 shows the HMI of Quality Lab. By changing the selected parameters, the impact on the mechanical properties is displayed on the HMI. Benefits of Quality Lab: • Immediate reaction to quality deviations. • Quick parameter adjustment to client’s requirements, cutting alloying costs through reduction or substitution of expensive alloying elements. • Optimize the control plan to meet the narrow tolerance of the client’s properties requirements and increase the Cpk-values.

Conclusion This article highlights the successful cooperation between Primetals Technologies and Tangsteel on the Through-Process Know-How project in the fields of product development, new coating technologies, quality management, and KPI of the entire production chain, encompassing hot metal treatment, steelmaking, casting, hot rolling, PLTCM, CAL, and CGL. The know-how-based IT system TPQC guides the entire production chain and helps to continuously monitor and manage quality across all production processes. Data analytics and modelling (Quality Guard) are used to predict the mechanical properties of the coils to great accuracy along the strip length, which results in less sampling and testing and leads to improved quality management for the entire coil. The Quality Lab is a powerful tool for virtual product development, accelerating development time and increasing the efficiency of process optimization to ensure that the highest requirements for narrow mechanical properties are met, and alloying costs are reduced. Now Tangsteel is in a strong position to provide steel products of the highest quality for the automotive industry, home appliances and more. �

References I. Plaul, J. F., W. Oberaigner, Y. Zhai, T. Pfatschbacher, M. Kuegel, Through-Process Optimization (TPO), an integrated solution for steel production with best quality and highest productivity at lowest cost, 10th China International Steel Congress, 16-19 May 2018, Beijing/China. II. 2) Bragin S., et. al. High strength steel production. A comparison of different production routes, 10th International Rolling Conference and the 7th European Rolling Conference, 6-9 June 2016, Graz/ Austria. III. 3) Arth, G., et. al. Experimental und numerical investigations on hot tearing during continuous casting of steel, 8th European Continuous Casting Conference, 23 - 26 June 2014, Graz/Austria. www.steeltimesint.com

17/03/2021 14:16:34

PERSPECTIVES Q&A: SMS GROUP

Enormous demand for digital solutions SMS group sees enormous demand for digital solutions in the steel industry to increase plant efficiency. The company is busy throughout the world and is currently implementing a new mega project at Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) in Sinton, Texas. By Bernhard Steenken1 and Dr. Christian Froehling2

1. How are things going at SMS group? The steel industry is well on the way to CO2-neutral steel production. We are accompanying this complex path with new plants, techniques and processes. For the European Union to achieve its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050, the steel industry will have to find new ways of producing steel – most likely by replacing the classic blast furnace route by hydrogenbased reduction processes. This means that companies will have to invest billions in new equipment. SMS is well prepared for the changeover from low-CO2 processes: Digital solutions make an enormous contribution to operating plants and machinery ever more efficiently and sustainably. 2. What is your view on the current state of the global steel industry? We see an enormous demand for digital solutions to increase the efficiency of plants and machines. There are a few critical factors of competitive production in the steel industry that are becoming increasingly important: maximum plant availability, low specific energy consumption per ton, minimized scrap rates, and continuously cost-optimized production planning for complete and on-time delivery. New digital solutions provide decisive value levers. Together with our customers, we develop customized solutions that enable more efficient and sustainable steel production and a quick ‘return on investment.’ Now, in particular, it is crucial to have concepts at hand that allow companies to keep their business going, even during a pandemic. As part of our future strategy, we are looking to develop new business areas and focus on digitalization and growth markets, along with SMS group’s ‘New Horizon’ initiative.

3. Where does SMS digital mostly conduct its business? As a system supplier, SMS group supports customers in the entire metal industry. SMS digital combines its know-how in

about this because it allows us to bring our digitalization expertise to the entire world. The SMS group extends across all continents. We are also increasingly expanding our partner network to support

Dr. Christian Froehling Bernhard Steenken

digitalization and artificial intelligence with the process and plant expertise of SMS group. Together we realize the vision of intelligent, self-optimizing plants and processes to be the leading partner for our customers. With our experience and solutions, other companies that are not in the metals industry can be served in the same way. Only those who understand processes and recognize interfaces can use digital solutions to make processes more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective. 4. Where in the world are you busiest at present? USA, China, Brazil, India, Europe – our customers are scattered worldwide and use the possibilities of digitalization to optimize their steel plants. We are pleased

customers globally in the shortest possible time. 5. Can you discuss any major contracts you are working on? SMS group is currently implementing a new mega project at Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) in Sinton, Texas. In May 2021, SDI’s new flat steel complex will start operation and produce 2.7 million metric tons of highquality flat steel per year. These include steels with strengths of up to around 700 megapascals. The CSP® nexus plant will enable SDI to produce thin slabs with thicknesses of up to 130mm (5.2”) and slab widths of up to 2,134mm (84”). Thus, the plant exceeds the potential of all flat steel mills with electric arc furnaces built to date.

1. CEO, SMS Digital. 2 Executive vice president, metallurgical plants and environmental technology, SMS group March 2021

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17/03/2021 07:18:51

PERSPECTIVES Q&A: SMS GROUP

6. What are your views on Industry 4.0 and steelmaking? The many challenges of digital transformation can be overcome by the benefits of Industry 4.0, such as realtime capability, interoperability, and the horizontal and vertical integration of production systems. Industry 4.0 is the interlinking of real processes with the virtual world – merging manufacturing processes with information technology. Our clear goal is not to know whether the process is currently stable or the product quality is good, but how the process and the product quality will behave. We use AI and machine learning methods to make predictions and optimize the production process to the maximum. Industry 4.0 must provide an answer to a straightforward question: How can digitalization help companies maximize efficiency and profitability across the entire value chain? Only sustainable and valuebased digital solutions will survive. Whether greenfield or brownfield, every plant can be transferred into the digital age. But digitalization is nothing you can buy off the shelf. Every plant and process is different. We want to enable plants to autonomously make complex decisions based on data and react to spontaneous changes with our solutions.

8 Can SMS digital solve energy efﬁciency and sustainability? Yes, we see that again and again. Many companies collect a lot of data in their processes. However, this data is still not used to create value. We convert this data into information and turn the information into value through advanced analytics. SMS group and SMS digital are established players in the steel industry and customers trust us. As a full-service provider, we always expand our portfolio and respond to the industry’s current challenges with the right solutions. Since 2020, the Brazilbased company Vetta is part of the SMS family. Vetta’s established solution, the Viridis Energy & Sustainability Platform, is

user-friendliness, all of which positively impact the sustainability and cost-efficiency of production. The learning steel plant is a digital eco system that enables our customers to take data-driven decisions. 10. How do you view SMS digital’s development over the short-tomedium term? For SMS digital, we expect a disproportionate development. The metal industry has a lot of catching up to do in the area of digitalization. Back office digitalization is already well advanced, but industrial digitalization is still lacking. This is mainly due to very complex production processes. To successfully implement use

Before commissioning a large plant like SDI, SMS group ensures that the plant has a steep

7. What’s your view on hydrogen steelmaking? Conventional steel production releases considerable amounts of CO2. We want to counteract this with our eco-friendly and resource-saving plant technologies, and hydrogen plays a significant role. The production of green steel via a hydrogensupported direct reduction process combined with an advanced Electric Arc Furnace is one of our key focal areas: Thanks to hydrogen, steel can be produced CO2 neutrally. Hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent and as a substitute for natural gas. Hydrogen is of central importance in the production of green iron, but a prerequisite is that the power used to produce hydrogen via electrolysis is generated without any CO2 emissions. Via its subsidiary Paul Wurth, the SMS group holds a stake in the start-up SunFire, one of the most innovative companies in the world in hydrogen production by means of hightemperature electrolysis and it develops plant and equipment for the production of renewable technical gases and fuels. March 2021

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ramp-up curve right from the start and is optimally adjusted to production and appropriate energy consumption. This is done, among other things, by the integration test.

an integrated solution for energy, resources, and sustainability management for the steel, aluminium, mining, and other energyintensive process industries. With this platform, we can reduce the environmental impact, including a lower carbon footprint and substantial improvements to our clients’ operational management and planning capabilities. 9. Where does SMS digital lead the ﬁeld? We are already implementing our vision of the learning steel plant. With our cuttingedge digital solutions for predictive asset health, production planning, quality, and energy management, we can offer our customers a full-service package. We take advantage of the most innovative technologies to increase productivity and

cases in the metal industry, not only digital know-how is required, but also domain expertise. 11. How optimistic are you for the global steel industry? The entire steel industry has been confronted with many challenges. However, the global steel industry outlook has improved significantly with the development of vaccines against COVID-19. Above all, the focus is shifting to new digital technologies.In the era of digitalization and Industry 4.0, it is crucial to obtain maximum performance from equipment and processes. Digital technologies can return valuable resources to the cycle, and save multi-digit millions. These are critical factors for competitive production.� www.steeltimesint.com

17/03/2021 07:19:01

HISTORY

18C ironmaking in western Romania In 1718-19, the first forge was built in Bocşa in present day SW Romania, soon followed by a second ˘ This was a time prior to Romania coming into existence (in 1856) and Banat in nearby Bocşa Montana. was owned by the Imperial Hapsburg Crown centred on Austria and Hungary with an Empire that included much of present-day Eastern Europe. Thus, it was the Hapsburg Treasury that financed the iron works. By Romulus Ioan* THE area around Bocas in SW Romania was rich in ore and in timber for charcoal and construction. There was also a compliant workforce not controlled by craft guilds that elsewhere had sometimes disrupted activities. In the same year a blast furnace was built at Bocşa Montana ˘ along with an ore processing plant. The ore came from the nearby Ocna de Fier mine and the fuel for the furnace and forge was beech charcoal. Bellows were powered by a water wheel supplied by the river Bârzava. The furnace was designed by Frederich Freiberg and built by a workforce brought in from Bohemia, in the west of the present-day Czech Republic. In 1722 the site suffered severe flooding and the plant was moved to safer ground and renamed ‘Nue Werk’ (New Work). In addition to the furnace, an ore processing plant, a refining forge and a foundry were constructed. Among other items, the foundry produced cast iron stoves and ammunition for the Imperial Army. A steelworks followed powered by a waterfall in the river. At this time, a new source of ore was also identified and said to be sufficient to supply 10 furnaces. The daily consumption of the existing furnace was three carts of ore and three of charcoal per day. Iron not destined for the foundry was cast as pigs weighing 2-3 ‘quintals’ (200-300kg). These were broken up for refining in the forge to bariron or profiles. The pig iron was heated in a charcoal hearth to decarburize it and consolidated with a water-powered hammer. The analysis of the refined metal varied from wrought iron to steels and is given in Fig 1.

Product

P max

Wrought bar

0.04-0.033

0.08

0.07-0.14

0.030

S max 0.008

steel

0.80-1.50

0.16

0.04-0.26

0.020

0.005

Fig 1 Analysis of refined metal year days Iron Forged Forged Unforged

cent

working

casting

bars

parts

tons

cent

tons

cent

bar stock tons

cent

tons

1724

150

2265

127

1725

240

5400

302

1726

245

4000

224

1727

135

2900

162

3360

188

3200

179

1400

Fig 2. Output by product 1724 to 1727

Production

Cast iron

Sand molded Wrought iron parts

bars

Forged

horseshoes

products

Other

Nails

products

various assortments

cent

3500

600

3000

1000

100

tone

196

33.6

168

2.8

5.6

buc

850.000

Fig 3 Range of products made at Bocşa

*Dr Ioan is executive director of the Resita Plant, part of the TMK Group www.steeltimesint.com

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March 2021

18/03/2021 14:15:04

HISTORY

The resulting refined metal was then forged into final objects by smiths. Furnace output in 1725 was 5,400 centenaries which equates to 302 tons, with the furnace working 240 days that year. Total expenditure was 5967 florins. Output by product for the years 1724 to 1727 are presented in Fig 2 (1 cent = 0.056 ton) – see previous page. In 1726-7 investments were made in building a new forge and a charcoal store as well as constructing a dam and cutting a channel from the pond so formed to supply water wheels that operated the bellows and hammers in the new forge. Housing for the workforce was also built as well as a social centre and brewery. The Bocşa steel plant produced 224 tons of cast iron (Roh Gansen) in 1726, from which 188 tons of semi-finished products (bars for forgings = Staabeysen) were produced which made 179 tonnes of forged parts (Zeugeysen). 78 tonnes of iron were recorded as stock (36 tonnes from the current production and 42 tonnes from the previous year’s production) Fig 3. Within 10 years, the supply of good quality beech charcoal was finished due to

construction of a copper forge and iron for the fortification of the citadel in Timisoara, the capital of Banat. However, these military orders resulted in the Turkish army capturing the works. By the end of the war in 1739, the works was in a poor state of repair, further damage having been caused by an uprising of the population of Banat in July 1738. This uprising also affected the Luncani works. As a result, operating losses were recorded that year. The fall in iron production resulted in the closure of the ore mines at Bocşa and Luncani and opened the market for metal brought in from ironworks in neighbouring Hunedoara, Transylvannia. By 1748-49 the existing Bocşa works could no longer compete with plants in Hungary and Transylvania. Output fell. A review of the situation in 1768 concluded that it was better to build a new plant at Recitza, 20km upstream where there was ample timber for charcoal as well as iron ore and where falls on the river Bârzava could drive water wheels. In October 1768 the Aulic Chamber of Mines 7 Mining asked for details of expenditure. �

deforestation and only inferior charcoal was supplied. In addition, there was a shortage of timber for construction and repairs. To overcome supply problems, in 1734 a satellite plant was constructed some 5km away at Luncani, supplied by a dedicated mine, and using local timber. Despite these investments the plants were barely meeting local demand for bar and forged products. As a consequence, in 1736, the Hapsburg Treasury leased parts of the Bocşa works to local entrepreneurs and in the following year the foundries were leased for a period of six years to reduce costs. The furnace was contracted to supply iron to the foundry. In 1737 the Austro-Turkish war broke out and the Aulic War Council, which was the central administration of the Hapsburg Empire, ordered 3,000 of one-pound shot, 15,000 four-pound shot, 72,000 24-pound shot, 400 eight-pound mortar shells and 400 10-pound bombs to be supplied to the army in Slovenia. In addition, orders for iron for the construction of a patrol vessel on the Danube and for anchors were placed. An order was also received from Moldova Noua ˘ for iron components for the

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18/03/2021 14:15:06

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