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By Luca Tommasi

Danieli complemented its wide range of production plants for the iron and steel industry with a further step upstream into iron ore pelletizing and beneficiation. Danieli has engineered and constructed a state of the art and fully automated pilot plant facility – pot grate and sinter box – at Altos Hornos de Mexico S.A. (AHMSA) Pelletizing Plant, Monclova, Mexico. Installation and commissioning were completed in October 2009. Key features of the pot grate include the avoidance of the need for operator intervention during the test, automatic system preheat, absence of dead time, heat recuperation system with an air/air heat exchanger, oxygen control in preheating and firing with zirconia oxygen analyzer, possibility to test deep beds up to 625 mm. A series of projects have been accomplished by AHMSA availing of the pot grate facility with the aim to enhance pellet plant productivity and to reduce operating costs. The results obtained by use of Danieli pot grate combined with the experience and skill of plant operators has shown significant technical and economical benefits thus fully justifying the initial investment made by AHMSA and confirming the importance of having an in-house testing facility in order to optimize industrial plant operations.

Aug 16, 2017

By Jari Larkiola, Aarne Pohjonen, Juha Jokisaari, Oskari Seppälä, Joonas Ilmola

Finite element method (FEM) is widely used to model the hot strip rolling process. Flatness defects e.g. front-end bending in multipass hot strip rolling is studied by authors using a finite element (FE) model with interactively operating automated controlling logic (ACL) [1]. However, industrial corresponding grade of accuracy in strip thickness subsequent to the rolling pass is not easily accessible in FE-model without separate calculation of significant rolling parameters and integrated roll gap control. In order to study flatness defects and optimize pass schedules the controlling and physics of the FE-model must correspond to the industrial process. For this need the automated controlling logic is upgraded by setup calculations to predicting roll force and work roll flattening. These predictions are utilized in setup positioning of a work rolls. Reliable setup calculation enables smooth multi stand rolling process without significant additional adjustment of roll gap clearance. State of art rolling technology requires above-mentioned setup controlling for the FE simulations to simulate different pass schedules without time consuming preparations. Operational setup calculations together with automated controlling logic of hot strip rolling enable simulation of new pass schedules and efficient problem solving.

Oct 1, 2019

By Eric Yoshimitsu Sako

One of the main difficulties in the operation of trough and runners at Arcelor Mittal Tubarão (AMT) Blast-furnace no.02 is the reduced amount of time available for repair procedures. The consequence is that the castable installation must often be performed during hot conditions and the installed castable could easily detach from the base material during the early stage of operation, exposing the previously oxidized base material to molten iron and corrosive slag attack. When events like this happen, emergency repairs must be executed, resulting in increased refractory unit consumption and an unplanned shutdown of unit operation. Considering these targets, Nippon Crucible Co. and Saint-Gobain HPR Brazil have developed a high-performance Al2O3-SiC-C composition based on an entirely novel anti-oxidation technology. Oxidizing reactions could be attenuated by adding an oxidant inhibitor and a water reducing agent. As a result, the open porosity was significantly reduced, resulting in an improvement of campaign life in terms of pig iron throughput when compared with the regular castable. An analysis of this life improvement showed successful results for the material after 250 days of campaign. The main reason for such successful results was that the deterioration caused by the oxidation was significantly less and that this change made on the high cohesive structure of the base material was maintained for a long time. The attained results allowed Arcelor Mittal Tubarão to achieve longer trough campaigns, and avoid any unplanned stoppages with zero breakdown risks.

Oct 30, 2017

By Daniel Hajduk

Efficiency of back up rolls depends mostly on two parameters – length of campaign and dressing amount after the campaign. The longer the campaign (in terms of rolled tones) is, the higher the dressing amount. To solve this task properly it is necessary to know the distribution of accumulated damage in the working layer of the roll caused by previous campaigns and by loads (separating force and bending) during present campaign respecting changing conditions of material properties (hardness) through radius of the roll. To find an optimum dressing amount an algorithm has been developed and specialized computer program will be presented, that takes real measured loads during the backup roll campaign, calculates fatigue damage in the roll and suggests relevant dressing amount. This can help to prolong service life of rolls, minimize the risk of spalls and reach maximum efficiency in terms of rolled tones/km per roll.

Jul 30, 2018

By Eduardo Vitral

The present study focuses in the simulation of pattern formation by ion beam sputtering on a material surface. This process is responsible for the appearance of unexpectedly organized patterns, such as ripples, nanodots and hexagonal arrays of nanoholes. A numerical analysis of preexisting patterns is proposed to investigate surface dynamics, based on a model derived from a Kuramoto-Sivashinsky anisotropic equation, in a two dimensional surface with periodic boundary conditions. While deterministic, its highly nonlinear character gives a rich range of results, making it possible to describe accurately different patterns. A finite-difference semi-implicit splitting scheme is employed on the discretization of the governing equation. Simulations were conducted with realistic coefficients related to physical parameters (anisotropies, beam orientation, diffusion). The study dealt with a random and a monomode 1D structure initial condition in order to understand how the shape and wavelength of the initial pattern evolve with time. Ripples and hexagonal patterns were observed in the results, being physically consistent with the phenomenon. Moreover, the Method of Manufactured Solution has been used as verification of the developed numerical scheme.

Aug 16, 2017

By Michel Rodrigo Luiz, Glaucio Augusto Polini, Leonardo de Souza Melo, Giovani Rodrigues, Giardini F. Lazzarin

ArcelorMittal's pickling and cold rolling line has been demanded to increase production since the installation of equipment in 2015. In addition to improving productivity related to these new equipment, several additional jobs were planned and executed on equipment already installed has been carried out in order to improve the efficiency of the line. The present work exposes what was done in the scale breaker (tension leveler) to improve the availability results of the section and consequently of the line.

Oct 1, 2019

By Anna Carolina Cerqueira Neves

Synthetic fibers have been gradually replaced by lignocellulosic fibers. Compared to the synthetic fiber, natural fiber showed economic and environmental advantages presenting interfacial characteristics with polymer matrices that favor the impact energy absorption by the composite structure. However, so far little has been reported about the hemp fiber embedded in polymer matrices, such as tensile properties. This study aims to evaluate the resistance in tensile tests of epoxies composites reinforced with different percentages of hemp fiber. Tensile tests were submitted with percentage of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% incorporated hemp fiber in epoxy matrix. The tensile strength and deformation substantially increased the relative amount of hemp fibers incorporated into the polymeric matrix.

Aug 16, 2017

By Silvio Cecchini

State-of-the Art Mould Level Control Solutions for continuous casting applications face different challenges. On the one hand, technological phenomena such as clogging and unclogging, unsteady bulging or waving can create unpredicted meniscus disturbances by completely changing the casting channel geometry and the flow behaviour of liquid steel to the mould. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of caster operations, long lifetime, quick interchange-ability and integration capability into existing systems must be achieved. In the present contribution, the overall development of INTECO TBR’s mould level master – a comprehensive mould level control solution for all continuous casting applications – will be introduced. The basis for the presented system is a development over several years which includes investigations of all critical components such as shroud, stopper, stopper mechanism, servo actuator and mould level control program. These investigations finally resulted in a new-ly developed control algorithm for a highly dynamic servo actuator. The control algorithm with its basic functionality such as the prevention, identification and removal of clogging impacts with the associated automation functions to reduce their influence onto the overall mould level control performance will be presented. The scientific basis, the resulting control functions and their related automation implementation will also be illustrated. Finally, a patented control algorithm and control functionality for unsteady bulging and waving effects with the associated automation functions to reduce their influence onto the overall mould level control performance.

Aug 16, 2017

By Lidong Teng

ArcSaveTM is a new generation of electromagnetic stirrer (EMS) from ABB for electric arc furnace (EAF) operation. Its goal is to improve the safety, increase the productivity and reduce costs. Electromagnetic stirring in the melt bath during arc furnace operation will affect the scrap smelting, bath temperature distribution, refining reactions, and also the tapping practice. This paper has summarized the investigation results obtained from the first ArcSaveTM system installed in a 90 ton EBT arc furnace in USA. The hot test results show that ArcSaveTM has enhanced the heat and mass transfer in the arc furnace process. This results in a faster scrap melting rate, lower slag superheat during arcing, more homogenous melt bath, higher decarburization rate and higher EBT free opening frequency. ArcSaveTM has also reduced the tapping temperature and tapping oxygen in the steel. This brings a higher scrap yield and saves ferroalloy consumption in the downstream ladle furnace operation. The lower energy consumption, short tap-to-tap time, and consistent furnace operation bring increased productivity and safety.

Aug 16, 2017

By Danilo Gonçalves de Oliveira, Rogério Martins Pereira

Chatter is a widely studied vibration phenomenon that affects most cold mills around the world and its impact on these lines are tremendous: from productivity and quality losses to mechanical equipment damage. The investigation of its origins and how to minimize the occurrences and their impact on the equipment require special instrumentation and algorithms in order to have a detection of the vibrations as soon as they start. This paper presents three methods of identification of chatter on a Tandem Cold Mill and the actions to leave the vibration frequency range before its amplitude achieve catastrophic values.

Oct 1, 2019

By Maycon Athayde

Samarco produces high quality iron ore pellets processed in straight grate furnaces. This process is essential in order to obtain adequate mechanical strength to the pellet transportation and operation in the reduction reactors. All mechanical properties of the agglomerates are obtained during the stage of firing where the slag and sintering bond happens, thus it is a decisive step to improve the pellet quality. Therefore, the velocity distribution of gas flow within this zone must have homogeneous and even velocity distribution. Hence, it was developed a mathematical CFD model to characterize the gas flow in the burning zone, applying the equations of conservation of momentum, mass and energy and an uneven flow distribution was identified and the gas velocity analyzed and validated through experimental data. On the other hand, on the present paper, an improved firing zone burner were developed and industrially implemented in a way to mitigate the uneven flow pattern detected aided by CFD. Different burner designs, based on CFD analysis, were experimented in order to succeed on the aggressive condition. The combustion was investigated and burner efficiency evaluated and compared with the simulation purposed.

Aug 2, 2018

By Dalila Chaves Sicupira

A pitting corrosion study of welded joints of lean duplex stainless steel (LDSS) UNS S32304 has been performed. LDSS S32304 thick plates were welded by different processes commonly employed in equipment and piping construction: SMAW (Shielded metal arc welding), GMAW (Gas metal arc welding) and FCAW (Flux cored arc welding). The electrochemical behavior of different weldment zones (fusion zone (FZ), base metal (BM) and heat affected zone (HAZ)) was characterized both independently using an electrochemical microcell and together through whole sample analysis. The electrochemical method applied was performed in acidified glycerin, a process fluid of the biodiesel industry. The results were correlated to the microstructural features of the materials. Based on the results, is possible to conclude that the breakdown potential (Eb) of the fusion zone (FZ) was higher than the Eb obtained for the heat affected zone (HAZ). In general, top samples show higher breakdown potential than root samples and also the samples welded using filler metal 2209 has a better anodic behavior than the filler metal 2307. According to the results, GMAW welding process with 2209 as filler metal was revealed as the optimum chosen for application of 2304 duplex stainless steels in this case.

Jan 16, 2018

By Mohammad Masoumi

In the present study, API 5L X70 pipeline steel samples were deformed by hot-rolling cooled in air or quenched in water and subsequently tempered at different temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique were used to analyze the texture evolution from the initiate state to rolling and tempering state at mid-thickness and near surface plane of all samples. The results showed that the mid-thickness region is richer in {100}//ND oriented grains known as more susceptible to crack formation and growth through. Hot deformed specimen showed dynamic recrystallization grains while quench tempered sample at 700°C evidenced recovery and grain growth.

Aug 16, 2017

By Florian Markus Penz

The increase in Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) plants in steelmaking has given rise to renewed interest in a dynamic simulation of the BOF process. Material and process costs can be saved with optimized process times and targeted charging of scrap and slag formers. Beside hot metal, scrap is the main source of iron in the BOF process. Furthermore, scrap is used as a coolant during the process due to exothermal chemical reactions occurring in the BOF. In this paper, the melting and dissolution behaviour of scrap in the BOF process is discussed. A new dynamic thermodynamic and kinetic Matlab® model used to simulate scrap melting behaviour as a function of various scrap surface parameters and particle size is presented, as well as the influence of scrap properties on liquid bath temperature and final crude steel composition after a defined blowing period.

Oct 30, 2017

By Rodrigo Sanchotene Silva

Currently the industries of paint have directed their efforts on cleaner production of products that provide effective performance in corrosion protection of metallic materials. This work search introduce a new alternative of organic coating, without the presence of hazardous metals and replace equipments commercials used method of anodic protection for protection of oxidized metals. From this it, was produced Smart Paint (SP), consisting of Paint Acrylic Commercial (PAC) mixed the 1 % of binder, compound by the conducting polymer, Polyaniline Emeraldine Base (PAni EB) and plasticizer 4-chloro-3-methylphenol. The SP and PAC were applied to plates of carbon steel AISI 1010, with the aid of dip coat technique and then were subjected to drying for 48 h. The SP was characterized by thermals and physicochemical analyzes in order to verify possible changes in chemical properties of the ink produced, beyond perform electrochemical tests of Open Circuit Potential and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, employing equipment Potentiostat/Galvanostat Autolab PGSTAT302 Ecochemie, and aqueous 2 mol.L-1 of H2SO4. The results obtained allow us to state that the plasticizer does not alter the electrochemical properties of PAni and application of binder PAni EB to PAC does not alter the physicochemical properties of commercial coating. The binder PAni EB adds to PAC the capacity to induce the formation or maintenance of protective oxides in oxidizable metals submitted to harsh environments, method known as anodic corrosion protection.

Aug 8, 2018

By Samuel Filgueiras Rodrigues, Clodualdo Aranas Jr., Gedeon Silva Reis, Eden Santos Silva, Fulvio Siciliano

When austenite is deformed above the Ae3 temperature, partial amount of it transforms dynamically into ferrite by a displacive mechanism. After unloading, it retransforms back into the stable austenite by a diffusional process. This influences the rolling load which decreases under isothermal condition or does not increase with decreasing temperature as rapidly as expected under cooling. Plate rolling simulations under isothermal and continuous cooling conditions were carried out on a 0.09 wt.% Nb X-70 steel. Pass strains of 0.2 were employed together with interpass times of 10 s, and 30 s for the cooling conditions and 0.3 with interval of 10 s at 900 °C for the isothermal experiments; strain rate of 1 s-1 was used during the simulations. The mean-flow-stress (MFS`s) behavior of both conditions indicates that dynamic transformation and dynamic recrystallization were taking place during straining. The critical strains for the initiation of dynamic transformation fell around 0.06 while the critical strain for DRX was 0.12. It has been shown that ferrite is formed due to the applied deformation of roughing passes and increases its volume fraction throughout the finishing rolling stage. Under cooling conditions, the ferrite formation is also favored as the temperature approaches the Ae3 line. Such ferrite forms when the driving force for dynamic transformation is higher than the total free energy barrier preventing its formation. This obstacle consists of the free energy difference between austenite and ferrite as well as the lattice dilatation work and shear accommodation work. The addition of Nb retards the retransformation of the ferrite into austenite. Moreover, holding times after rolling increases the amount of austenite available for microstructure control on subsequent stages. The dynamic transformation (DT) mechanism can be used to design improved rolling schedules

Oct 1, 2019

By Marco A. Ramírez-Argáez

A 2D mathematical model was developed for the plasma arc welding process. Computational simulations based on mass and momentum conservation equations as well as Maxwell equations were performed by using the commercial software PHOENICS. The model predicts the electric characteristics of the arc column, flow patterns, temperature contours and electrical potential, by varying the composition of the cover gas, in this case, argon and nitrogen. It was found that an arc of nitrogen with respect to one of argon generates more intense jets, greater voltages, and lower temperatures in the arc column for welding arcs current of 150 A and 10 mm arc length.

Oct 30, 2017

By Steven G. Jansto

Carbon content and continuous casting parameters affecting solidification behavior, such as super heat, mold level fluctuation, heat transfer, fine grain chill zone depth and other process solidification parameters directly influence the surface and internal quality of the steel strand. The carbon content, resultant fine grain chill zone depth, the equiaxed-columnar transition zone and the strain energy are the primary drivers that govern hot ductility behavior. These factors influence the propensity for crack formation during the unbending section in the continuous casting process. Elements such as microalloys exhibit secondary or tertiary root causes for crack formation and are not the primary crack formation root cause. This solidification research identifies that the traditional hot ductility as measured via the percent reduction in area (%RA) at elevated temperature grossly overstates the minimum ductility required to assure crack-free casting of microalloyed steels. The strain at the ultimate tensile strength exhibits a very high correlation coefficient with strain energy while an extremely low correlation coefficient is exhibited with %RA.

Oct 30, 2017

By Olivier Lacroix, Dubé Mathieu, Guylaine Laforest

The reduction behavior of iron ore pellets in gas-based DR shaft processes has been studied at COREM since the late 80s. At that time, a new DR characterization test called COREM R180 was developped in collaboration with ArcelorMittal Mines Canada (former Quebec Cartier Mining) and ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada (former ISPAT Sidbec Inc.). This paper describes COREM’s approach to improve its understanding of the relations between iron ore pellet microstructure and pellet quality. The differences between the DR90 and the R180 tests are discussed. The evolution of the microstructure during reduction of both tests is also described. The reduction steps during the two tests are put forward as an important factor impacting the microstructural changes as well as the test results.

Oct 1, 2019

By Ramon Augusto Moretti, Henrique da Rocha Severino, Renato Nascimento de Castro, Fernando Cesar Sousa

Rolling stand 12 (LTx) of long steel, installed in the company A, Piracicaba - SP unit, had presented high levels of vibration, which affected its internal components, such as: shaft, gears and bearings, generating downtime. To evaluate this equipment a study was proposed by the following engineering techniques: Conventional Vibration Analysis, Operational Deflection Shape (ODS) and numerical simulation by the Finite Element Method (FEM). In the Conventional Vibration Analysis, high levels of vibration were observed during manufacturing process, especially when the material reaches the equipment. Impacts generate high values in acceleration, on average 80 m/s² peak to peak. In the moment of impact, misalignment of internal components was observed by ODS. Field results were correlated to those obtained by the Finite Element Method, which allowed to calibrate FEM model. Thus, the most effective structural modification already numerically evaluated was implemented in the system. Afterwards, new measurements by vibration and ODS techniques were performed, and attenuation of vibrational levels and operational mode, which overloaded the internal components rolling stand, were verified.

Oct 1, 2019