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Life of Steel
Life of Steel
Life of Steel
Contents Introduction
Introduction 3 Steel fulfils a unique place in our lives and yet few of us fully realise just how important steel
is to us. It is one of the most common materials that we come into contact with every day.
Recycling 4 - 5
The recyclability of steel is particularly amazing. There are few other materials that can be
Transport 6 - 7 recycled over and over again without loss of properties. Even steel created 100 years ago can be
recycled today and used in new products and applications. As we contemplate the legacy we will
Energy 8 - 9
leave our children and grandchildren we must focus much harder on the sustainability of our world.
Water 10 - 11 The recyclability of steel is an invaluable asset.
Today, a very important focus of our attention is on reduction in steel-related greenhouse gas
Housing and Construction 12 - 13
emissions.
Packaging 14 - 15 Over the past 25 years the steel industry has engineered a revolution in its performance through
massive investment in new products, new plants and technology and in new methods
Agribusiness 16 - 17
of working. But there is still much more to be done.
Automotive 18 - 19 In this brochure we seek to give you some insight into both how steel is made today and how its
application is changing the face of the world in which we live.
Communication 20 - 21
As an insight into the life around us I hope you will find it interesting and perhaps even occasionally
By-product reuse 22 - 23 astonishing.
Summary 24
Credits 25
Ian Christmas
Secretary General
International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI)
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Steel and You
Recycling
Did you know that steel is the most recycled
material in the world? According to IISI
estimates, the 20 billionth tonne of steel
was recycled in October 2007. Steel is
100% recyclable. It can be infinitely recycled
without loss of quality. It is one of the few
materials that does not lose its properties
when it is recycled. How do I know it is steel? What percentage of steel is recycled?
Did you know that steel is one of the few Almost all available steel is recycled as it is
magnetic metals? This makes it easy to an important input to the steelmaking process.
Why is recycling important to the separate steel from other metals. In most sectors, including automotive and
steelmaking process? Steel products are often labelled with construction, steel recycling rates are between
Creating new steel from recycled steel, the letters FE in a circle. Fe is the chemical 80 and 100%.
rather than iron ore, reduces CO2 symbol for iron, the main element in steel. Construction steel can also be reused without
emissions. In 2006, recycled steel made Iron is the most stable of all elements. reprocessing. This saves greenhouse gas
End-of-life
up more than 40% (or 496 million metric It is the most abundant material in the emissions, providing an added environmental
recycling approach
tons) of the 1.240 billion metric tons universe, the fourth most abundant advantage.
The steel industry, along with many other
of steel produced. This saved an material in the Earth’s crust and it forms Steel and iron components make up around
metal industries, strongly supports the
estimated 894 million metric tons of the core of our planet. 65% of the average vehicle. Once all fluids have
end-of-life recycling approach. It enables
CO2. Recycled steel is as strong and Steel
manufacturers, policymakers, designers, been drained and reusable parts removed from an
durable as new steel made from iron cans are
consumers and other decision-makers automobile, scrap processors shred the vehicle.
ore. Unfortunately, there is not enough the most recycled
to ensure minimal waste and maximum The average recycling rate for steel and iron in
steel scrap available to meet all the food and beverage
recycling and reuse of materials. cars is close to 100%.
demand for new steel. container in the world.
By improving design, the need for
Globally, around 64%
new steel production can be reduced
of steel packaging
as steel components can be reused
is recycled.
without reprocessing.
Ship Iron ore Scrap
Transport Aircraft
Aeroplane landing gear contain
ultra high-strength steel
Trains, ships, cars, bicycles and many other High-speed tracks use long and welded because of its unique
rails, which improve passenger comfort combination of strength
forms of transport rely on the strength and
and load capacity. Even the railway and toughness. Modern
versatility of steel. No other material has this sleepers are made of steel. Laser- ultra high-strength steels
range of properties. For many years, steel guided precision technology is are stronger and lighter than
has been used to move people and goods used to grind the steel the traditional grades they
wheels of trains, have replaced. This advanced
around the world or just around the corner. which minimises steelmaking technology
friction, contributes to the safety
noise and of passengers.
Trains vibration.
Often people prefer to travel
by train rather than by plane,
especially for short journeys. Bicycles
Today’s high-speed trains Steel plays Ships
can travel at up to 500 km/h a key role in the bicycle’s Capesize vessels are huge double-
and in temperatures ranging legendary robustness and hulled bulk carriers that can hold
from scorching to well below longevity. For strength and more than 140,000 tonnes of
freezing. The CO2 emissions stiffness of bicycle frames, steel cargo. The double-hull is made
from train travel are very low. is unbeatable as the material from a new generation of steel that
of choice. Cycling is one of the is stronger and lighter. The use of
most environmentally-friendly The such large vessels reduces the
modes of personal transport. steel used in number of sea voyages needed.
shipbuilding must This lowers greenhouse gas
have impact toughness,
emissions from shipping activities.
corrosion resistance in sea
water, fatigue resistance
(to withstand continual
wave action) and
weldability.
Water Pipes
The inherent strength of steel means that pipes can
be made with thinner walls than other pipe materials.
Water is essential for all forms of life. This maximises the capacity and working pressure of
It covers over 70% of the earth’s surface. the pipe and means that smaller trenches are required,
reducing excavation and backfill expenses.
Yet less than 1% is available as freshwater. Steel pipe has the best performance of all pipe
Managing water resources is one of the materials in seismically active zones.
critical challenges facing humanity. Steel pipe is lightweight which means
that it is light on the environment
Steel helps to protect this valuable resource during manufacture and transport
all along the supply and delivery chain. to the installation location.
Longer lengths enable faster,
more economical installations.
Coatings and corrosion
protection lead to long life
and low maintenance,
Barriers further reducing the
Flood risk management has become environmental impact
a specialised task for governments and of the pipe.
engineers. The Thames Barrier is a system of
Rainwater tanks stainless-steel-plated hollow flood gates that
A typical Australian stretch across the River Thames. The gates
household uses about are left open for traffic in normal conditions
280,000 litres of water each and closed when there is a risk of flood. As
year. Installing a rainwater The total structure uses 36,000 tonnes of the earth’s
tank has the potential to reduce temperature rises,
structural steel, and 10,000 tonnes of steel
residential fresh water requirements sea levels are also rising.
reinforcement. Use of steel allowed much
Melting polar ice caps and the
by 50%. A recent study by the University of the barrier to be pre-fabricated. Making
expansion of the sea’s waters as
of Newcastle (Australia) compared the construction quick and easy. they get warmer are contributing
environmental impact of steel, concrete, With the barrier in place, the flood risk is factors. Sea levels rose by
and plastic tanks over their life cycle. reduced to 1 in 2,000, or 0.05%. 10 to 20 cm during the
The study found that rainwater tanks 20th century.
made from steel have the lowest overall
environmental impact. At the end of its life,
the steel tank can be completely recycled.
Today external waste, such as Light weight, high- strength steels
plastics, can be added to a are also light on the environment.
blast furnace, reducing the CO2
emissions from coal. Plate
Slab
Welded pipes
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Steel and You
Agribusiness
Less than 3% of the workforce in developed
countries is employed in agriculture today.
However, to sustain the population 100 years
ago, over 75% of the workforce had to work
in the agriculture industry. Steel has made
the intensification of farming possible, and
will continue to do so in the future.
Communication Telescopes
Steel is used extensively in radio telescopes.
It is used to form the dish, stand (as reinforcing bar
Steel is integral for many forms of human if the stand is made of concrete), and in the technical
communication. It is found in all types of parts of the telescope such as the actuators that capture
the signals from space. Steel makes it possible to
communication devices from the humble prefabricate the elements of a telescope, minimising build
ballpoint pen to the most advanced time at the site and disturbance to local flora and fauna.
communications satellite. The largest telescope array in the world is currently
under construction in Chile.
When complete,
the Atacama Large
Millimeter/
Submillimeter
Transmission towers
Array (ALMA)
Mobile telephone Radio, television, and mobile telephone
will contain
The hinge of this mobile transmission towers are usually built from
66 telescopes
telephone is made from steel. Steel provides the strength and
linked
injection-moulded stainless flexibility that is required to support these
together.
steel. Stainless steel is an structures. Steel also enables the tower
ideal material for the body to be constructed quickly and at minimum
of the phone as it can be cost. The tallest transmission tower in
recycled over and over again the world is the KVLY-TV mast in North
without loss of properties. It is Dakota, USA. The tower is 628.8 metres
also hard wearing, giving the tall and took 30 days to construct. The
phone a long life. tower services a broadcast area of almost
Over 80,000 square kilometers, an area similar
90% of
in size to the entire Czech Republic.
the materials in
mobile phones can be
recovered and used
as raw materials for
new products.
Train
Rails Train rails
Improvements in casting
Longer rails mean fewer
enable longer, tougher rails.
joins and a smoother ride
for freight and people.
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Steel and You
Slag
A key market for slag is the cement industry.
It is estimated that using granulated blast
furnace slag in the production of Portland
cement (a type of cement which is the basic
ingredient of concrete) reduces CO2 emissions Fertiliser
by 50%. Slag from a
In some countries, up to 80% of cement blast furnace is rich
contains granulated blast furnace slag. in phosphate, silicate,
Stones made from slag can be used in many magnesium, lime, manganese,
Roads and iron. The slag is ground very
applications. Homes built with slag-stones have Aggregates such as rock and gravel
often outlived the steel plants the slag came finely so that it can be spread
are used to construct the base of on fields using conventional
from. Another important application for these roads. Slag can easily be substituted
stones are in seawalls. The slag-stones are able fertiliser-distribution machinery.
for more conventional aggregates. Over time the slag decomposes,
to withstand the corrosive environment and Slag has good environmental
provide protection against high tides and floods. releasing nutrients to the plants.
compatibility, bonds well to bitumen
and has a micro-porous surface
structure. This guarantees excellent
tyre grip, even in extreme weather
Tube rounds conditions and after long exposure
to traffic.
Steel tubes come in many
sizes and transport all New steels resist
types of gases and liquids. corrosion from sour gases
Pipelines
in harsh environments.
23
Steel and You
Summary Credits
IISI has launched a new global steel sector approach for the collection and reporting of carbon Photography
dioxide emissions data by steel plants in all the major steel producing countries. The information Cover image courtesy of Salzgitter
collection will lead to benchmarking improvements based on actual performance data and then Pipes (page 11) courtesy ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni
reporting and setting of commitments on a national or regional basis for implementation during Page 22: Georgsmarienhütte
the post-Kyoto period. The key advantage of the IISI approach is that it is supported by its Benteler Steel/Tube
members in both the developed and developing countries including China, which accounts Page 23: ThyssenKrupp VDM
for approximately 50% of total steelmaking CO2 emissions. Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann
Other images by:
IISI uses an intensity-based approach to measurement of carbon dioxide emissions, taking into Joris Luyten
account the CO2 produced per tonne of steel rather than the total carbon dioxide emissions Alfons Condes
within a country or region. This globally consistent calculation methodology will allow production- Hugo de Wolf/36Clicks Creative Photography
normalised CO2 emission comparisons between regions that are not possible today. APEAL
Columbus Paradigm Institute
IISI has put in place an expert group to oversee the collection of emissions data. This task force
will develop a reporting methodology and specific approaches to reduce the steel industry’s
global CO2 emissions. Concept and copyright
International Iron and Steel Institute
Graphics
www.blisscommunication.be
25
International Iron and Steel Institute ( IISI )
worldsteel.org
An overview of the steelmaking process
Blast Furnace Steelmaking Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking
Scrap
Pellets
Pellets
Sinter
Continuous casting
Hot and cold strip Plate Coils Hot rolled bars Rods Tube rounds Structural shapes Rails
The process shown above is illustrative only and is not designed to show the steelmaking process in detail.
Not all steel plants produce all of the products shown in this diagram.