RAW MATERIALS FOR

STEELMAKING
RAW MATERIALS :

•Sources of Metallic Iron

•Oxidizing agent
• Fluxes
• Sources of Heat
• Deoxidizers and alloying additions.
• Furnace refractories.
Sources of Metallic Iron (PRIMARY SOURCE)

A.Molten iron from Blast Furnace (Hot Metal)

B. Solid pig Iron (from Blast Furnace)
C. Direct Reduced Iron

Secondary source
Steel scrap (basically process scrap)
SCRAP LOAD FOR VARIOUS PRODUCT

PRODUCT SCRAP (% of Ingot)

Rails 20-25
Plates 20-50
Wheels, axles 35-45
Strip 15-30
Merchant products 15-20
Forgings 30-45
Conventional Process
Oxidizing agent

Iron oxide (Iron Ore, Mill scale)

Air (O2+N2)
Oxygen gas (purity 99.5%)
Fluxes

Flux %CaO %S %MgO %SiO2 %Al2O3 %Fe2O3 %CaF2 %TiO2

Lime 90-95 0.1-0.2 2-3 1.5 - - - -

Limestone 50 0.01 1 1 - - - -
Calcined Dolomite 55 0.1 34-38 3-4 - - - -
Ganister 0.5 - 0.1 94 - - - -
Fluorspar - - - 10 - - 75-85 -
Bauxite - - - 1-2 54-56 11-14 - 1-2
Sources of Heat

Exothermic oxidation of impurities.

Bessemer and BOF- Difficulty in taking cold charge.
Pulverised fuel, oils, natural, coke oven, Blast furnace
gasses can be used to retain heat inside steel making
furnace.
 Deoxidisers & Alloying Elements
Alloying elements Effects
Aluminum (Fe-Al) Restricts grain growth, deoxidizer to control grain size.
Silicon (Fe-Si) Deoxidizer, improves strength, hardenability, electrical property
Manganese(Fe-Mn) Weak deoxidizer than Si, Improves strength & toughness
Nickel Not deoxidizer, improves toughness & impact strength (low temp),
hardenability, corrosion resistance.
Chromium (Fe-Cr) Not deoxidizer, improves high temperature strength, corrosion and
wear resistance, hardenability
Titanium (23-25%) Strong deoxidizer, refines grain, improves strength, Nuutralises the
effect of N2 in steel. (Fe-Ti)
Molybdenum Pronounced effect on hardenability, improves creep, corrosion
resistance & high temperature strength.
Vanadium (35%) Strong deoxidizer, improves strength, impact resistance (Fe-V)
Boron (5%B), Fe-B Deoxidiser, improves hardenability % mechanical properties,
Zirconium (40%Zr) Deoxidizer, decrease the bad effect of N2 & S (Zr-FeSi)
Niobium (50%) Improves plasticity, Corrosion resistance, weld properties (Fe-Nb)
Furnace Refractories

Acid Furnaces : Silica sand, Ganister

Basic Furnaces : Dolomite, Dolomite+Magnesite
Magnesite Chrome (Magnesite+chromite)
Thermodynamic aspects
Thermodynamic aspects

In steelmaking gas/metal, gas/slag and gas/metal/slag

are the major reactions. So the phases are hot metal,
molten slag, gas.

Important aspects are:

a)Chemistry
b) Cleanliness (Less inclusion)

Solution Composition is expressed as weight% or mole

fraction (N)
Thermodynamic aspects

Mole fraction of ith component Ni = Xi/Σxi

Xi is the number of moles of ith component.

Impurity removal from hot metal to gas or slag takes

place when chemical potential of an impurity :
µi (hot metal)> µi (slag/gas).

Chemical Equilibrium : The chemical potential is similar

in all phases.
Thermodynamic aspects

(ΔG)T,P<0 (spontaneous process)

A + B = C + D,
(ΔG) = ΔGo + RT lnJ, where J is activity quotient,
ΔGo : standard free energy change.
At equilibrium
ΔGo = − RT ln (J)eq = −RTlnK,
K is equilibrium constant.
Fugacity : Denoted as Chemical potential for real
solution (either interact or repel)
Thermodynamic aspects

activity of component i, ai= fi/fi0

fi : fugacity of component i in solution,
fi0 is the fugacity of a component in its standard
state (pure element /compound at 1 atm
pressure).

Ideal Solution : Raoult’s law : ai=Ni

Real Solution : Positive/Negative deviation
γi = ai/ Ni
NPTEL, Lecture 6: Steel Making
Reactions: Oxidation of Iron and
Silicon
Thermodynamic aspects

Activity of sulphur in hot metal of composition C = 4%, Si = 1.5%,

Mn =1% and S = 0.04% at 1600℃.
activity of sulphur is :
hS = fS Wt%S