CST Energy Model is based on the optimum use of coal in a cokeintegrated steel plant, which needs coal to produce pig iron.Petroleum and electricity almost complete autonomy is achievedthrough the optimum use of coal and derivatives to produce energiesand utilities for inward consumption and sales. Furthermore, theCST Energy Model management brings other relevant results inorder to reduce CO2 emissions and costs.

To maximize furnace campaigns and to minimize production downtimesthrough short lining times, the entire integral blast furnacearea, including the auxiliary units, has to be theoretically partitioned.The evolution of measures for extending furnace life is in conjunctionwith the investigation and understanding of the in some respectsvery complicated wear mechanisms and their causes. Of mostimportance are the constructional, material and process engineeringmeasures to reduce wear and the measuring instrumentation forearly detection and progress monitoring of wear.

The high sensitivity of the local community to the dust issue led usto develop a continuous monitoring of dust deposits in the surroundingsof the Dunkerque plant. These measurements are most accuratelyexploited with a new tool that has been developed to alert andto analyze the strong dust deposits. This information makes it possibleto identify the sources of emission that originate the dust depositsand to take appropriate measures to reduce their impact.

The repair of a walking beam furnace is usually achieved by replacingthe damage block or by gunning a wet refractory mix on the hotsurface. A new alternative is introduced, based on the ceramic weldingtechnology. It has been successfully applied by Industeel intheir slab reheating furnaces.

The meniscograph and the sessile drop wetting methods, associatedwith in situ surface analyses, were used to quantify the influenceof the annealing atmosphere on zinc wetting during the hot dipgalvanising of high strength steels. If a clear wetting improvement isobtained for higher oxygen partial pressures, associated with a sufficienthydrogen amount, in the soaking area, a dry atmosphereabove the zinc bath has however to be preferred.

The paper reviews the 200 series and points out the specificities ofthe new developed grades. Chemical compositions, mechanicalproperties, corrosion resistance properties and applications are presented.The lack of international codes for those grades is pointedout. Finally warnings are addressed for improper uses of those gradesby end-users.

A new technique for production of bulk ultrafine grained metallicmaterials is proposed. The principle and possible design of the newtechnique, referred to as 'cone-cone method' (CCM) are outlined. Itis suggested that CCM can be used to produce sheet or strip materialswith uniform microstructure. This is substantiated by the resultsof numerical simulations that demonstrate the viability of the process.