The accuracy of the parameters is of great importance in the calculation and simulationof the COREX process. Therefore, it is necessary to measure some parameters, especiallythe heat loss and its distribution, which have not been reported before. Based on thecharacteristics of the two sets of the Baosteel COREX-3000 process, a method and standardare established for the heat loss and its distribution. Then the heat loss anddistribution are calculated based on the measured parameters. The results show that thetotal heat loss of the two COREX processes is 495.4 MJ/tHM and 413.7 MJ/tHM. The heat losscaused by cooling water accounts for more than 93% of the total heat loss while the heatloss of furnace shells is less than 7%. The main heat loss caused by cooling water takesplace at the tap hole zone, which is also the part of the COREX system with the most heatloss Its heat loss is about 30% of the heat loss caused by cooling water and 28% of thetotal heat loss of the COREX system. The main heat loss of furnace shells takes place atthe dome of the melter-gasifier and the reducing gas entrance position of the shaftfurnace, where the heat loss accounts for nearly 90% of the heat loss of furnace shells.It is also found that the energy utilization efficiency of the 1# COREX system is muchlower than that of the 2# COREX system after comparison.

In Europe, like elsewhere, the share of steel produced by electric arc furnaces from scrap increases. As the amount of internal scrap has decreased considerably, the steel plants recycle more and more collected obsolete and capital scrap. This source of iron has increased rapidly and will continue to increase. In spite of that, some plants may have to include in their EAF charge prereduced iron coming from countries where natural gas is available at low cost.

Blast furnace No. 1 of Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão has been in continuous operation for 20 years, accomplishing a high operational performance with high productivity and low fuel consumption. With a view to reach the major objective of 18,500 t/m3/IV of productivity, several works have been carried out in order to extend the furnace campaign until 2008. This paper presents the results of these activities along with a proposal for a new concept of hearth wear.

The instrumented bars designed and patented by Arcelor Research enable precise calibration of the actuators (roll-gap, transversal and longitudinal tilting and back-up rolls) of levellers. The calibration procedure requires to stop the cut-to-length line for 30 minutes to calibrate the leveller, if no major mechanical operation is necessary. The measurement device will guarantee the pre-setting validity and the longevity of the leveller.

Existing rolling mills entering the markets for high quality steel may be limited by their descaling systems installed in terms of pressure and flow rate. In addition to the potential for optimizations of existing systems, the potential for optimization of the nozzle design itself has now been fully utilized in order to maximize the impact at a given water flow and pressure. New design methods and production technologies have been applied.

TEM in situ straining experiments are of high interest in evidencing the dislocation mechanisms responsible for the macroscopic behaviour of materials. The application of this technique to biphased materials is illustrated here through various examples in which deformation is controlled either by dislocation propagation (e.g. precipitate overcoming) or by dislocation nucleation (e.g. interfacial sources).

In spite of its shortcomings, the salt spray test is universally used to characterize the corrosion resistance of zinc based coatings. A working group has tried to improve its reliability by the introduction of a new calibration method of the equipment. The outcome of the work is the definition of a new testing procedure, presently adopted in France for the control of coated products delivered to the automobile industry.

CST has among its priorities the sustainable development and basedon it the sinter plant unit has a commitment to reduce the atmosphericemissions, by developing actions that assure the continuousimprovement on process and the development of equipment linkedwith environmental control, and also with raw materials consumed inthe process. This paper aims at showing all evolutions on theenvironmental control at the sinter plant, with reference to dust andSO2 emissions, and also the visibility of the plume stack.

The topography of grain boundary thermal grooves in the Ni-rich NiAl is studied by the atomic force microscopy. It is demonstrated how the processes of grain boundary sliding and surface faceting modify the shape of the grooves. The quantitative theory of grain boundary grooving that takes into account the above complications is developed. The great potential of grooving studies for the analysis of microstructure evolution is emphasized.

“Stand-support sintering”, that is supporting the load of the sinter cake with bars or plates attached to pallets, has been developed and applied practically to the sintering machines in Kimitsu works, Nippon Steel. The stands start to support the load of the sinter cake just after the top layer is melted and starts to solidify. Shrinkage is stopped and the gas flow rate is increased when the stands start to support the load of the sinter cake. It was found that sintering time was shortened and productivity was improved in actual sintering machines.

This article tells in the form of a tribute to chairman René Damien, the founder of Usinor, the story of the French wide strip mills. The situation of the French steel industry in the 1950s is first recalled. The important decisions made to modernize this industry are then presented and the major milestones of the construction and operation of the hot strip mills of Denain, Serémange, Dunkirk and Fos are indicated.

Energy efficiency in BOF process is related to hot metal and scrapratio and thus to production capacity potential and specific CO2emissions. A thermal balance in the fume system, using a selectedmetrology, can be calculated dynamically and provides a valuabletool for investigating the process parameters that are relevant foroptimizing and controlling energy efficiency. The method and firstresults are presented.

The hot ductility of Ti-bearing steel was studied by theoretical calculation and athermal simulation experiment. Meanwhile, microsegregation and precipitates were analyzed.The results showed that the S, P and O elements were enriched at the grain boundaries,while the hot ductility was deteriorated by inclusions of (Fe, Mn, Si, Al)(S,O) in theinterdendritic region. At a temperature of 1300 °C, large TiN particles have little effecton the hot ductility. In the temperature range from 1000 °C to 900 °C, the Reduction ofArea (R.A) declined rapidly from 81.77%to 31.77%, with the size of particles decreasing from 5 to 20 nm and quantity increasingfrom 1.2 inds/μm2 to 354 inds/μm2,respectively. In the temperature range from 900 °C to 850 °C,R.A decreased from 31.77% to 30.12%with the ferric films gradually thickening. The critical stress, 63.58 MPa, was equal totensile strength at 912 °C. Intergranular fracture occurred easily with higher criticalstress below 912 °C.