Steelmaking

Fabrication of Steel
Budinski Chapter 12
Study Unit 1

Science of Materials
MTK 3A11

Study division goals

To develop
Insight into South Africa's role in global

metal

production
An understanding of how

steel is made

A knowledge of the steel products that are

commercially available
An understanding of steel terminology and steel

specification procedures
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 2

Study division goals To develop

An understanding of the metallurgical

reactions that occur in heat treatment

A knowledge of the common

heat

treatments used on steels

Guidelines on how to specify

heat

treatments on engineering drawings

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 3

Having completed study unit 1 you should be able to

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

Describe the process of fabricating steel

and the workings of a typical steel mill

Discuss the processes involved in steel

refining

List the steel products that are

commercially available

Define certain steel terminology and

specifications
4

South Africa's role in

GLOBAL METAL PRODUCTION

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 5

SA mineral production

The worlds

largest turnover of platinum-groupmetals*

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 6

*Chromium
Corrosion and oxidation resistance Mild hardenability agent Improves wear resistance Promotes the retention of useful strength levels at elevated temperatures Chromium is an irreplaceable constituent in all stainless steels
7

Cr
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

*Manganese
Desulfuriser and deoxidiser Flat rolled carbon and HSLA steels contain up to 2% Mn for microstructural refinement Manganese may be substituted for part of the nickel content in austenitic SS

Mg
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

Tool and die steels rely on manganese for deep hardening

Farm equipment Plough
8

* Vanadium
Approximately 80% of vanadium produced is used as ferrovanadium or as a steel additive - specialty stainless steel, e.g. for use in surgical instruments and tools - rust resistant and high speed tool steels - mixed with aluminium in titanium alloys used in jet engines and high-speed airframes
9

Va
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

Bushveld Igneous Complex

The largest known deposit of platinum group metals (PGMs) platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and iridium are recovered, as well as small amounts of gold, nickel, copper and cobalt.

Largest resources of chromium and vanadium in the world

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 10

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

11

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

12

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

13

Fabricating steel and the workings of a

TYPICAL STEEL MILL

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 14

Steelmaking
Iron ore, coke & limestone Blast furnace & oxygen Molten iron Refine Solidify & form
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 15

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

16

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

17

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

18

Iron ore
Alloy of Fe & C Iron ore Coke Sinter

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

19

Integrated steel mill

A coke plant A blast furnace Various steel-refining processes A number of product lines
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 20

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

21

Blast furnace

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

22

Blast furnace process

Coke + Charge introduced into the furnace at
the top

Blasts of heated air are injected into the

furnace through openings at the bottom of the shaft Coke is burned along with the injected fuels, producing the necessary heat and reducing gas to remove oxygen from the ore in the reduction process
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 23

Blast furnace process

Carbon combines with oxygen in the ore As the iron melts, it descends and accumulates in
the crucible

Molten pig iron (5%C) and slag are drained

from the crucible through different tapping holes

Gas that exits from the top of the furnace goes through a cleaning process
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 24

Blast furnace

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

25

Direct reduction process

Iron ore, coal and oxygen are reacted in a single melting vessel steel Steel an alloy of iron and a restricted amount of carbon
C < 0.005% is considered pure iron C > 0.06% lower limit commercial steel C > 2.00% cast iron

More C brittle
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 26

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

27

Steel refining

Turning pig iron into steel

Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) Electric arc furnace (EAF)
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 28

Basic oxygen steelmaking

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

29

Basic oxygen furnace (BOF)

converts the molten

Cr
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

iron from the blast furnace into refined steel

30

31

Electric arc furnace (EAF)

Reduce iron from iron ore Heat is generated from an electric arc Oxygen is blown into the furnace, and lime and other materials are added to combine with the impurities and form slag Molten iron is extracted and poured out via a tapping spout Can then be processed again in an electric arc furnace to make steel (special quality steel)

Cr

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

32

33

Secondary Steelmaking
Speciality steels alter chemical composition reduce non-metallic inclusions Vacuum degassing Ladle stirring injection Ladle furnace heating
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 34

Special refining processes

VAR Super alloys VIM Specialty Alloys EBR To purify specialty alloys ESR Tool steel and special purpose steels

Cr
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 35

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

36

Continuous casting

Refinement of the casting process for the

continuous, high-volume production of metal sections with a constant cross-section

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

37

Continuous casting

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

38

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

39

Stand casting process and shapes produced

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

Standard shapes

W-Shape

S-Shape

T-Shape

Rail

C-Shape

L-Shape

Square & rectangular tubing

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

42

Hot and cold finishing

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

43

Hot rolling

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

44

Cold rolling

MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12

45

On your own
Steel terminology
Familiarise yourself with the terms used to describe mill processing operations

Steel specifications
Regardless of the identification system used, essential items need to be addressed in purchasing a steel. Discuss these characteristics
MTK 3A 11 Steelmaking Ch12 46

Next

Phase diagrams
Study unit 2

47