Use of Circal~(TM) HBI in EAF Steelmaking

摘要

Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest supplier of iron ore products to the North American steel industry. Subsidiaries of the Company manage and hold equity interests in iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Canada. Cliffs has a major iron ore reserve position in the United States and is a substantial iron ore merchant. In order to serve the non-integrated segment of the steel industry, Cliffs is developing a significant metallics business. Cliffs and Lurgi Metallurgie GmbH, an Outokumpu Technology Company, are partners in the Cliffs and Associates (CAL) hot briquetted iron plant located at Point Lisas, Trinidad and Tobago. Lurgi is the developer of the Circored~R HBI process technology used at CAL. Circal~(TM) Hot Briquetted Iron is a unique, zero carbon, low gangue, high iron, low phosphorous, reduced iron product made from ore fines instead of lump ore and/or pellets. During 2002, CAL produced 133,000 tonnes of HBI which were consumed in EAF and blast furnace operations in the USA. This paper briefly reviews the Circored~R HBI process, covers the results of a laboratory simulation study, and describes in detail the use of the Circal HBI in a high powered EAF. Some general conclusions from other trials are also presented.