The total world steel production in 1998 amounted to approximately 780 000 000 t. The share of electric steelmaking was in the range of 35 per cent and is expected to increase further to over 40 per cent of the world's production within the next ten years. As electric steelmaking is primarily based on the use of scrap and as it is progressing more and more into higher steel grades the need for low-residual metallics will become increasingly important. Consequently, the demand for scrap substitute material will increase, reflected in the world wide spate of interest for DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) and HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron). The increased significance of DRI/HBI as a substitute for steel scrap has obviously emanated also from its comparatively lower and more predictable costs per ton and definable chemistry. In 1998 already 37 million tons of DRI/HBI were globally produced. The iron oxide requirement of the existing gas or coal based reduction processes in the form of lump ores and pellets, the availability of which is becoming increasingly scarce with the rising demand in directly reduced iron material, necessitates the construction of capital and operating cost intensive iron ore beneficiation and pelletising plants with concentrators.Lurgi's newly developed direct reduction technologies, the gas based Circored~(~R)and coal based Circofer~(~R)processes for the direct reduction of iron ore fines, adequately cover the requirements of producing highly metallised low-cost scrap substitute materials as DRI or HBI. Countries with low priced natural gas recourses will preferably apply the Circored process, whereas in regions with high costs for natural gas, the new coal based Circofer process is the ideal solution. Iron ore fines as an inexpensive raw material source with a difference to pellet charge of up to 20 US$ per t of product can be applied in both processes.
展开▼
