Strategies for Use of Superheated Steam During Stainless Steel Refining in Converters

摘要

Superheated steam has been used as a process gas in stainless steel production since the early 1970's when engineers at Uddeholms Degerfors Steel-plant developed the technology . In France a similar development took place within the Creusot-Loire group. The developed process was named CLU from Creusot Loire Uddeholm-process. Between 1973 and 2003 stainless steel was refined in Degerfors in an 80-ton converter where superheated steam, argon, nitrogen, oxygen and compressed air were used as process gases. Over the years the technology had a moderate expansion and in total seven plants has used superheated steam as a process gas industrially until now.