Development and Optimization of Refractory Management in Critical Zones of Steelmaking in Public Sector Steel Plants of India

摘要

In this paper, the author intends to share the achievements attained with the newer refractory management system undertaken in government controlled integrated iron & steel works of India along with Tata Refractories Ltd. in recent years. Tata Refractories Ltd. is the largest refractory manufacturing unit in India and makes wide ranges of superior quality products both for ferrous and non-ferrous industries. Of late this company has pursued intensive programmes to understand the needs of major customers and has focused on the development, application and total refractory management for significant improvements of the refractory performance in many critical areas of iron and steel making processes both in the PSU and Pvt. Sector steel plants. Currently in India total 64 million t of steel is produced and out of that 18.5 million t of crude steel is produced in government controlled integrated steel plants. Accordingly, the company has undertaken several technological activities in blast furnace cast house, rotary lime calcination kilns (critical for BOF flux making), for example, BOF, AOD and secondary steel ladles in Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, Alloy Steels Plant, and Rourkela Steel Plant of public sector steelmaking units encompassing the development of tailored high quality products coupled with customer friendly total refractory management. The paper highlights the newer methods adopted during the application of the developed products, pattern of wear and causes for target applications, pyrophysical properties and micro-characterization of refractories. An attempt has been made here to highlight TRL's achievement in the BF cast house of BSP, the rotary lime calcining kiln of BSL and secondary steel ladles of VSP (RINL), etc.The author is grateful to the management of Tata Refractories Ltd., Belpahar, for the kind permission to publish the paper.