Whenever I write about direct-reduced iron-as I do in this issue (see pages 54-60)-the question arises: Is DRI a complement to, or a substitute for, scrap in steel furnaces? The answer is "yes" on both counts. DRI allows steel mills'-principally electric-arc furnace minimills-to do more with their scrap, but it also trims their scrap use in certain circumstances. How is that possible? First, a few basics: Mills use DRI because it's a pure form of metallic iron. DRI's presence in a mill's mix varies based on many factors, including its access to raw materials, the price of those materials, and what product the mill wants to make. In general, mills will use the lowest-cost raw materials that still allow them to meet their metallurgical specs. That means they won't use DRI-which costs more than prime scrap-on a whim, but only when they need its pure metallic properties.
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