Energy and Materials Flows in the Fabrication of Iron and Steel Semifinished Products

摘要

The flow of energy and materials in the fabrication of iron and steel semifinished products from molten metal is discussed. The focus is on techniques to reduce the amount of energy required to produce the typical products of integrated steel plants and iron and steel foundries. In integrated steel plants, if only 50% of the steel being cast were continuously cast, industry-wide energy consumption would be reduced by 6 to 15%. Further major energy savings could be achieved by increased use of by-product gases and regenerators in the various reheat operations. Finally, systems optimization studies to maintain the even flow of materials at full capacity should yield further improvements in energy efficiency. In foundry operations, alternate heating methods in forging operations and the use of no-bake molding and core materials should result in substantial energy savings. Studies of specific operations will suggest housekeeping changes to minimize wasted energy. These changes might include fixing heat leaks, reducing floor space requirements, improving temperature regulation, lowering working temperatures in some steel-forming operations, redesigning products, and minimizing scrap generation. There is also a need for new, energy conserving technologies. A good example would be the development of nondestructive testing to determine the existence, location, and size of defects in ingots at elevated temperatures. A second example is the need to reduce, through system studies, the large amount of scrap typical of foundry operations. Finally, computer control of steel mill operations (materials flow, furnace residence times, excessive heating or overheating, and full capacity utilization of all facilities at all times) deserves further study. (ERA citation 05:035089)