ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG, Duisburg, Germany:

P. Schmöle, Dr. Eng., Prof., Head of Ironmaking Technology

Steel Institute VDEh, Düsseldorf, Germany:

H. B. Lüngen, Dr. Eng., Senior Manager Operating Unit Technology,

hans-bodo.luengen@vdeh.de

There are principally four routes for steelmaking. Three are based on iron ore reduction via blast furnace, smelting reduction and direct reduction; one is based on melting steel scrap via the electric arc furnace. Blast furnaces and smelting reduction plants produce liquid hot metal and separate the main amount of the charge materials gangue components via a slag. Direct reduction plants reduce iron ores in the solid state to sponge iron (DRI, HBI) whilst the gangue components remain in the product. The report describes the process developments and current status of iron ore reduction routes as well as some future ideas. Future developments for iron ore reduction processes are — especially for the region Europe and Asia — directly linked to the request to decrease CO₂ emissions in steelmaking. The European ULCOS project, includes a blast furnace process with top gas recycling, the HIsarna smelting reduction process as a combination of the HIsmelt process and the CCF process (converted cyclone furnace), natural gas based steel production and hydrogen based steel production.There are really many ways to produce steel. Looking at the S-Line-Model it is questionable where the path leads. The further evolution of process acceptance is not only driven by technical development, economy and efficiency but also by policy requirements mainly based on CO₂ arguments. It is also questionable which effects price factors regarding raw materials, reductants and energy may have. With respect to the production routes based on iron ore reduction processes there are no winners, there are just best solutions with respect to the boundary conditions. The developers of all production routes are doing pioneer work for finishing good solutions.

1. Choi, J. S.:  Overview of recent ironmaking activi ties at Posco, Fachausschussbericht (Technical report) No. 1.053 of the VDEh Blast Furnace Committee, Düsseldorf, 2011.

2. Kim, D. H.; Choi, J. S.:  The Finex process — innovation in ironmaking technology, ibid.

3. Direct from Midrex, April 2011.

4. Steffen, R.; Lüngen, H. B.: Study on the status of direct reduction, Düsseldorf, 1994.

5. Diemer, P.; Killich, H.-J.; Knop, K.; Lüngen, H. B.; Reinke, M.; Schmöle, P.: stahl u. eisen 124 (2004) No. 7, p. 21/30.

6. Schmöle, P.; Lüngen, H. B.: stahl u. eisen 127 (2007) No. 4, p. 47/54.

7. Böhm, C.; Grill, W.: metals & mining (2009) No. 3, p. 42/43.

8.  Böhm, C.; Heckmann, H.; Grill, W.: SVAI smelting/direct reduction technology, Proc. METEC InSteelCon, 6th Europ. Coke and Ironmaking Congr. (ECIC) 2011, Düsseldorf, 30 June 2011.