ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG (Duisburg, Germany):

Schmöle P., Dr. Eng., Prof., Vice President, Competence Center Metallurgy, E-mail: p.schmoele@thyssenkrupp.com
Peters M., Dr. Eng., Sr. Vice President, Hot Metal Production

Conventional technological route of metallurgical production (blast furnace — basic oxygen converter — continuous caster, 64.7% of total production) is analyzed in comparison with other kinds of metallurgical processes (Corex/Finex — basic oxygen furnace — continuous caster (0.4%), direct reduction — electric arc furnace — continuous caster (4.3%), scrap-charged electric arc furnace — continuous caster (30.6%)). Chemical and physical role of coke in the blast furnace practice is considered, as well as physical quality parameters of coke, such as medium grain size, grain structure and grain size distribution. The blast furnace is a counter-current reactor. Influence of fl ooding of slag factors (such as shaft gas composition, temperature,pressure. resulting density, slag amount, viscosity, coke-specifi c surface etc.) in the blast furnace performance is displayed. The reduction gases must flow from the raceway to the blast furnace top against the descending burden column and the liquid products hot metal and slag have to vertically drain off against the up-streaming gases to the hearth and on a horizontal way to the taphole. Solid and big-sized coke with suffi cient free voidage guarantees the gas permeability in the total burden column and the drainage for the liquid products in the lower furnace. Dependence between blast furnace productivity and coke hot strength (CSR) is shown. Cost curves for hot metal production with good and bad coke are examined and the measures for production increase (in the case of low-quality coke) are suggested.

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