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By Silvio Cecchini

State-of-the Art Mould Level Control Solutions for continuous casting applications face different challenges. On the one hand, technological phenomena such as clogging and unclogging, unsteady bulging or waving can create unpredicted meniscus disturbances by completely changing the casting channel geometry and the flow behaviour of liquid steel to the mould. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of caster operations, long lifetime, quick interchange-ability and integration capability into existing systems must be achieved. In the present contribution, the overall development of INTECO TBR’s mould level master – a comprehensive mould level control solution for all continuous casting applications – will be introduced. The basis for the presented system is a development over several years which includes investigations of all critical components such as shroud, stopper, stopper mechanism, servo actuator and mould level control program. These investigations finally resulted in a new-ly developed control algorithm for a highly dynamic servo actuator. The control algorithm with its basic functionality such as the prevention, identification and removal of clogging impacts with the associated automation functions to reduce their influence onto the overall mould level control performance will be presented. The scientific basis, the resulting control functions and their related automation implementation will also be illustrated. Finally, a patented control algorithm and control functionality for unsteady bulging and waving effects with the associated automation functions to reduce their influence onto the overall mould level control performance.

Aug 16, 2017

By Klaydison Silva, Maurício Curi Segato, Elves Matiolo, Neymayer Pereira Lima

Flotation is the main concentration process, has been applied with sucess for the removal of quartz on the iron ore industry aiming high quality concentrates. limiting the top size close to 0,300mm and the removal of slimes are fundamental for the efficiency of reverse flotation of quartz. The high consumption of reagents, leading to insufficient particle coverage, and increased foam stability, leading to the difficulty of removal of quartz particles, are the main deleterious effects of the presence of slimes. Recent characterization studies, together with the development of new collector of linear chain, allowed the obtaining of concentrate with SiO2 contents close to 3% with 94% of metallurgical recovery, based on pilot tests carried out on a sample flotation column of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero.

Oct 3, 2019

By Mario González Ramírez

The safe transport of sour gas requires steels with enhanced hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) resistance. Centerline segregation bands of high hardness microconstituents and non-metallic inclusions are the heterogeneities usually linked to HIC failures in pipeline steels. Full-scale production heats of a new low Mn, Nb microalloyed steel were produced by different steel mills aiming at the application in sour gas environments. The new alloy design provides both effective strengthening and control of sulphide inclusions. Coil microstructure consisted of fine grained ferrite with a small volume fraction of uniformly dispersed eutectoid aggregates. Most importantly the microstructure was uniform in both the longitudinal and transverse directions and exhibited exceptional consistency. Samples from this steel were submitted to HIC testing according to NACE standards TM0284-2003 without any sign of cracking. The results, so far, confirm that this new alloy design provides the unique opportunity to economically produce a high strength pipe steel grade with improved sour service resistance for the linepipe industry.

Aug 8, 2018

By Luiza Esteves

Corrosion testing was performed in white liquor from a Brazilian Kraft mill. Specimens of duplex stainless steel (DSS) and lean duplex (LDSS) were exposed at 170 °C for 30 days to simulate conditions of the digester. Corrosion rates were determined from weight loss measurements. After this exposure, the corrosion products formed on the steel surface was characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with EDS, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). EBSD can be used to quantify of basis balance phases in DSS and LDSS. General corrosion rates for UNS S32304 LDSS were higher than the UNS 31803 DSS in industrial white liquor at 170 °C for 30 days. XPS and XRD analyses indicated that the film formed after the immersion test may be consisted by Fe and Cr oxides and sulphides.

Oct 30, 2017

By Rodrigo Sanchotene Silva

Currently the industries of paint have directed their efforts on cleaner production of products that provide effective performance in corrosion protection of metallic materials. This work search introduce a new alternative of organic coating, without the presence of hazardous metals and replace equipments commercials used method of anodic protection for protection of oxidized metals. From this it, was produced Smart Paint (SP), consisting of Paint Acrylic Commercial (PAC) mixed the 1 % of binder, compound by the conducting polymer, Polyaniline Emeraldine Base (PAni EB) and plasticizer 4-chloro-3-methylphenol. The SP and PAC were applied to plates of carbon steel AISI 1010, with the aid of dip coat technique and then were subjected to drying for 48 h. The SP was characterized by thermals and physicochemical analyzes in order to verify possible changes in chemical properties of the ink produced, beyond perform electrochemical tests of Open Circuit Potential and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, employing equipment Potentiostat/Galvanostat Autolab PGSTAT302 Ecochemie, and aqueous 2 mol.L-1 of H2SO4. The results obtained allow us to state that the plasticizer does not alter the electrochemical properties of PAni and application of binder PAni EB to PAC does not alter the physicochemical properties of commercial coating. The binder PAni EB adds to PAC the capacity to induce the formation or maintenance of protective oxides in oxidizable metals submitted to harsh environments, method known as anodic corrosion protection.

Aug 8, 2018

By Raquel Húngaro Costa, Jonathan Tenório Vinhal

The demand for natural resources has grown over the years, however, the environment offers a limited amount of these resources for exploration. Then, the investigation of new methods for recovering and reuse some compounds and elements are essential to know later tailings purposes. Zinc is used in corrosion resistance as a protective coating for several products. One of the steps for the extraction of zinc is by flotation process to obtain the concentrated ore, in which a residue is generated. The aim is to characterize this residue, allowing the choice of recovery routes for compounds and elements in future stages. The methods of analysis were Malvern, VA, Eltra and ICP-OES, besides the water content. In this study, a characterization of elemental chemical analysis was performed, in which the main elements presented were: calcium (17.4%), magnesium (10.3%) and iron (7.97%); the water content was 27% and the grain size of the material presented an average size of 50μm. With the presented characteristics the material can be used, after treatment, in the recovery of other compounds for applications in the sector of fertilizers, ceramics and steel industry.

Oct 3, 2019

By Constantino Capurro

For certain applications, coarse titanium nitride (TiN) precipitates can be deleterious for the final properties of the material. Hence, in order to better understand the mechanisms involved in the generation of these precipitates, a thorough characterization of the particles observed in steels with different titanium and nitrogen content was carried out. Samples from liquid steel (tundish), continuous casting billets and final product were evaluated using an Automatic Particle Analyzer (APA) coupled to a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM). The location, frequency, size distribution and composition of the different particles observed were assessed. While only few TiN precipitates were observed in liquid steel samples, the density of this type of particle significantly increased in the continuous casting billets samples. Particles ranging from 1 to 10 µm were mainly found in the interdendritic zones of the as-cast structure. The density of TiN particles observed in these samples did not change after re-heating and rolling operations. A model to predict TiN precipitation during solidification was developed. A reasonable agreement was found between model results and measured data. Results of this analysis confirmed that the precipitated fraction of TiN increases as the product of steel Ti and N contents rises.

Oct 30, 2017

By Davi Silva Braga, Alexssander Lopes Sampaio, Rodrigo Carneiro de Oliveira

Vallourec was world pioneer in the deployment, development and consolidation of technology for the use of pulverized charcoal as the main energy source on the first Grate-kiln pelletizing plant in Brazil. The objective of this work was to delve into the subject and to bring more information about this innovative practice of Vallourec that has been attracting the attention of other companies in the steel industry. Industrial tests confirmed the technical feasibility, taking Vallourec ahead in the project of adaptation and investment. With consolidated data of two years and five months from the beginning of the implementation, the main benefits are the average reduction of CO₂e emissions by 50%, cost reduction higher than expected and return on investment in just 19 months.

Oct 1, 2019

By Anna Carolina Cerqueira Neves

Synthetic fiber has been gradually replaced by natural fiber, such as lignocellulosic fiber. In comparison with synthetic fiber, natural fiber has shown economic and environmental advantages. The natural fiber presents interfacial characteristics with polymeric matrices that favor a high impact energy absorption by the composite structure. However, until now little has been evaluated about the hemp fiber incorporated in polymeric matrices. This study has the purpose of evaluate the impact resistance of this kind of epoxy matrix composite reinforced with different percentages of hemp fibers. The impact resistance has substantially increased the relative amount of hemp fiber incorporated as reinforcement in the composite. This performance was associated with the difficulty of rupture imposed by the fibers resulting from the interaction of hemp fiber / epoxy matrix that helps absorb the impact energy.

Aug 16, 2017

By Danilo Gonçalves de Oliveira, Rogério Martins Pereira

Chatter is a widely studied vibration phenomenon that affects most cold mills around the world and its impact on these lines are tremendous: from productivity and quality losses to mechanical equipment damage. The investigation of its origins and how to minimize the occurrences and their impact on the equipment require special instrumentation and algorithms in order to have a detection of the vibrations as soon as they start. This paper presents three methods of identification of chatter on a Tandem Cold Mill and the actions to leave the vibration frequency range before its amplitude achieve catastrophic values.

Oct 1, 2019

By Georg Keintzel

The origin and elimination of 3rd octave mill chatter is a frequently investigated topic since tandem cold mills are in operation. So far only chatter monitoring systems have been successfully deployed, but this implies speed reductions and therefore a significant loss in mill output. Primetals Technologies has developed a new system using active injection of damping in order to eliminate 3rd octave mill chatter. The new hydraulics-based ChatterBlock® Control has now been proven successfully in mill operation. 3rd octave mill chatter, typically occurring in a frequency range between 90 and 150Hz, is a self-excited vibration phenomena typically occurring in the rear stands of tandem cold mills. It can produce significant gauge variations and even cause strip breaks. 3rd octave mill chatter is characterized by a quickly diverging vertical vibration of the rolls for specific rolling conditions (material, mill speed, forces, gauge etc.). Its occurrence requires immediate speed reduction of the mill in order to avoid strip breakage and/or strip quality degradation. This phenomenon thus severely limits mill productivity. The first step to proof the industrial feasibility of the new system was its installation on stand no. 4 of a 5-stand tandem mill. The development process and first results of the industrial implementation will be presented in this paper.

Aug 16, 2017

By Andreas Jungbauer

Two Arvedi ESP plants going into operation in 2015 will allow a Chinese steel producer to better serve the extremely attractive local and export markets for high-quality, thin-gauge strip products. The energy consumption and the related costs are reduced by up to 45% compared to conventional casting and rolling processes. This also means a major reduction in CO2 emissions. The new plants are designed for an annual production capacity of 2 x 2.55 million tons of high-quality, ultra-thin, hot-rolled strip products with widths of up to 1,600 mm and thicknesses down to 0.8 mm. The project scope also features a comprehensive training and assistance package for plant start-up and operations by personnel from the existing ESP plant at Acciaieria Arvedi SpA, Italy. The plant setup, the trainings and assistance program as well as latest results from the ESP plant in Italy will be presented. While this project is under execution three further ESP lines have been ordered by the same customer summing up now to five ESP lines at the same location.

Jul 30, 2018

By José Aparecido Pereira

Os cilindros acabadores de cantoneiras e barras são de ferro fundido nodular coquilhado que normalmente atendem às necessidades de qualidade e produtividade destes produtos. O problema ocorre quando se laminam cantoneiras de pequena espessura ou barras com requisitos de baixa rugosidade superficial. Uma das soluções é o uso de cilindros com anéis de metal duro (Carboneto de Tungstênio) que apresentam grande resistência a abrasão e com excelente qualidade superficial e produtividade, mas por outro lado têm baixa resistência ao impacto e ao choque térmico, requerendo cuidados especiais na prática operacional e na refrigeração para evitar fraturas. Há diversas técnicas de montagem dos anéis nos eixos e sistemas de refrigeração para garantirem a integridade dos anéis.

Jul 30, 2018

By Diego Pacheco Wermuth

O presente trabalho apresenta os resultados do estudo e aproveitamento de cinzas leves da queima de carvão mineral em termelétrica, como reforço para o Compósito de Matriz Metálica de cobre. Foram estudados diferentes percentuais de cinzas leves como reforço para o cobre, sendo misturados estes pós através de misturador “duplo v”, compactando os pós em diferentes pressões e sinterizando os corpos de prova obtidos pela compactação. A amostra sinterizada que apresentou a maior dureza entre todos os corpos de prova sinterizados, atingindo 89 HV, foi utilizada como base para a formulação e obtenção de novos corpos de prova, que foram estudados sob condições de moagem dos pós por moinho de bolas e moagem de alta energia. A fabricação do compósito seguiu os padrões industriais do processo de Metalurgia do Pó, como a mistura e moagem dos pós, compactação dos pós e sinterização em atmosfera controlada. Foi realizado o estudo das propriedades mecânicas do compósito formado por cobre e cinzas leves, que comprovou o aumento da dureza para 122 HV. Este trabalho proporciona uma nova aplicação para as cinzas leves, utilizando estes resíduos de usinas termoelétricas como matéria prima para reforço mecânico na composição de peças à base de cobre na indústria metalúrgica.

Aug 17, 2017

By Bruno Veiga Fontana

O uso do nitrogênio como gás de injeção através de plug poroso no forno panela pode ser importante do ponto de vista econômico, no entanto pode provocar pick-up excessivo de nitrogênio caso seja realizado de forma inadequada. No presente trabalho, são apresentados os resultados de testes de injeção de nitrogênio e nitrogênio seguido de argônio em aços para produtos longos. Visando compreender os processos de absorção e sua cinética, um modelo cinético é formulado e ajustado aos dados experimentais. O modelo cinético clássico descreve bem os resultados experimentais e permite o uso para previsões do efeito da injeção de nitrogênio sobre o teor de nitrogênio no aço. Observa-se que a cinética de absorção é controlada pela agitação da panela e pela presença de elementos tenso-ativos, notadamente o oxigênio, como esperado, de acordo com os modelos clássicos do fenômeno. A técnica da injeção de nitrogênio seguida de argônio é bem-sucedida economicamente e o modelo permite a previsão e o controle da absorção de nitrogênio pelo aço.

Aug 17, 2017

By Mery Cecilia Gómez Marroquin

Um importante problema das indústrias de fabricação de aço, decorrentes do uso de sucata de aço, é o de recuperação dos metais contidos nos pós e lamas produzidos nos fornos elétricos a arco (FEA) e nos conversores LD/FOB. Cerca de 10 a 20 kg de pó por tonelada de aço são gerados nos Fornos Elétricos a Arco, considerados resíduos perigosos pelos órgãos fiscalizadores (classe ? - material perigoso/NBR). Vários processos, utilizando tecnologias distintas (pirometalúrgicas e hidrometalúrgicas), buscam a recuperação técnico-econômica principalmente do Fe e do Zn, contidos nesses resíduos. Neste contexto, estudos básicos sobre a redução carbotérmica dos constituintes dos pós de aciaria, permanecem sob estudo. O presente trabalho foca a redução de ferrita de zinco gerada em laboratório, principal composto de zinco presente nos pós de aciaria, por meio de CO puro e misturas CO-CO2. A fenomenologia da redução considera a decomposição prévia seguida de reduções simultâneas, bem como as significativas influencias da temperatura, do tempo e do teor de CO.

Aug 8, 2018

By Camila Magalhães Gonçalves

O aço inoxidável ferrítico tipo 430 estabilizado com Nb, com e sem recozimento após laminação a quente, foi laminado a frio e submetido a recozimentos isotérmicos em temperaturas de 650, 700, 750 e 800°C por tempos variando entre 10 e 86400 s. A quantificação da fração recristalizada foi realizada pelo modelo de JMAK e pela microdureza ao longo do recozimento. A evolução da textura foi analisada via técnica de EBSD. Ocorreu o refino de grão após a recristalização, resultando em um tamanho médio de 8 mm. A temperatura de recristalização aconteceu a 750°C e esta teve maior efeito na recristalização que o tempo. Os expoentes de Avrami se situaram entre 0.8 e 1.2, significando nucleação em contorno de grão. A taxa de nucleação e de crescimento do grão diminuiu continuamente com o tempo. Em relação à textura, observou-se um aumento da intensidade das componentes (111)[121] e (111)[011] da fibra g e diminuição na intensidade da fibra a de deformação. Um modelo de cinética de recristalização do aço tipo 430 estabilizado com nióbio que leva em conta os processos de nucleação e crescimento foi obtido.

Jan 16, 2018

Os mais importantes processos de redução de minério de ferro em fornos de cuba convivem, com maior ou menor intensidade, o problema de precipitação de carbono no interior de seus reatores. Para melhor conhecer os efeitos dos parâmetros operacionais desses processos sobre as cinéticas simultâneas de redução das pelotas de minério de ferro e de precipitação de carbono, foi definido um programa cooperativo entre a Samarco e o Grupo de Siderurgia da PUC-Rio. O presente trabalho é a parte 1 deste programa, que analisou o comportamento de pelotas RD nas temperaturas de 500, 700 e 900 °C, vazões de 60 e 90 NL/min e pressões de 1,2 e 2,5 atm, quando reagiram com os gases de topo e sopro típicos das regiões superiores (Zona de Redução-ZR) dos fornos de produção de ferro esponja (DRI). O tratamento dos resultados obtidos nos testes programados pelo método estatístico fatorial, permitiu identificar as cinéticas concorrentes e propor um modelo global baseado no principio da superposição. Finalmente, utilizando as curvas “Grau de Reação Global-GR versus tempo”, mostrou correlações plenamente compatíveis com os dados experimentais levantados e plena viabilidade de aplicação a outros processos de produção de ferro primário.

Aug 1, 2018

By André de Albuquerque Vicente

O estudo detalhado das cinéticas de oxidação a altas temperaturas ao ar permitiu o cálculo da energia de ativação aparente do processo de oxidação de um aço inoxidável austenítico laminado do tipo 22.12. Utilizou-se o aço inoxidável austenítico microligado ao cério (253 MA®) que é um aço projetado para trabalhos a altas temperaturas. Observou-se cinéticas de oxidação parabólicas em todas as temperaturas estudadas: 800, 900, 1000 e 1100 ?C. Os Kps encontrados neste trabalho reforçam a tese de que ocorra a formação de películas protetoras de Cr2O3 e SiO2, o que reforça a hipótese que as mesmas tenham sido efetivamente formadas após os estágios iniciais de oxidação.

Oct 30, 2017

By Christoph Aichinger

A smart combination – Primetals Technologies developed the Circular Pelletizing Technology (CPT), which is a combination of the well-proven travelling-grate pelletizing technology with the design of a circular dip rail cooler of modern sinter plants. The overall space requirement and the installed weight for a CPT plant is significantly less compared to conventional technologies and by that CPT is a very attractive alternative for new projects.

Aug 16, 2017