This document discusses alternative iron making processes that are more relevant for India given concerns over resource depletion, rising energy demands, and environmental regulations. It describes several emerging smelting reduction technologies including COREX, FINEX, and Hismelt that allow for more flexible use of raw materials like iron ore fines and non-coking coal. These processes aim to eliminate sintering and coke-making while producing high quality iron. COREX and FINEX have been implemented commercially while Hismelt offers potential cost savings over blast furnaces and lower environmental impact. Overall, alternative technologies are needed to sustainably meet India's growing steel demand given restrictions on raw material quality and availability.

1. ALTERNATIVE SR PROCESSESS FOR IRON
MAKING: RELEVANCE TO INDIA
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V.MOHAN 1011207008
Y.S.R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE OF
YOGI VEMANA UNIVERSITY
VISHNUMAHANTHY
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2. FUTURE CHALLENGES
RESOURCE
DEPLETION
RISING ENERGY
DEMAND
ENVIRONMENTAL
CARE
TOPICS, IRON MAKERS SHOULD CONSIDER.
2

3. FUTURE RISKS
RESOURCE
DEPLETION
RISING ENERGY
DEMAND
ENVIRONMENTAL
CARE
INCREASING RAW
MATERIAL COST
INCREASING
ENERGY COST
ENFORCED
ENVIRONMENTAL
LAWS
3

4. EMERGING SCENARIO IN IRONMAKING
More than 90% of world iron production is
through Blast furnace technology route.
 Driving forces: Alternative Iron making technologies:
 Costly and scarce coking coal: Need to look beyond
coking coal.
 Possibility to use iron ore fines directly.
 Environmental considerations.
 Eliminate pollution-intensive sintering and coke-making
processes.
 High capital cost
4

5. Possible Solutions
 Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)
 Reduction of ferrous oxide in solid state.
 SL/RN, MIDREX, ITmk3 etc.
 Smelting Reduction of Iron
 COREX, FINEX, Hismelt etc.
 using non-coking coal.
 Obviating the need for coke oven batteries and
sinter plants.
5

6. INDIAN Raw Material Flexibility
ƒ Iron ore
–
Dry fines (-6mm) and slimes (ultra-fines) – used directly
–
High phosphorus content possible
–
No blending or agglomeration necessary
–
Can be pre-heated / pre-reduced to increase process efficiency
ƒ Steel plant wastes
–
Dry fine wastes and metallic fines – used directly
–
E.g. mill-scale, steel-making slag, reverts, coke breeze
ƒ Coal
–
Non-coking coals – ground to -3 mm and dried
–
From coke breeze (low volatile)
–
No blending, briquetting or coking required
high volatile thermal coal (40%)
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7. CONVENTIONAL BLAST FURNACE PROCESS
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8. Characteristics of Blast furnace process
 STRENGTHS
 High energy efficiency
 High productivity
 Long service life
 LIMITATIONS
 Use of high grade raw materials
 Coke and sinter making processes required
 Generation of air pollutant such as Sox, Nox, Dioxin
and
dust.
8

9. Available Smelting Reduction (SR)
Processes
SR technologies currently commercially exploited or ready for
commercial exploitation.
 COREX (Two stage): Operating commercially
 FINEX (Two stage): Operating commercially
 HISMELT (Single stage):Not being Operating commercially
at present.
• Single stage: Reduction & melting in the same vessel
• Two stage : Reduction in one vessel; melting in the 2nd vessel.
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10. COREX TECHNOLOGY
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11. COREX: Process Features
 Developed by Siemens VAI.
 Commercially most successful among SR technologies.
 Work is carried out in 2 reactors.
 Reduction shaft
 Melter-gasifier.
Commercial units in operation
Korea
: POSCO (COREX C-2000 – Capacity: 0.8 Mtpa)
India
: JSW Steel (2 Units) (COREX C-2000)
: Essar Steel ltd (2 units) (COREX C-2000)
South Africa: Mittal-SALDANHA, (COREX C-2000)
China
: Baosteel, (COREX C-3000) – Capacity 1.5 mtpa
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13. COREX PROCESS
 Charge
is charged into a
reduction shaft where they are
reduced to direct reduced iron
(DRI) by a reduction gas moving
in counter flow.
 Discharge screws convey the DRI
from the reduction shaft into the
melter –gasifier.
 In Melter-gasifier final reduction
and melting takes place.
 Hot metal and slag tapping are
done as in conventional blast
furnace practice.
 The gas leaving the reduction
shaft is cooled and cleaned and
is used for a wide range of
applications.

14. Blast Furnace vs COREX
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15. COREX: Process Features
 Strengths





Hot metal quality.
Economic benefit .
Ecological benefit.
non-coking coal can be used.
generation of highly valuable export gas.
 Limitations
 Can't use ore fines directly.
 Restriction on non-coking coal.
VM of carbonaceous material to be maintained at 25% .
 Net export gas (CV:1800 Kcal/Nm3) to be utilised very
economically, the process becomes un-viable.
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16. FINEX TECHNOLOGY
© HIsmelt Corporation
2008
16

17. FINEX PROCESS
 Siemens VAI and POSCO jointly developed
the process.
 FINEX R&D since 1992.
 FINEX demo of 600 Kt/y since June 2003.
 FINEX of 1.5 Mt/y in May 2007 (1st
commercial plant).
 Based on the direct use of non-coking coal
and fine ore.
 Most exciting iron making technology on the
market today.
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18.  Fine iron ore is preheated and
reduced to fine direct reduced iron
(DRI) in a three or four stage fluidized
bed reactor system.
 The fine DRI will be compacted and
then charged in the form of hot
compacted iron (HCI) into the melter
gasifier.
 The charged HCI is subsequently
reduced to metallic iron and melted.
 The generated FINEX export gas is a
highly valuable product and can be
further used.
 The hot metal and slag produced in
the melter gasifier is frequently
tapped from the hearth as in blast
furnace or COREX® operation

19. Blast Furnace vs FINEX
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20. Advantages of FINEX Technology
‰
Flexibility in Raw Materials
 Elimination of sintering & coke-making processes.
 No blending of ore &coal.
 Use of Low-grade ore &low-ranked coal.
‰
 Easy &Flexible Operation
 Independent control of reduction &melting processes.
 Easy &hassle-free operational control.
‰
 Environmental Friendliness

Far less emission of Sox.
 Nox & dust.
‰
Cost
Competitiveness
 Lower cost in both capital investment &operation vs. BF
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21. FINEX - Advantages
Blast Furnace
FINEX
production
pollutants
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22. CO2 emission trends of FINEX
Specific amount of CO2 emissions per ton of hot metal
* Relative index
130 %
Technologies applied to reduce CO2
Production of hot compacted iron
Reuse of FINEX top gas with CO2 removal
Purverized coal injection
Reduction of cooling gas use
High pressure operation
106 %
98 %
World average of blast furnace
at 100% note1
Dec. 2006
94 %
1st Target
91 %
2nd Target
FINEX Demo
FINEX 1.5 Mt
Note1 Average
figure was calculated using estimated amount of CO2 emissions from blast furnaces
at fourteen steelworks located in Asia and Europe
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23. Hismelt Technology
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24. The Hismelt Process
 ƒ Ore & coal are injected
into the molten bath.
Offgas

Oxygen
Enriched
Hot Air Blast
Raw Materials
Injection
Lances
Hot blast is injected into
the top-space
 ƒ Metal flows out
continuously
 Slag is batch tapped.
Water
cooled
panels
Foreheart
h
Slag
Notch
Metal
Bath
Smelt Reduction Vessel(SRV)
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25. Higher Quality Iron: Compared to blast furnaces
Typical Analysis
Blast Furnace
Carbon
4.5%
4.4
0.15%
Silicon
0.5
0.3%
<0.01%
Manganese
0.4
0.2%
<0.02%
Phosphorus
Sulphur
Temperature
#
*
**
0.09
0.04
0.02% *
0.02
0.01% **
0.02%
0.1
0.05% #
1430 - 1500 C
1420 C
Dependant on sulphur input (mainly from the coal). With hot metal de-sulphurisation
treatment
(known technology) sulphur levels are easily able to be reduced to <0.05%.
Low Phosphorus Ore
High Phosphorus Ore

26. Lower Operating Cost
1.4
~10-20%
lower
operating
costs
1.2
Relative Index
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Blast Furnace
HIsmelt
Ore
Coal
Other
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27. Hismelt’s Advantages for India
ƒ Flexibility in Raw
Materials
ƒ Lower Capital & Operating Costs
Impact
ƒ Lower
Environmental
ƒ
Quality Iron Product
High
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28. Final conclusion
Developing markets mainly led by china and India
pulling the global steel demand.
Restricting growth factors are:
 Scarcity of high grade raw materials.
 Global environment problems and concerns.
Development of innovative alternative iron-making
process technologies.
Low grade, low cost resources and to reduce the
level of air pollution.
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29. QUESTIONS?
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30. THANK YOU
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