ABSTRACT

Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL ) is located in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand. It is the fourth integrated

public sector steel plant in India built with Soviet help. It was incorporated as a limited company in

1964. It was later merged with the state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).Currently it

houses five blast furnaces with a total capacity to produce 4.825 MT of Crude steel.

Bokaro Steel Plant is designed to produce a wide range of flat products: Hot rolled coils, Hot rolled

plates, Hot rolled sheets, Cold rolled coils (CRM),Cold rolled sheets, Tin mill black plates (TMBP) ,

Galvanized plain and corrugated (GP/GC) sheets.

In this project report, We are mainly focused on the Steel Melting Shop (SMS) and Continuous

Casting Shop (CCS) which are the backbone for the overall flourishment of the plant. Currently, in

BSL there are two Steel melting shops, SMS-New and SMS-II respectively with a Continuous casting

shop each. As on date ,100% casting is through continuous casting route only. Initially, ingots were

made at steel melting shops and were sent to the Slabbing Mill for rolling into slabs which was not at

all a cost effective route.

Replaceable Equipment Repair Shop (RERS) , under Capital Repair (Mech.) Department , is the most

active shop in BSL that repair segments of the caster everyday , so as to boost the continuous casting

process . It also contains Manual and Automated Machining tools like CNC Mill , Lathe , Open Arc

Welder etc. to accelerate the repairing process.

This Report mainly focuses on the Process involved in the Steel making shop in SMS II to produce
steel for casting.
Contents
●INTRODUCTION

❖ Introduction to Bokaro Steel Plant

❖ Process Flow Of Steel Production `

1.Steel Melting Shop And Continous Casting Shop

1.1 Introduction to SMS-New and SMS-II
1.2 Introduction to Continuous Casting Shop

2 . Basic Oxygen Furnace (LD Converter)

3. Problems
3.1 Optimization of FeO in Steel Making Slag.

3.2 Reduction in Turn down O2 PPM in Tapped Steel at primary steel

making stage

4.CONCLUSION

5.BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Steel Authority of India Limited is India’s
largest steel producing company and ranks 18th
in the World. It was founded in 19th January
1954 with headquarter at New Delhi. It was
incorporated to central public sector on 24
January 1973. With an annual turnover of more
than Rs.1 lakh crore, the company is among the
seven Maharatnas of the Country‟s Central
Public Sector Enterprises.

SAIL traces its origin to the formative years of an

emerging nation - India. After independence the
builders of modern India worked with a vision -
to lay the infrastructure for rapid industrialisation
of the country. The steel sector was to propel the
economic growth. Hindustan Steel Private
Limited was set up on January 19, 1954.
Hindustan Steel (HSL) was initially designed to
manage only one plant that was coming up at
Rourkela. For Bhilai and Durgapur Steel Plants, Figure - MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF SAIL
the preliminary work was done by the Iron and
Steel Ministry. From April 1957, the supervision
and control of these two steel plants were also
transferred to Hindustan Steel. The registered office was originally in New Delhi. It moved to
Calcutta in July 1956, and ultimately to Ranchi in December 1959.
The 1 MT phases of Bhilai and Rourkela Steel Plants were completed by the end of December 1961.
The 1 MT phase of Durgapur Steel Plant was completed in January 1962 after commissioning of the
Wheel and Axle plant. The crude steel production of HSL went up from .158 MT (1959-60) to 1.6
MT. A newsteel company, Bokaro Steel Limited, was incorporated in January 1964 to construct and
operate the steel plant at Bokaro.
The second phase of Bhilai Steel Plant was completed in September 1967 after commissioning of the
Wire Rod Mill. The last unit of the 1.8 MT phase of Rourkela - the Tandem Mill - was
commissioned in February 1968, and the 1.6 MT stage of Durgapur Steel Plant was completed in
August 1969 after commissioning of the Furnace in SMS. Thus, with the completion of the 2.5 MT
stage at Bhilai, 1.8 MT at Rourkela and 1.6 MT at Durgapur, the total crude steel production capacity
of HSL was raised to 3.7 MT in 1968-69 and subsequently to 4MT in 197273.

SAIL manufactures and sells a broad range of steel products, including hot and cold rolled sheets
and coils, galvanized sheets, electrical sheets, structural, railway products, plates, bars and rods,
stainless steel and other alloy steels. It has been possible through 5 integrated plants and 3 special
steel plants which employs over a lakh of employees and produces 13.5 million metric ton of steel
annually. Along with this there are various subsidiary and joint venture plant set up with SAIL.
SAIL has its own Research and Development Centre at Ranchi to examine and improve the quality
of steel production and update the technologies to be in par with rest of the world. Besides, SAIL has
its own in- house Centre for Engineering and Technology (CET), Management Training Institute
(MTI) and Safety Organization at Ranchi. For promoting and selling various long and flat products
produced in domestic market and abroad, SAIL has its own Central Marketing Organization with
branches spread all across the India and world. SAIL's International Trade Division ( ITD), in New
Delhi- an ISO 9001:2000 accredited unit of CMO, undertakes exports of Mild Steel products and Pig
Iron from SAIL‟s five integrated steel plants.

MAJOR UNITS OF SAIL

Steel Plant Location Major Products

Plates, Rods, Rail Tracks,
1. Bhilai Steel Plant Bhilai, (Chhattisgarh) Structurals,TMT, Merchants
Structurals, Wheels & Axles,
2. Durgapur Steel Plant Durgapur, (WB) Skelp
Rourkela,(Orrissa) Plates, Coils, Pipes, GP/GC,
3. Rourkela Steel Plant Silicon Steel
Plates, Coils, Sheets, GP/GC,
4. Bokaro Steel Plant Bokaro, (Jharkhand) TMBP
Indian Iron & Steel Burnpur, (WB) Structurals, Rails, Bars, Rods
5. Company Limited (IISCO)
 INTRODUCTION TO BOKARO STEEL PLANT

Bokaro Steel Plant - the fourth integrated plant in the Public Sector - started taking shape in 1965 in
collaboration with the Soviet Union. It was originally incorporated as a limited company on 29th
January 1964, and was later merged with SAIL, first as a subsidiary and then as a unit, through the
Public Sector Iron & Steel Companies (Restructuring & Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1978. The
construction work started on 6th April 1968.

Figure – BSL MAIN GATE

The Plant is hailed as the country‟s first Swadeshi Steel Plant, built with maximum indigenous
content in terms of equipment, material and know-how. Its first Blast Furnace started on 2nd
October 1972 and the first phase of 1.7 MT Ingot steel was completed on 26th February 1978 with
the commissioning of the third Blast Furnace. All units of 4 MT stage have already been
commissioned and the modernisation taken up in the nineties has further upgraded this to 4.65 MT
of liquid steel.

Major Landmarks in the history of Bokaro Steel Plant

Years & Month Landmarks

1966, Jan Construction work started
1972, Sept First Coke Oven Battery and Sinter Band commissioned
1972, Oct First Blast Furnace commissioned
1973, Dec Steel Melting Shop - 1 started production
1974, Dec Trial rolling of slabs in Slabbing Mill
1975, Dec Hot Strip Mill commissioned
1976, Jan Hot Rolled Coil Finishing commissioned
1977, June Cold Rolling Mill Complex - 1 commissioned
1983, June Steel Melting Shop - 2 started production
1991, Sept Cold Rolling Mill Complex - 2 commissioned
1997, Sept Continuous Casting Shop started production
Facilities

Raw Materials & Material Handling Plant

The Raw Materials and Material Handling Plant receives, blends, stores and supplies different raw
materials to Blast Furnace, Sinter Plant and Refractory Materials Plant as per their requirements. It
also maintains a buffer stock to take care of any supply interruptions.
Some 9 MT of different raw materials viz. Iron ore fines and lumps, Limestone (BFand SMS grade),
Dolomite lumps and chips, hard Coal and Manganese ore are handled here every year.
Iron ore and fluxes are sourced from the captive mines of SAIL situated at Kiriburu, Meghahataburu,
Bhawanathpur, Tulsidamar and Kuteshwar. Washed coal is supplied from different washeries at
Dugda, Kathara, Kargali and Giddi, while raw coal is obtained from Jharia coalfields.

Coke Ovens & By-product Plant

The Coke Oven Complex at Bokaro converts prime coking coal from Jharia, Dugda and Moonidih
and medium coking coal form Kargali, Kathara and Mahuda, blended with imported coal, into high
quality coke for the Blast Furnaces, recovering valuable by-products like Anthracene Oil, Benzene,
Toluene, Xylene, Light Solvent Naphtha, Ammonium Sulphate and Extra-hard Pitch in the process.
Bokaro is situated in the prime coal belt of the country.The Coke Oven battery has 8 batteries with
69 ovens each, maintained meticulously in terms of fugitive emission control, use of phenolic water
and other pollution control measures.

Blast Furnaces
Bokaro has five 2000-cubic metre Blast Furnaces that produce molten iron - Hot Metal - for steel
making. Total hot metal production capacity of blast furnaces is 5.25MT. Bell-less Top Charging,
modernised double Cast Houses, Coal Dust Injection and Cast House Slag Granulation technologies
have been deployed in the furnaces. The process of iroin-making is automated, using PLC Charging
System and Computer Controlled Supervision System. The wastes products like Blast Furnace slag
and gas are either used directly within plant or processed for recycling / re-use.

Steel Melting Shops

Hot Metal from the Blast Furnaces is converted into steel by blowing 99.5% pure Oxygen through it
in the LD converter. Suitable alloying elements are added to produce different grades of steel.
Bokaro has two Steel Melting Shops – SMS- NEW and SMS-II. SMS-NEW has 3 LD converters of
130T capacity each. 1 single strand caster with capacity of 1.305 MT or 33 Heats/day has been
installed. It can produce slab of width range from 850 mm to 1650 mm, the slab length will vary
from 7.5 mts. to 10.5 mts. The product mix contains of low, medium, high carbon and micro alloyed
steel such as LPG, API, SAILMA etc. The facility also includes Tundish Preparation Bay, Slab Yard
and mould repair section. The new facility includes one twin LF with common arcing facility for
both LF.
Steel ingot route through mould yard and Stripper yard earlier has been closed from 2nd 2021 and
now all steel is produced from LF and Caster route. It was capable of producing Rimming steel.
SMS-II has 2 LD converters, each of 300 T capacities, with suppressed combustion system and
Continuous Casting facility. It produces various Killed and Semi-Killed steels.

Continuous Casting Shop

The Continuous Casting Shop has two double-strand slab casting machines, producing high quality
slabs of width ranging from 950 mm to 1850 mm. CCS has a Ladle Furnace and a Ladle Rinsing
Station for secondary refining of the steel. The Ladle Furnace is used for homogenising the
chemistry and temperature. The concast machines have straight moulds, unique in the country, to
produce internally clean slabs.
Argon injection in the shroud and tundish nozzle prevent re-oxidation and nitrogen pick-up,
maintaining steel quality. The eddy current based automatic mould level control, unique in the
country, gives better surface quality. The air mist cooling and continuous straightening facilities keep
the slabs free from internal defects like cracks. The casters are fully automated with dynamic
 cooling, on-line slab cutting, de-burring and customised marking. The shop is equipped with
advanced Level-3 automation and control systems for scheduling, monitoring and process
optimisation.CCS produces steel of Drawing, Deep Drawing, Extra Deep Drawing, Boiler and Tin
plate Quality. It also produces low alloy steels like LPG, WTCR, SAILCOR and API grade.

Slabbing Mill
Slabbing Mill transforms ingots into slabs by rolling them in its 1250 mm Universal Four-High Mill.
The rolling capacity of the Mill is 1.9 MT per annum. The shop has Hot and Cold Scarfing Machines
and 2800 T Shearing Machine. Controlled heating in Soaking Pits, close dimensional accuracy during
rolling and hot and cold scarfing help produce defect-free steel.

Hot Strip Mill

Slabs from CCS and Slabbing Mill are processed in the state-of-the-art Hot Strip Mill. The fully
automatic Hot Strip Mill with an annual capacity of 4.5 million tonnes has a wide range of products -
thickness varying from 1.2 mm to 20 mm and width from 750 mm to 1850 mm. The mill is equipped
with state-of-the- art automation and controls, using advanced systems for process optimisation with
on-line real time computer control, PLCs and technological control systems.
Walking Beam Reheating Furnaces provide uniform heating with reduction in heat losses, ensuring
consistency in thickness throughout the length. High-pressure De-scaling System helps eliminate
rolled-in scale. Edgers in the roughing group maintain width within close tolerance. The roughing
group has a roughing train of a Vertical Scale Breaker, one 2-high Roughing Stand and four 4-high
Universal Roughing Stands. The finishing group consists of a Flying Shear, Finishing Scale Breaker
and seven 4-high Finishing Stands. Hydraulic Automatic Gauge Control system in the finishing
stands ensures close thickness tolerance. The Work Roll Bending System ensures improved strip
crown and flatness. The rolling speed at the last finishing stand is between 7.5-17.5 metres per
second. The Laminar Cooling System is a unique feature to control coiling temperature over a wide
range within close tolerance. The Hydraulic Coilers maintain perfect coil shape with On-line
Strapping system. On-line Robotic Marking on the coil helps in tracking its identity.

Hot Rolled Coil Finishing

All the Hot Rolled coils from the Hot Strip Mill are received in HRCF for further distribution or
despatch. IT has an annual capacity of 1.2 MT. HR Coils rolled against direct shipment orders are
sheared and finished to customer-required sizes and despatched to customers. The material is
supplied as per Indian specifications and many international/ foreign specifications.

Cold Rolling Mill

The Cold Rolling Mill at Bokaro uses state-of-the-art technology to produce high quality sheet gauge
material, Tin Mill Black Plate and Galvanised Products. Cold rolling is done to produce thinner
gauge strips of very smooth and dense finish, with better mechanical properties than hot rolling
strips. Rolling is done well below re-crystallization temperature without any prior heating of the
material. The products of CRM are used for deep drawing purposes, automobile bodies, steel
furnitures, drums and barrels, railway coaches, other bending and shaping jobs and coated steels. The
CRM complex comprises of two Pickling Lines (including a high speed Hydrochloric Acid Pickling
Line with re-generation facilities), two Tandem Mills, an Electrolytic Cleaning Line, a Continuous
Annealing Line, Bell Annealing Furnaces, two Skin-Pass Mills, a Double Cold Reduction Mill
(DCR), Shearing Lines, Slitting Lines and a packaging and despatch section. The 5-stand Tandem
Mill is capable of rolling sheet gauges upto 0.15 mm thickness. It has sophisticated Hydraulic
Automatic Gauge Control, computerised mill regulation and optimisation control.

Hot Dip Galvanising Complex

The Hot Dip Galvanizing Complex integrated with the CRM produces zinc-coated Cold Rolled strips
resistant to atmospheric, liquid and soil corrosion. The Continuous Coil Corrugation Line in the HDGC
produces corrugated sheets and the Galvanised Sheet Shearing Line produces galvanised plain sheets
for a variety of applications. The first shop of Bokaro Steel to get the ISO-9001 certification way back
 in 1994, this complex has maintained a highstandard of coating quality and its SAILJYOTI branded
products enjoy a loyal market. This complex made certain innovations for higher productivity to help
re-build earthquake-ravaged Gujarat.

Services - a valuable support network

The service departments like Traffic, Oxygen Plant, Water Management and Energy Management
provide invaluable support to this gigantic plant. Bokaro Steel has a vast networked of railway tracks
and over 40 diesel locos to smoothly run its operations. The Oxygen Plant provides Oxygen,
Nitrogen and Argon for processes like steelmaking and annealing. Water Management looks after the
huge water requirements of the plant and the township, providing different grades of water and
taking care of recycling needs. Energy Management juggles the supply and demand of by-product
gases and their demand as process fuel.
Maintenance Departments
Bokaro has centralised maintenance departments for large-scale electrical and mechanical
maintenance, in addition to shop-based maintenance wings for running repairs and maintenance.
These facilities are capable of executing massive capital repairs, supported by the fabrication
facilities of the auxiliary shops.

Auxiliary Shops
To meet its needs for maintenance and repairs, Bokaro has a cluster of engineering shops such as
Machine Shop, Forge Shop, Structural Shop, Steel Foundry, Ingot Mould Foundry, Cast Iron and
Non-Ferrous Foundry, Electrical Repair Shop and Power Facilities Repair Shop in addition to
shop-specific Area Repair Shops. Most of the repairs and maintainance requirements of the plant
are met in-house.
The auxiliary shops and maintenance wings of Bokaro Steel, aided by in-house design teams, have
executed a number of highly sophisticated procurement-substitution, productivity enhancement
and quality improvement jobs, saving revenues and enhancing equipment availability.
The expertise and operational scale of these departments, along with the service departments,
Makes Bokaro a truly integrated plant, housing many virtual enterprises within Bokaro Steel.

Bokaro Steel Plant is designed to produce a wide range of flat products:

Hot rolled coils

Hot rolled plates
Hot rolled sheets
Cold rolled coils (CRO)
Cold rolled sheets
Tin mill black plates (tmbp)
Galvanised plain and
corrugated (gp/gc) sheetsOxygen Gas
Produced

✓ Area of plant - 17,000 acre

✓ Township area - 19,000 acre

⮚Carbon content is --% in steel at Bokaro Steel Plant

Inside Bokaro Steel Plant

⮚300 km railway truck⮚70 loco is present.

 ⮚100 rail crossing .⮚10-12 gates are there for entry/exit in plant.

PROCESS FLOW OF STEEL PRODUCTION

Figure - PROCESS FLOW OF BSL

 1.Steel Melting Shop And Continous Casting Shop
Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by
weight, depending on the grade. Steelmaking is an oxidising process.It refines and oxidises the
impurities in hot metal like C, Si, Mn and removes S, P, to a desired level.Fluxes are added to
form basic slag to fix S & P.Hot metal supplies the necessary heat in BOF steelmaking
Steel at Bokaro is produced by oxygen blending (L.D) process. There are five 130 ton and two 300
ton L.D converters in Bokaro. The converters are charged with scrap, hot metal and fluxes. Pure
oxygen is blown through water-cooled lance with multi-orifice nozzle to remove impurities by
oxidation and then steel is made. Purity of Oxygen used is 99.5 % .
Approximately 60 cu m. of oxygen is used to produce one ton of steel. The tap-to-tap time for the
130 ton and 300 ton converters is 60 and 80 minutes respectively.
There are two steel melting shop SMS I and SMS II and a Continous Casting Shop near sms II
which have two casters.
In CCS Steel is further refined, chemistry and temperature are control so that the liquid is fit for
casting. Liquid steel available is converted into solid form with minimal losses for further
processing in the solid state

FLOW - CHART SMS II AND CCS

1.1. Introduction to SMS-II
SMS-II
SMS-II differs from SMS-I because of blowing process and converter gas recovery system. The
mode of combustion in SMS-II is suppressed combustion where atmosphere air is not allowed in
hood area and combustion of converter gas is suppressed which is further used as flux.

Inputs: Hot Metal From the Blast Furnace.

Outputs: Semi-Killed or Killed steel to continuous casting machine exclusively.

Shop Equipments
SMS-II
❖ 2 Converters each of 300 T capacity
❖ 2 Mixers each of 2500 T capacity
❖ 6 hole Lances
❖ Gas Cleaning Plant
❖ Transfer cars
❖ EOT cranes

Sections: Major sections of SMS-II are as follows:

1. Mixer: The mixer is of 2500 T capacity and the temperature is about 1573-1593 K. The mixer
acts as a reservoir of hot metal, homogenizes it and maintains the temperature. It acts as a
buffer stock. Hot metal from mixer is supplied to converter by locos. There are two mixers in
SMS-II.

2. Converters: This converts hot metal into steel by oxidation following an exothermic reaction.
Lime, Scrap & Following hot metal are charged in a definite sequence and then oxygen lancing
is done. The lime and other addition are done during blowing through slide gate system. Lime
is added as a flux to maintain the basicity of bath. Basicity is defined as the ratio of Calcium
Oxide & Silicon Oxide and is kept between 3-3.5. There are two converters of 300 T capacities
each.

3. Steel Refining Unit: Steel Refining Unit: This unit homogenizes the temperature and comical
composition of liquid steel received from different converters. Desulphurization of steel is done
up to a Sulphur level of 0.01%. Adding prerequisite quantities of Ferro-alloys also dose
chemical correction of steel. End point temperature control of liquid steel is done by heating or
cooling the melt.

4. PIT Side

5. Magnetic Yard

6. Slag Yard
1.2. Introduction to Continuous Casting Shop

There are two double stand casting machines capable of producing slabs of 950mm to 1850mm
width (cold). Thickness can be of 200mm, 225mm or 250mm. Converter metal of SMS is further
refined in the Steel Refining Unit (SRU) and cast into slabs in the casting machine. In the process
of casting, metal is poured into tundish from the laddle and from tundish, metal flows into caster
mould. Normally it takes 60 to 65 minutes for casting 290-300 tonnes of metal in to slab.
Depending upon the slab width, the rate of pouring can be from 0.9 metres/minute to 1.8
metres/minute. The yield ratio (liquid metal to slab) in caster is 97-98% where as in earlier route
(liquid metal-ingot-slab) yield ratio is about 80%. In caster, chemical uniformity from slab to slab
is better. Now plant is producing better quality slabs at lower production cost after modernization.

Continuous Caster: It is the heart of SMS-II and has following main parts:

a. Tundish: It is refractory liquid buffer vessel designed to continuously feed liquid metal from
ladle to continuous casting mould at regulated flow rate.

b. Mould: Solidification of metal starts in the mould. Copper using primary cooling mode
generally makes it. At the beginning of casting, a dummy bar is inserted inside the mould to
avoid free fall of steel. Continuous lubrication between and steel is provided by mould
powder. It also acts as coolant.

c. Secondary Cooling Zone: The metal, after leaving the mould enters in its secondary cooling
comprising arrays of rollers and water spray nozzles. Rollers support and guide its downward
movement of strand and water spray cools the strand resulting in complete casting.

d. Straightening Rolls: These are located at the end of strand 2 where fully solidified strand is
straightened by pairs of internally water cooled rolls and made to move over horizontally
placed roller tables. After the stand has been straightened, it is cut to required length using
acetylene- cutting machine.

Shop Equipments

❖ CCS
❖ Two Twin strand curvilinear casters
❖ Steel Refining Unit (SRU) with LF/LRS for treatment of steel before casting
❖ On-line slab cutting
❖ MgO lined Tundish of 50 T capacity
❖ Slide Gate System

Advantages of Continuous Casting:

1. It gives higher yield.
2. Energy consumption is low.
3. Operating cast is low.
4. Role of primary mills gets eliminated.
2 . Basic Oxygen Furnace (LD Converter)
❖ Primary Steel making is also known as
basic oxygen furnace process Primary steel making
= Basic oxygen
❖ The purpose of the BOP process is to refine furnace process
the hot metal produced in the blast
furnace into raw liquid steel, Which may
be subsequently refined in the secondary Refine the hot Raw liquid steel
steel making shop. metal produced refined in the
in blast furnace secondary steel
❖ The main function of the BOP are to making shop
decarburize and remove phosphorus from
the hot metal, and to optimize the steel
Decarburize
temperature so that any further
treatments prior to casting can be Remove P from the hot Metal
performed with minimal reheating and
cooling of the steel Optimize the Steel temp.

Iron Crude Steel

Carbon = 4 - 4.5% Carbon < 0.05%
Sulphur = 0.05 - 0.08% Sulphur < 0.005%
Silicon = 0.5 - 0.8% Silicon = Nill
Phosphorous =0.17 - 0.25% Phosphorous < 0.015%
Iron = Balance Oxygen = 0.04 - 0.08%
Iron = Balance
Functions of BOF
❖ Removal of impurities like C, Si, Mn, and P with the help of oxygen.

❖ Removal of C Si etc raises the melting temperature of the alloy. So temperature must be
raised to keep the product as liquid.

❖ Oxidation leads to temperature rise and oxides like SiO2, MnO, FeO, P2O5.

❖ Oxides must also be in liquid state. So CaO is added so that the resultant mixture called
SLAG is also liquid. So the impurities are removed through slag

Sequence of Operation in BOF

Charging of the Converter

Scrap Hot Metal

Lance Tip
Blowing practice of O2
❖ Supply of O2 at desired flow rate varies from 3.0 to 4.0 NM3 per Ton per min and pressure at about
12 – 13 bar through a Lance.
❖ O2 purity should be 99.5%.
❖ O2 is blown at super sonic velocity
❖ Oxidation is completed in 16 - 20 mins.
❖ Entire operation is over in 40 - 50 mins.
❖ No fuel required, as this is a heat excess process. Heat is generated by the exothermic oxidation
reactions.
❖ Steel scrap, Iron ore, DRI are added as coolants to control final temperature to about 1650 C.

Oxidation of impurities present in hot metal Change in the slag composition during the
vs blowing time blow
• Desulfurization
• Protection of the refractory lining

• Deoxidation
• Environmental benefits

Changes in Slag Compositon

• Fluxes are charged into the furnace early in the blow and they dissolve with the developing oxides to
Functions
form slag Of Slag
• The rate
= of dissolution of these fluxes strongly affects the slag- metal reactions occurring during the
blow. Therefore, it is mportant to understand this at the beginning of the blow.
• Temperature control
• The tip of the oxygen lance is kept high above the bath surface known as soft blowing, which results
in the formation of an initial
• slag rich with
Inclusion SiO2 and FeO. During this period, large amounts of burnt
removal
lime and dolomitic lime are charged into the furnace.
• The lance is then lowered, and the slag starts to foam at around one third of the blow due to the
reduction of the FeO in the slag in conjunction with CO formation.
• he drop in the FeO content in the slag is shown in Figure. Also, as the blow progresses, the Calcium
oxide (CaO) dissolves in the slag and the active slag weight increases.
• Finally, after three quarters into the blow, the FeO content in the slag increases because of a
decrease in the rate of decarburization.
• The resulting slag at turndown have typical ranges such as 42 to 55 percent of mass of CaO, 2-8
percent of mass (wt.%) of MgO, 10 to 30 percent of mass (wt.%) of Feo, 3 to 8 percent of mass
(wt.%) of MnO, and 10-25 percent of mass (wt.%) of Si02.

O2 PPM in Steel
It has been observed that there is a oxygen content in the primary steel making stage which should be removed in
steel refining process.

[ C ] +[ O ] = { CO } Decarburization Reaction

Keq = pco
[ wt %C ] [wt% O]

[wt % C] [ wt % FeO ] = 2.4 X 10-3

From the above equation there is a inverse relation between [ C ] and [ O ]. There will be a small amount of dissolved
oxygen till decarburization reaction. The oxygen is eliminated by the oxidation with carbon so dissolved oxygen is
going to be small. When the carbon content is decreases during the reefing period it will result in progressively more
amount of oxygen is going to be present in steel composition.

“Oxygen should be blown in control manner”

 FeO in Slag
There is a significant amount of FeO (10 – 30%) in slag phase. So there is iron loss take place in BOF converter

[O] + [Fe] = (FeO) [C] + (FeO) = {CO} + Fe

Slag – Metal Reaction
Equilibrium constant for above slag metal reaction, i.e

Keq = pco ; At 1600oC, Activity coefficient of FeO = 1.3, pco = 1.5atm

[ wt %C ] [wt% FeO]

[wt % C] [ wt % FeO ] = 1.25

So there is an inverse relationship of (FeO) and [ C ] . As long as metal contain high carbon content, the melt
will not contain much amount of oxygen which cause smaller FeO content of the slag in the initial period. So
initially FeO will form at very low rate, Whatever FeO forms it will reduced by carbon. When the carbon
content has decreased below a certain level ( ), there is a large amount of FeO starts to form. When the
carnbon content is going to be very very small at that particular point the last period is going to be prone to
yield losses i.e we want to produce iron/ steel but our steel landing up as FeO in the system.
Since it is an exothermic reaction the temperature is going to be very large of the melt which harness the
refining of the steel and cause phosphorus reversion also damage the lining of the refractories so the last
stage of the steel making is very critical , there is a chance of wide spread of FeO formation.
The FeO content in slag is increasing then decreasing because lime has dissolved and started to replace FeO
from SiO2 and FeO is reverting back to metal phase Fe.
So the “end point control” i.e reaching the target carbon is very necessary in steel making process.
3. Problems

3.1 Optimization of FeO in Steel Making Slag.

“Good Steel making is good Slag making” and good slag making is about producing the right
slag composition at the right instant of the blow.

FeO optimization in steelmaking slag refers to controlling the amount of FeO present in the slag to
achieve desired steelmaking outcomes. The optimization of FeO is important because it affects various
aspects of the steelmaking process and the quality of the final steel product. Here are some considerations
for FeO optimization in steelmaking slag:

1. Steel chemistry: FeO content in slag is influenced by the chemical composition of the steel being
produced. The steelmaking process involves adjusting the levels of various elements, such as carbon,
silicon, manganese, and phosphorus, to achieve the desired steel grade. Controlling these elements
helps to optimize FeO levels in the slag.

2. Temperature control: The temperature at which steelmaking occurs affects the formation and
stability of FeO in the slag. Lower temperatures tend to promote the formation of FeO, while higher
temperatures favor its reduction to metallic iron (Fe) or oxidation to higher iron oxide species. The
control of temperature profiles during steelmaking can help optimize FeO content in the slag.

3. Oxygen potential: The oxygen potential, which is the availability of oxygen in the steelmaking
environment, affects the equilibrium between FeO and other iron oxide species in the slag. Adjusting
the oxygen potential through the addition of specific agents, such as fluxes or gases, can help
optimize FeO levels. This can be achieved by injecting gases like carbon monoxide (CO) or hydrogen
(H2) into the steelmaking furnace.

4. Slag composition: The chemical composition of the slag itself plays a crucial role in FeO optimization.
The addition of specific fluxes or additives, such as lime (CaO), silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), or
magnesia (MgO), can influence the formation, reduction, or oxidation of FeO. The choice and amount
of these additives are determined based on the desired FeO levels in the slag.Increasing the amount of
lime (CaO) or other basic fluxes helps to promote the conversion of FeO to other iron oxide species.

5. Increasing slag/metal ratio: Modifying the ratio of slag to metal can influence the FeO content in the
slag. Increasing the amount of slag relative to the amount of metal can help reduce FeO levels. This
can be achieved by adjusting the charge materials or slag tapping practices during the steelmaking
process.

6. Use of additives and alloys: The addition of specific additives or alloys can impact FeO optimization.
For example, adding aluminum or silicon to the steelmaking process can promote the reduction of
FeO to metallic iron. Similarly, alloying agents like ferromanganese or ferrosilicon can influence FeO
levels.
 7. Process parameters: Various process parameters, such as slag residence time, stirring or agitation
intensity, and slag/metal ratio, can affect the equilibrium between FeO in the slag and the steel.
Controlling these parameters allows for optimization of FeO content and its interaction with the steel.

Optimizing FeO content in steelmaking slag is important because it influences the steel quality,
inclusion formation, and the overall steelmaking efficiency. By carefully controlling the factors
mentioned above, steelmakers can achieve the desired FeO levels in the slag, resulting in improved
steel properties and process performance.

3.2 Reduction in Turn down O2 PPM in Taped Steel at primary steel

making stage

The optimization of turn down O2 (oxygen) parts per million (ppm) in steelmaking involves controlling and minimizing
the presence of oxygen to improve the steelmaking process and the quality of the final steel product. Here are some
approaches for optimizing turn down O2 ppm in steelmaking:

Optimizing furnace operation: The operating parameters of the furnace, such as temperature, airflow, and gas flow
rates, should be carefully controlled. Proper optimization helps in reducing oxygen ingress into the system, thereby
minimizing O2 ppm in the steelmaking process.

Maintaining a protective atmosphere: Creating and maintaining a protective atmosphere inside the furnace or ladle is
essential to minimize oxygen contact with the molten steel. This can be achieved by using suitable refractory
materials, implementing inert gas purging techniques, and ensuring proper sealing of the furnace or ladle.

Efficient slag management: Effective slag control and management contribute to reducing the presence of oxygen in
the steelmaking process. Proper slag practices, such as slag foaming and stirring, can help create a barrier between the
molten steel and oxygen, minimizing the oxygen pickup.

Process optimization and technology upgrades: Continuous process optimization and the adoption of advanced
technologies can significantly contribute to lowering O2 PPM in steelmaking. Upgrading equipment, implementing
oxygen control systems, and utilizing process models for real-time monitoring and adjustment can enhance overall
control and reduce oxygen levels.

Vacuum degassing: Vacuum degassing is a process that removes dissolved gases, including oxygen, from the molten
steel. By subjecting the steel to a vacuum environment, the dissolved gases are drawn out, resulting in a lower oxygen
level. This process is commonly used in secondary steelmaking methods like the ladle furnace or
vacuum arc degassing.

Argon purging: Argon purging is used to create an inert atmosphere above the steel melt. By displacing the oxygen-
rich air with argon, the oxygen concentration in the steel can be reduced. Argon purging is commonly employed during
ladle treatment and in continuous casting processes.
Monitoring and analysis: Continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in the steel melt using oxygen probes or
other analytical techniques allows for real-time control and adjustment of the steelmaking process. Analyzing
the oxygen content helps optimize process parameters and ensure the desired oxygen concentration is
maintained.
It's important to note that the specific methods and techniques used to control oxygen levels in steel may vary
depending on the steelmaking process being employed, such as the basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc
furnace (EAF), or secondary refining methods. The steel plant's operating practices and equipment may also
influence the choice of oxygen control measures.

CONCLUSION

• In conclusion, optimizing FeO (ferrous oxide) content in steelmaking slag is an important aspect of steel production.
By effectively managing FeO levels, steelmakers can enhance the overall quality of the steel and improve the
efficiency of the steelmaking process.
To optimize FeO in slag, several strategies can be employed. These include adjusting the slag composition through
proper selection and control of raw materials, optimizing the slag basicity by adding fluxes such as lime or dolomite,
controlling the temperature and oxygen levels to promote FeO oxidation, implementing slag foaming and stirring
techniques to enhance slag separation and exposure to oxygen, and utilizing slag treatment methods like ladle
refining.
Each steelmaking facility may adopt specific approaches based on their process and technology. Continuous
monitoring and adjustment of process parameters are crucial for achieving the desired FeO levels and maintaining
consistency in slag composition. Ultimately, FeO optimization contributes to the production of high-quality steel and
the efficient utilization of resources in the steelmaking industry.

• In conclusion, reducing O2 (oxygen) parts per million (ppm) in tapped steel during primary steelmaking is a critical
goal for steel producers. Minimizing oxygen levels in the steel contributes to improved steel quality, enhanced
process efficiency, and reduced costs.
To achieve a reduction in O2 ppm in tapped steel, several strategies can be employed. These include optimizing
oxygen lance design, upgrading burner technology, ensuring proper gas sealing and furnace integrity, selecting and
preparing scrap materials with low oxide content, implementing effective slag control and refining practices,
controlling temperature and residence time, and utilizing real-time process monitoring and control systems.
By implementing these strategies, steel producers can minimize oxygen ingress and improve the efficiency of oxygen
removal during primary steelmaking. This results in a lower O2 ppm in the tapped steel and ensures the production of
high-quality steel with reduced impurities.
It's important to note that the specific approaches and techniques used may vary depending on the primary
steelmaking process, equipment, and facility conditions. Continuous monitoring, analysis, and adjustment of process
parameters are essential to achieve the desired reduction in O2 ppm and maintain consistent improvements in steel
quality and process performance.