Professional Documents
Culture Documents
001 - The Steel Book PDF
001 - The Steel Book PDF
A sustainable world 20
People and steel – The future 23
IN MORE DETAIL
Ore-based hot metal and steel 26
Secondary metallurgy and continuous casting 30
Strip products 32
Heavy plate 34
3
The world needs steel
The global demand for steel is great. Annually
about 1.4 billion tons of steel is produced in the world.
The steel industry is central to our social structure,
in particular our infrastructure, but steel also
improves the everyday lives of most people.
4
How SSAB's steel is used
SSAB has strong brands for steel plate for different of various structures. These are properties that are especially
applications, which require strength, wear resistance valuable to manufacturers of construction machinery, mining Did you know?
and formability. SSAB sells not only steel, but also the equipment, trucks, cranes, and containers.
∑ Steel is the world's most important engineering material due to its
knowledge and services around the applications of its These tough steels also are used for various safety
high strength relative to weight and cost effectiveness.
steels. applications in the automotive industry.
∑ Steel is produced in many forms – from thin sheets to thick
SSAB also produces a variety of lower strength steels, load-bearing bridge girders.
SSAB's steels are used for transporting, lifting or carrying, which are used for various products within the manufac- ∑ Industrial development requires steel.
and for security applications. turing, construction, and energy (including wind turbines)
∑ Steel is constantly evolving and is a high-tech material.
SSAB's high strength steels allow a user to reduce the weight industries.
∑ Steel makes up part of a cycle, and is the world's most
of a product while increasing its strength and extending the life recycled material.
5
Garbage trucks carry larger loads Specialists
A Canadian garbage truck manufacturer has designed a SSAB focuses on solving difficult problems. The company has
vehicle which takes advantage of the breadth and possibili- specialists with unique expertise in everything from the steel
ties of high strength steels. It is a front-loader garbage truck properties such as strength, bending, cutting and joining to
which can carry about 700 kg more payload using SSAB's fatigue and wear. The close collaboration between SSAB's
steels compared to previous models. The new design has application engineers and customers contributes to new
not only become lighter, but also can withstand higher knowledge, new ideas and solutions to problems.
compression in the hopper. The result is a more efficient SSAB is at the forefront of design, innovation, technology
vehicle that requires fewer trips and therefore has a reduced and environmental responsibility.
environmental impact. The specialists in technical customer support are involved
in new products and projects at an early stage. Collaboration
Dump trucks in mines with customers is very valuable for both parties.
Dump trucks for use in mining are exposed to very high wear
conditions. A South African company uses high strength wear
plate in its redesign of the truck bed to create a lighter and
more durable component. The weight of the truck is
reduced by 19%, nearly eight tons. As a result, operating and
maintenance costs are reduced, as well as the impact on the
environment due to lower emissions.
6
1 2 3
1. For mining and heavy transport, 3. SSAB's steel is often used in award-
resistance to wear and extreme dura- winning interior design, such as the
bility are important characteristics. bookshelf Cell by Peter Cohen.
Hardox and Weldox give designers 4. For extreme racing gear Docol is
many possibilities. a super-strong and light material.
2. Prelaq Energy was used for roofs and 5. Armox makes embassy buildings
walls in the Swedish pavilion at the more secure.
World Exhibition in Shanghai in 2010.
The material makes it possible to 6. Weldox increases the reach of cranes
reduce the energy consumption in by utilizing the steel's extreme
buildings. strength.
8
SSAB's product brands
Structural steel for lightweight and durable solutions. Used mainly in
the transportation sector in truck beds, containers and chassis.
Cold rolled steel for light and safe components. Mainly in crash
beams and seats of vehicles. Suitable for bending and forming. THE COMPANIES PLANNJA AND TIBNOR
ARE INCLUDED IN THE SSAB GROUP
Structural steel for heavy and demanding applications. Used for Tibnor
cranes and other structures with requirements for high strength and Tibnor is a one-stop source of steel and metals for manufacturing,
good weldability. processing and construction companies in the Nordic countries and
Baltic States. Tibnor is the leading distributor in the Nordic countries,
and a strategic and long-term partner of the industry. Together with
Pre-painted sheet steel for environmentally-friendly construction
customers and suppliers the best solutions for materials, logistics and
products. A sustainable solution for roofs, walls, guttering and fittings.
production are developed.
www.tibnor.se
Protective plate used for armored car transports, buildings, mine Plannja
sweepers and personal property protection.
Plannja is one of Europe's leading brands within refined strip
products for construction and sheet metal work, small house
construction and other producers of housing modules. The produc-
Steel for machine components and tools that can withstand extreme tion facilities in Luleå, Järnforsen and Landsbro deliver both product
temperatures. Hardened and ready to go into production. systems as well as custom-made solutions. This contributes to simple
and economical construction and aesthetically pleasing buildings.
www.plannja.com
9
HOW WE MAKE STEEL
Ore-based hot metal and steel
In Sweden, SSAB produces strip products and heavy High strength steels derive their strength partially by the
plate, while only heavy plate is produced in the United addition of alloying elements and partially by the manufac-
States. Swedish production is ore-based, and in the turing methods, for example, by quenching in rapid cool-
United States, production is scrap-based. ing processes in a matter of seconds. Precise precision is a
prerequisite for product .
In Sweden, hot metal is produced from iron ore pellets in SSAB's strength lies in the business concept where the
blast furnaces in Luleå and Oxelösund. There also is a small company works with customers to find optimal solutions.
amount of scrap added as the hot iron is refined into crude
steel in LD converters.
1a. SSAB purchases coal from Australia 2. The coking plant converts coal to 4. The hot metal is tapped
and the United States. The coal is coke and gas by heating in a battery of as soon as the correct
shipped by sea to Luleå and Oxelösund. sealed furnaces. The gas is converted level in the blast furnace
to energy. The coke goes to the blast is reached. The carbon
furnace. content is about 4.5%. The
slag is skimmed off into a
slag pot. 5. The hot metal is trans- 6. The hot metal is
ported to the steelworks treated to remove
in a cigar-shaped railcar sulphur.
known as a torpedo car.
This can hold approxi-
mately 300 tons of liquid
hot metal.
10
LEFT: The metallurgy processes
convert hot metal and scrap into
molten steel. The steel is cast into
a semi-finished slab product.
CENTER: The liquid hot metal is
transported from the blast furnace
to the steelworks in ceramic-lined
vessels called torpedo cars.
RIGHT: Heavy ladles with molten
steel in the production process can
be transported by means of radio
control.
1. Steel is the world's largest 2. Montpelier and Mobile use 3. At the ladles metallurgy furnaces, 4. The hot steel is turned into slabs 5. The slabs are heated in
recycling system. Steel used twin-shell, electric-arc furnaces for steel chemical composition and by continuous casting. in an open, gas-fired reheating furnace to a
in everyday life can be melted scrap melting. In one shell, scrap is temperature is fine-tuned. Alloying water-cooled, copper mould. temperature needed for rolling.
down to become new steel preheated using natural gas, while in elements are added, the carbon
products. the other shell, scrap is melted using content is regulated, and the sulfur
electric and chemical energy. Then, level is reduced. Some steel types
the molten steel is tapped into ladles. also are vacuum treated to remove
hydrogen and nitrogen.
12
THE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE
Slag port
TAP HOLE
6. The steel slabs must be rolled to 7. The heavy plate can be heated, 8 Plates cool on a bed before
produce the required dimensions and quenched (rapidly cooled) and they are painted, cut to length
properties. This is done in different tempered to get the right proper- and prepared for delivery.
ways at different sites. ties.
In the U.S., slabs are rolled on
After all the scrap has been melted,
Steckel mills which have down coilers
the slag is poured off and the liquid
at both ends of the four-high rolling
crude steel is transferred to a ladle.
stand.
Each charge contains 150 tons of
steel in Montpelier and 175 tons of
Read about secondary metallurgy and continuous casting on page 30. steel in Mobile.
13
HOW WE MAKE STEEL
Strip products
Rolling the sheet into thin dimensions takes place
in hot mills, which the sheet passes through several
pairs of rolls in a series one after another, each with a
decreasing gap between the work rolls.
vatten
1. The slabs are heated in 2. Mill scale is removed 3. At the roughing mill, the thickness of the 4. In the finishing line, six stands 5. The plate is water cooled to
slab furnaces to the exact from the steel surface steel slabs is reduced from 22 cm to 3 cm, (each with a pair of work rolls) reduce about 600°C before winding the
temperature for rolling in several stages during and the length increases from 11 meters to the final thickness in the range of long strip into a coil.
– about 1250°C. hot rolling. nearly 80 meters. This partially-rolled slab is 1.8 and 16 mm.
wound into a coil on the coil box.
14
LEFT: A new water cooling section
was built in Borlänge in 2011
The facility allows for the direct
quenching of thinner plates in
addition to conventional cooling.
RIGHT: The pickled sheet is rolled
in the Cold Roll Mill, this time
without heating. This makes the
plate thinner and harder.
14. Some sheet coils are hot-dip galvanized to pro- 15. Hot-dip galvanized steel can be
vide a corrosion-resistant shield. This involves another further treated, for example, by painting
heating step and immersion in molten zinc followed by before delivery to customers.
cooling.
8 Hot rolled 6 mm 9. Strip products can 10 Cold rolled steel is hard and 11. To harden the plate 12. After cooling, there is 13. Cold rolled sheet plate is
can be made thinner be rolled as thin as 0.3 brittle. and it must be annealed it is quickly cooled. usually another heating step sold as coils, or cut into
and smoother by cold mm. at 850°C in order to become (200–500°C) to make the formatted sheets.
rolling. formable again. hardened steel more formable.
1. Steel slabs are heated in 2. High pressure water sprays 3. The slab is rolled back and forth 4. SSAB's four-high rolling mill
slab reheating furnaces to remove scale from the heat slabs. in the four-high rolling mill until the in Oxelösund works with forces of
the exact rolling temperature. plate reaches the desired thickness 100,000 kN (10,000 tons) and is
and width. one of the world's most powerful
rolling mills.
16
LEFT: Heavy plate is cut into manageable
lengths after rolling.
CENTER: The finished plate is blasted,
painted and labeled.
RIGHT: The granulation facility at the steel-
works in Oxelösund converts hot metal into
iron pellets.
5. The hot plates are cut into 6. Quenching is done by rapid and 7. Heating (tempering) of the plate occurs 8 The plate is cut to length before
sheets of manageable lengths evenly distributed cooling with water. at between 200–700°C. This makes the being blasted to provide a scale-free
after rolling. This gives the plate its high-strength quenched plate more ductile. surface. Then the plate is labeled and
properties. painted with anticorrosive paint.
The steel slabs are heated in furnaces until they become soft
and glowing. The roll mill acts as a giant rolling pin, which rolls
out the steel slab to its final thickness.
After rolling, the plate can be rapidly cooled, quenched and
tempered and further treated.
Some plate products are cut to length and painted before
they are delivered to SSAB's customers.
SSAB has rolling mills in Oxelösund, Borlänge, Montpelier
and Mobile.
SSAB's focus on producing high strength steel started in
Oxelösund in the 1970s. The brand Hardox is steel with
exceptional wear resistance.
HOW TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF STEEL?
The strength of steel can be measured by a so-called The yield strength of Docol 1500M is 1,200 MPa. This
tensile test, which a piece of steel is pulled with such means that the sheet metal piece is strong enough to lift
force until it breaks into two pieces. five connected normal size cars under each other.
One measure of strength is yield strength, which refers Another way to measure the strength of steel is the
to the point where the steel loses its ability to regain its tensile strength – the maximum load of the steel before
original shape. Draghållfastheten mäts i Megapascal, breakup.
MPa. Toughness and durability are also important
An example of steel with very high yield strength is characteristics of steel products.
Docol 1500M. A 1 dm wide piece of metal which is 0.5
mm thick can resist a pulling force equivalent of six tons
before it deforms permanently.
18
TOP: The hot strip mill in Borlänge manufactures
sheet products. Slabs are reheated to about
1250°C prior to rolling.
LEFT: Sheet products can be delivered as coils, or
as cut-to-length flat sheet.
19
A stronger, lighter and more sustainable world
SSAB's vision
Managing resources
The world's resources are finite. Therefore it is important to
manage raw materials and use them as efficiently as possible.
The steel industry is central to social structure, and SSAB's
high strength steel has several advantages from a
sustainability perspective.
20
Energy Ore
The steel industry is one of the world's most energy-intensive SSAB is one of the world's most energy-efficient steel
basic industries. Steel production uses mainly electricity and producers. For example, the pellets provided by LKAB consist
coal. of 100% magnetite ore. This represents a major energy
advantage. Magnetite ore requires less energy and gener-
The processes generate energy-rich gases from coke
ates only a third as much carbon dioxide compared to pellets
ovens and blast furnaces. Using the gases created from the
made from hematite ore.
processes means that, for example, the need for oil can be
reduced. Energy-efficient blast furnaces
Using process gases as a raw material produces electricity SSAB's blast furnaces are some of the most energy-efficient
in gas turbines in combined heat and power (CHP) plants. It in the world. The amount of coal and coke used per ton of hot
covers half of SSAB's electricity needs for the production metal are among the lowest. Efficient processes are crucial
SSAB uses scrap as a raw
facilities in Luleå, Oxelösund and Borlänge. for the energy-efficient use of resources.
material in the electric
Process gases also contribute to the production of district Electric power and district heating produced by SSAB's arc furnaces in the United
heating. The households connected to the district heating process gases are examples of the efficient use of natural States. Scrap is recycled
using natural gas and
network in Oxelösund, Luleå and Borlänge have SSAB as their resources.
electricity.
district heating provider.
SSAB uses scrap as a cool-
Natural gas is used to preheat the processes of scrap recy- ant in the LD converters in
cling in SSAB's U.S. facilities. Thereafter, the scrap is melted Luleå and Oxelösund.
in electric arc furnaces. Natural gas is also used for the slab SSAB recycles steel in both
reheating furnaces. ore-based and scrap-
based metallurgy.
SSAB annually awards the international Swedish Steel Prize. All steel can be recycled. Steel is one of the most recycled
materials in the world. Used materials are melted down
Every year in November, a winner who has made the best use of high strength and turned into new products again. Scrap is an important
steel in a design is selected from dozens of candidates. raw material.
21
Blast furnace slag
Blast furnace slag is formed during hot metal production and
is a good raw material for cement-like binders, road materials,
and other applications. The uses of blast furnace slag include
road construction. It is sold under the name Hyttsten and has
the advantage of being a lightweight construction material.
Blast furnace slag contains lime and is therefore also used
as a raw material for KRAV certified agricultural lime. Blast
furnace slag is a good example of the resource management
of raw materials in the steel industry.
Merox
Merox is a subsidiary of SSAB operating primarily at the three
production sites in Sweden. The company specializes in the
handling and sale of by-products formed during steelmaking.
Merox’s responsibilities include bringing ferrous materials
back into SSAB's processes.
Merox produces and sells products covering a wide range
of areas, including construction materials for roads, riding
tracks, raw materials for cement, fertilizer, magnets, and
coloring pigments.
Bringing materials back into the processes and using
by-products as new materials are examples of effective
management of the world's resources.
ABOVE LEFT: Hyttsten is an environmentally friendly road
construction material for major and minor roads.
22
People and steel – The future
SSAB is a knowledge-intensive company with sites on
all continents and in over 45 countries. SSAB’s major
production facilities are in Sweden and the United
States. There are nearly 300 different professions in
the company, and many employees are working
locally and globally at the same time.
Knowledge-intensive
Producing advanced steel products requires great knowledge
and a thorough understanding of metallurgical processes.
SSAB also conveys knowledge to its customers about how
high strength steel can be used. New applications, designs and
products are constantly developed together with customers.
Hence the need for employees with skills and innovative
ideas across many areas – from marketing, research and
development to logistics, production and process development.
23
Environment and safety
SSAB is systematically and persistently working to create a
safe working environment for all employees. The company's
demanding work sites require a high level of safety-focused
thinking from everyone involved.
The goal of SSAB is to be the safest steel company in the
world.
24
Some of the more than 300 occupations that
are represented at SSAB
Application and product developer • Technician • Electrician
Seller • Chemist • HR partner • Crane operator • Bricklayer
Controller • Development engineer • Metallurgist • Project leader
Researcher • Strategic buyer • Product developer • Economist
Application Engineer • Fireman • Planner • Mechanic
Continuous caster • Constructor • Ergonomist • Logistician
System developer • Customer service engineer • Welder
Controls and control engineer • Machine operator • Truck driver
IT architect • Work environment engineer • Construction leader
Designer with different orientations
25
IN MORE DETAIL
Ore-based
INSIDE THE BLAST FURNACE The blast furnace is charged continu-
ously with iron ore pellets, coke and
additives from the top.
fluid-flowing, plastic form. The elements that is just over 4 million tons.
are to be removed will then be gasified. The All Swedish hot metal is produced using
total process takes approximately 18 hours. pellets from the LKAB ore deposits in northern The hot blast air 2 200º C
Koks förbränns
The temperature is above 1000°C and the Sweden. The LKAB pellets are produced from meets the ore
and coke in the
coal is converted to 75% coke and 25% gas. magnetite ore and have a high iron content –
blast furnace
1 500º C
The coking plant has a series of processes more than 66%. LKAB utilizes the properties belly. The burden Råjärn tappas ut
in which the gas is purified in several steps of the magnetite ore in its pellets, so that a lets the process
gas through, while
and many raw materials are recovered. The lower amount of energy is needed for produc-
the molten iron The hot metal is Tapping goes on for two hours and
most important is the purified coke oven gas ing the blast furnace pellets. The high purity of drips down. collected at the then there is a 40–50 minutes break
that provides energy to the coking plant and the LKAB pellets provides SSAB with benefits bottom of the before the next tapping takes place.
other facilities, such as the blast furnace. in hot metal production. blast furnace, the The slag is separated from the hot
hearth. metal using a skimmer. The iron
temperature is more than 1500°C.
26
Reducing elements, additives Hot blast air is supplied at high pressure The carbon monoxide is rich in energy. The SLAG
In order to convert ore pellets into hot metal though a number of large nozzles under the blast furnace gas is recycled as energy for When the hot metal is tapped from the blast
in the blast furnace, the oxygen in the ore broad belly of the blast furnace, where pul- the processes of the blast furnace itself and furnace, the slag is also discharged. The
must be removed. This is called reduction. verized coal is injected at the same time. The for other energy customers in the steelworks. slag consists mainly of silicon and lime. The
The blast furnace process is a melting blast air nozzles are known as tuyeres. The It is also used for power generation and silicon is a residue from the ore gangue –
reduction process. blast air is heated in tall brick towers, cowpers district heating. the rock that surrounds the ore veins. Lime
In the iron ore, the iron is bound to oxygen or heaters using energy recovered from the SSAB participates in research on how car- is added to the blast furnace process in
as magnetite, with the chemical formula blast furnace gas and coke gas. bon monoxide can be recycled and used in order to collect silicon and other undesired
Fe3O4. Fe is the chemical symbol for iron and The reduction process takes place inside the reducing process. SSAB is also involved substances to form a slag. The slag floats on
O the chemical symbol for oxygen. The the ceramic-lined blast furnace, where the in research projects which aim to halve car- top of the molten hot metal. It is separated
numerals specify the number of atoms of temperature is 2200°C in the hottest zone. bon emissions of future steel production. by the runner and then tapped separately.
each element. A reducing agent that will The iron melts at about 1500°C. The slag is recycled once it has cooled and
combine with the oxygen at high tempera- When the iron has been reduced and solidified.
ture must be added. Carbon, with the chemi- melted, it trickles down and collects at the
cal symbol C, is used as a reducing agent in bottom of the blast furnace, which is known
the form of coke and injection coal. as the hearth. The blast furnace is tapped at
a uniform rate. Tapping takes place during
Hot metal flowing around the clock two hours and is then interrupted for 40–50
The blast furnace is continuously charged minutes before the next tapping.
around the clock from the top with iron ore
pellets, coke and additives.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OXYGEN AND
The coke supports the large column of
CARBON THAT HAVE BEEN REDUCED?
ore and coke inside the blast furnace. The
They form two gases, carbon monoxide
particle size of the coke allows the molten
and carbon dioxide, CO and CO2, which are
hot metal to trickle down and the gas to rise
discharged from the blast furnace through
through the blast furnace. Some of the coke
large pipes to a treatment facility.
can be replaced by injecting pulverized coal
to the blast furnace's blast air.
27
IN MORE DETAIL
Ore-based
hot metal and steel
The LD process The purified process gas is DESULPHURIZATION OF HOT METAL STEEL PRODUCTION USING THE LD PROCESS
very rich in energy and is used
The LD process is an oxygen- The hot metal is transported in liquid form to The LD process (converter) is a steel-making
both in our own processes for
related steelmaking method metallurgy and for energy for the steelworks for refining via ceramic-lined method in which hot metal is decarburized
used to decarburize iron, i.e. consumers. Half of SSAB's vessels, called torpedoes. The hot iron is and converted to steel by blowing oxygen
to lower the carbon content electricity demands are met by
so that the iron is converted
close to 1500°C, and contains about 4.5% from above into the molten metal with a
its own process gases, primarily
into malleable steel. Hot metal from the blast furnace but also carbon, 0.1% sulphur and 0.5% silicon. In the water-cooled lance. Hot metal is converted
is converted into steel when from the coking plant and the first step, the sulphur is removed by refining into steel when the carbon content has been
the carbon content has been LD process. by adding magnesium oxide or calcium lowered to 1.7%. The final carbon content can
lowered to 1.7%.
carbide to the molten metal. It binds the vary from 1% for very hard carbon steel to
sulphur to form a liquid slag which is skimmed only a few hundredths for steel with ultra-
off the top of the hot metal. Transportation low carbon content. Such ultra low-carbon
The LD converter has a The oxygen lance is inserted in of hot metal and steel at the steelworks is steels are soft and pliable.
thick lining of a special the molten metal and oxygen
ceramic brick. The bricks
done by ceramic-lined containers, ladles. Besides hot metal, scrap is also added to
is blown at high pressure into
and tap hole wear out the vessel. the converter. Scrap is an important raw
and must be replaced material in the LD process and is melted with-
at regular intervals.
The oxygen reacts with the
out the addition of any other energy
carbon to make carbon monox- – a highly energy-efficient recycling method.
ide and carbon dioxide gases. The scrap is added primarily to cool the
The oxygen infusion continues
molten metal which sees a sharp rise in
until the predetermined carbon
content has been reached. 1.7% temperature when oxygen reacts with, for
is the threshold between the
brittle hot metal (pig iron) and
malleable steel.
The tapping temperature is over
1600°C.
28
The hot liquid steel is continuously
cast into manageable slabs.
ENERGY-RICH GASES
The purified process gas is very rich in energy
and is used in our own processes for
metallurgy and as energy for consumers. For
example, half of SSAB's electricity needs in
Luleå, Borlänge and Oxelösund is produced
using our own process gases, mainly from the
blast furnace but also from the coking plant
In Luleå, Borlänge and Oxelösund,
and the LD process. house-holds receive district heat-
ing with the help of SSAB. SSAB
gas produces steam that drives
turbines with electric generators.
The hot water is used for district
heating.
The top picture shows one of the
blast furnaces in Oxelösund which,
besides hot metal, also produces
energy-rich gas.
29
IN MORE DETAIL
SECONDARY METALLURGY laboratory evaluations to ensure that the purity, such as hydrogen and nitrogen station through to the LD converters,
Whether the hot metal is produced by steel contains the correct amount of the removal. vacuum treatment, and finally continuous
ore-based or scrap-based raw materials, right ingredients and that the steel is at casting.
Steel with precision
the operators fine-tune the temperature, the right temperature. SSAB utilizes various carbon contents and
Accuracy is an important factor in the vari-
and the amounts of various alloying The requirements and degree of accuracy alloys to achieve the desired strength and
ous manufacturing steps for SSAB's steel
elements. Analytical limits are very tight are identical across all SSAB steelworks, ductility. SSAB high strength steels belong to
types. Hard or soft steel? This is determined
and tolerances are small. Each type of although the processes may differ. the family of low-alloy steel grades.
in secondary metallurgy. The recipe follows
steel has a unique recipe that must be fol- The steel can also be subjected to
every ladle – right from the steelwork's first
lowed exactly. The operators use vacuum treatment for extremely high
processing step at the desulphurization
computers and analytics with rapid
30
Swedish operations cast thicker slabs com-
Continuous casting
pared to the works in the United States which
Continuous casting is a process to convert
cast thinner and wider slabs.
the 1600°C hot liquid steel into manage-
Each slab receives an "ID number" and is a
able slabs. The ladle carrying the liquid steel
carefully recorded entity intended for a specific
is placed in a holder. From here, the steel is
end-product. Samples of the steel are taken
tapped through a casting pipe to a tundish. A recipe
throughout the production chain and ulti-
The tundish is an intermediate vessel used SSAB produces the high strength steel Docol which is used,
mately also from the finished slab. All slabs are for example, for side impact protection in car doors to
during casting to allow the changeover from
inspected and some further treatment may be protect in a collision.
one ladle to another without any interruption To arrive at that particular steel grade, carbon, manga-
required, such as grinding.
in the process. nese, silicon and other alloying elements are used.
The slabs are cooled in different ways. Some
Continuous casting is done using a water- After rolling, the sheet is still 600°C when it is rolled up
sensitive steel slabs require slow cooling at on coils. At this point, the sheet is 4 mm thick.
cooled mould, which is open both at the top
a steady pace and are allowed to cool under The cold rollup mill reduces the sheet thickness to 1.5
and bottom. mm, a standard thickness for safety features in cars.
special hoods.
A casting powder is used, so that the steel After cold rolling, the material is hard and brittle. That is
The metallurgy process takes 12 hours – from why the sheet is heat-treated, which makes it moldable. To
slides smoothly through the mould. Power-
iron and steel production through to it becom- gain the highest strength, the plate can also be annealed
ful water-cooling of the mould's casting and then cooled rapidly.
ing a steel slab, ready for rolling into sheets.
plates immediately gives the hot liquid melt This is an example of how SSAB produces steel grades
a shell of hardened steel. The cooled steel according to customer requirements.
The steel commuter train
shrinks in volume as it is withdrawn from the
The steel commuter train is a train system in
underside of the mould in a long strand. The
Sweden between Luleå, Borlänge, and Oxelö-
strand is continuously cooled on its arc-
sund. Slabs are transported from Oxelösund
shaped path down to the cutting station. At
and Luleå to Borlänge for rolling. Borlänge then
this stage, the steel is still hot and glowing, but
sends the finished strip product coils to Oxelö-
is sufficiently solid to enable the strand to be
sund where they are shipped worldwide from the
cut with movable oxygen torches into pieces
Steel Harbor in Oxelösund. A comparison
up to 11 m long.
The steel in the Eiffel Tower in Paris weighs 7300 tons. At
full operation, the steel commuter train between Luleå and
Slabs Borlänge carries 7000 tons per day on four trains. Every day,
shipments equate to almost the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
Slabs can vary in length, width and thickness
depending on in which of SSAB's plants the The cast iron manufactured in 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was
slabs are produced. A common slab weighs erected, had a tensile strength of 200 MPa (megapascals).
25 tons. The steel from one ladle is enough Today, SSAB's high strength steel with a tensile strength of
1400 MPa could be used for a new Eiffel Tower. It would reduce
for a handful of slabs, and is the smallest the weight by 40%.from 7300 tons to 3000 tons
quantity of the same grade of steel that
SSAB can produce.
IN MORE DETAIL
Strip products
Hot rolling After cooling, the sheet undergoes a descaling
The slabs are heated to approximately treatment in one of two so-called pickling
1250°C in two furnaces at the works in lines. During rolling, mill scale (iron oxide) is
Borlänge, using oil or gas as an energy formed on the plate through its contact with
source. The slabs are then rolled initially in air. In the acid pickling baths, the mill scale is
the roughing mill. The thickness is reduced removed from the sheet surface.
to 3 cm after five passes back and forth
in the roughing mill. The glowing hot slab Cold rolling and Annealing
has then grown in length from a slab measur- When the customer requires thinner plate
ing 11 m to an intermediate slab measuring than that obtained by hot rolling, the sheet
80 m. It is then wound up as a coil in the must be cold rolled. Cold rolling gives a more
so-called coilbox and transferred to the precise thickness and a smoother surface.
finishing strip mill. The plate is then further In the cold roll mill, the sheet is cold rolled
rolled down to a thickness of between 1.8–16 in a rolling mill with five consecutive pairs of
mm in a continuous manner through six rolls. Each rolling stand has two working roll-
different mill stands. ers and two backup rollers. In order to make
At the end of the hot strip mill, the the plate thinner, high roll forces, as well as
steel reaches a speed of 120 km per hour. sheet tension are required between each pair
The decrease in thickness means the sheet of rolls. Everything happens automatically at
must expand in a longitudinal direction. The high speed with the help of computers.
speed increases with each mill stand, and is Cold rolling makes the plate brittle and
fastest at the end. At a final thickness of hard in the first stage. This is because the
2 mm, the sheet strip has grown to a length grains in the structure of the steel have
of 1300 m. become elongated and deformed.
Cold rolled sheet must therefore be
Quenching annealed. Heating to a sufficiently high
After the final rolling stand, the sheet is temperature causes new grains to grow at
cooled. For some grades of steel the cool- the expense of the deformed grains, and
ing process is very rapid. Other steel grades restores the formability of the sheet.
require slower cooling. In the quenching line,
the strip is rapidly cooled at about 100°C per
second. This gives the sheet its hardness and
strength. SSAB can roll the world's toughest
A coil of hot rolled sheet can weigh 24 tons. hot rolled strip in Borlänge.
32
THE STRUCTURE OF STEEL
The rolled strip products in Borlänge are wound up as coils before continuing.
Annealing and quenching The sheet also can be painted and is then
SSAB's specialty is extremely high strength coated with several layers of paint in a con-
steels. To obtain a higher strength, the sheet tinuous process. The paint is applied on the
must be quenched. This is done by annealing moving strip by rubber rolls, and then passes
and rapid cooling. The extreme rapid cooling through drying furnaces before being coiled
affects the fine structure of the steel grains up again. SSAB has painting lines for strip
The rapid cooling locks to carbon atoms in metal in Borlänge and Finspång.
place, and causes the increase in strength.
The thickness of cold rolled plate can vary CUTTING TO LENGTH
from 0.3 to 3 mm. A cold rolled sheet that is Strip products can be delivered as either coils
0.6 mm thick, becomes a coil of 4 km sheet. or as flat, cut-to-length sheet. Plate rolls are
called coils. A large proportion of the produc-
Coating tion tonnage is cut-to-length to suit the
Cold rolled sheet can be further processed customers' exact needs. This process is
by coating. Hot-dip galvanizing provides carried out in shearing lines using forces
ABOVE, LEFT: Cut-to-length sheet.
good corrosion protection. In hot-dip sufficiently high to cut even the strongest
ABOVE, RIGHT: A thin layer of zinc gives
galvanizing, the strip is first annealed and then steels. To divide the wide coils into narrower the sheet good rust protection.
cooled to 470°C before passing through a strips, the material runs through a slitting line.
RIGHT: Galvanized sheet can be
molten zinc bath. After the final cooling, the painted in a wide range of colors. The
sheet passes through trimming and leveling paint is applied with rubber rollers and
rolls to provide it with the final properties. quickly dried in curing furnaces.
33
IN MORE DETAIL
Heavy plate
The slabs for making heavy plates are 15–29 cm thick. The
slabs are cut to the right length before being rolled.
Oxelösund has one of the strongest reversing to the other downcoiler back and forth in
four-high mills in the world. The separating a number of rolling passes until the plate
force is 100,000 kN (10,000 tons). Here, 29 reaches the final thickness. Plates up to 3 m
cm thick slabs are rolled to plate with thick- wide can be rolled in Mobile and Montpelier,
nesses ranging all the way from 150 mm to 4 and they can be delivered as either flat plate
mm. The plates can be up to 40 m long. or as large coils.
Four-high rolling means that four heavy
Rapid cooling gives extreme
rolls, two work rolls and two backup rolls,
strength
deform the plate with tremendous forces in a
High strength steels are finished in SSAB's
number of passes back and forth through the
quenching lines. Quenching takes place
rollup stand.
through rapid cooling. The rapid cooling is
Heavy plate on a coil done using water under very high pressure.
In the United States, Steckel rolling mills SSAB was one of the pioneers in the
are used to manufacture heavy plate. The development of high strength steels.
Steckel mills are similar to four-high revers- SSAB is increasing its quenching capacity
ing plate mills and also uses a four-high mill in both Sweden and the United States. An
stand with work rolls and backup rolls through increasing volume of high strength steels are
the rolling stand. However, Steckel mills also being produced.
have heated coil boxes on each side of the
rolling standm where the plate can be held
between rolling passes (to minimize
temperature loss). During the later rolling
passes, the plate is run from one downcoiler
34
TEMPERING
36
M Process/methods – Way to extract raw
materials and manufacture products in a
Slag – By-products of slabs separated in
metallurgical processes, includes lime and silicon
V
Magnetite – Fe3O4, magnetic iron ore Vacuum cleaning – Method to vacuum clean the
continuous process without interruption from coal and coke ash
Melting reduction process – Process used for steel from hydrogen and nitrogen
Process water – Water from cooling or treat- Steckel roll mill – Four-high rolling mill with
melting and removing unwanted elements from
ment in various SSAB processes. Always treated Steckel coiling furnaces at each side of the rolling
metal raw materials
and can often be recirculated stand. The plate is recoiled after each rolling pass
Metallurgy – The science of the production of in there coilboxes Y
metal and its properties Yield strength – The maximum stress that the
Steel – Alloy of iron and carbon with a carbon
Mill scale – Residual scale (iron oxide) on the steel can withstand without sustaining permanent
surface of the plate during and after hot rolling
Q content below 1.7%
deformation. At stresses below the yield strength
Quenching – Rapid cooling to make the steel Steel commuter train – Train system for the
Mill stand – A set of two or more cylindrical rollers the material deforms only elastically like a rubber
harder transportation of slabs between Luleå, Borlänge
in a machine band
and Oxelösund
Mould – Casting mould Steel slab – Semi-finished product used for
producing steel plate or sheet
R Strand – Strand of cast steel
O Recycling – Restoring used products or
by-products to a new cycle of production
Strength – The material's ability to resist, for
Ore wagon – Railway car for transport of chunk example, tensile stress without deforming (yield
and use
ore, iron ore or pellets strength) or rupture (tensile strength) or cyclic
Reducing agents – Substances that can unite loading leading to fatigue failure
Oxygen lance – Tubular lance for injection of
with an undesirable substance in a process, such
oxygen into a liquid steel bath Strip products – Thin sheet with a maximum
as carbon which can remove oxygen from iron ore
thickness of 16 mm. Can be cold rolled down to
Roll pass – The steel's passage one time through 0.2–0.3 mm
rolling stand reduces the thickness
Submerged entry nozzle – Ceramic tube that
P Rolling mill – Machinery using cylindrical rollers protects the steel against contact with air during
Pair of rolls – A pair of cylindrical rolls used to to roll out steel to thinner dimensions casting
reduce the plate’s thickness using high pressure Roughing mill – Two cylindrical rough rollers which Surface treatment, surface coating – Cleaning,
Payload – The useful load a vehicle can carry. If reduce the slab to a thinner dimension prior to grinding or coating of surfaces, e.g. by galvanizing
the truck's own weight is reduced, the load can be finish rolling and/or painting
increased by an equivalent amount Runner (for tapping the molten steel) – Runner
Phases – Steels have different crystal struc- with a ceramic lining for controlling the hot metal
tures at different temperatures and a number of
different phases depending on heat treatment, T
alloy variety, quenching, cooling, etc. Best known Tempering – Heating to 200–700°C with the
are martensite (quenched), ferrite (pure iron) and
S aim of making hardened steel tougher and less
austenite (non-magnetic) Scrap – Used materials that can be crushed and susceptible to cracking
recycled, such as steel scrap Tensile strength – Maximum strength that can be
Pickling line – Process line that uses dilute acid
for descaling hot rolled sheet Secondary metallurgy – Technique for the fine applied without breaking
adjustment of alloying elements, purity and Torpedo car, torpedo – Cylindrical railcar lined
Post-treatment – Heat treatment, cooling, etc.
temperature of the steel with bricks and used for transporting the hot metal
to give the steel certain properties; also
galvanizing, painting and cutting to length Slab furnace – Furnace used for heating steel from the blast furnace to steel shop
slabs to rolling temperature Tundish – Intermediate containment vessel used
Process gas – Gas from metallurgical processes,
often rich in energy Slabs – Steel slabs during casting to be able to pass the liquid steel
between the ladle and casting mold
37
Luleå
Borlänge
Oxelösund
business areas
SSAB AMERICAS Sales office
Steelwork
SSAB EMEA
Annual turnover SEK 45 billion Rolling mill
Crude steel volume 5.7 million tons of crude steel SSAB APAC Distribution center
Niche products 1.7 million tons
Number of employees 9000
38
SSAB is a leading global provider of high strength steel. SSAB offers products
SSAB has employees in over 45 countries, and production facilities in Sweden and
the United States. SSAB is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange, Stockholm.
www.ssab.com