MM3020: Iron making and steelmaking (2012-13-II)

Instructor In charge: Dr. Ajay Kumar Shukla Department of Metallurgical and

Materials Engineering IIT Madras, India
Learning Objectives
 To apply the principles of physical chemistry and transport phenomena (heat, mass
and momentum) to the process steps in Iron and Steelmaking as practiced in
integrated steel plants.  Be able to understand basic layout of blast furnace,
steelmaking shop and continuous casting process.  To develop computational and
mathematical abilities to be applied for process design and control. It may be C++,
MATLAB, Excel-Solver, FlowBal, FactSage or any other language of interest.  Be
able to model, optimize and control various reactors involved in steel plant supply
chain.  Be able to function in an integrated steel plant/corporate center and R&D
ventures
 • • • • •  • • • • • 

 • •

Text books: Ironmaking and Steelmaking: Theory vs. Practice: Ahindra Ghosh and Amit
Chatterjee Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: A.K. Biswas Fundamentals of
Steelmaking Metallurgy: Brahma Deo, Rob Boom Fundamentals of Steelmaking: E.T.
Turkdogan Physical Chemistry of melts in Metallurgy: F.D. Richardson Marks
distribution (All exam problems will be computational in nature) Quiz 1: 10% Quiz
2: 10% Assignments: 20% Term project: 10% Final Exam: 50% Assignments One every
week. Students may use computer coding/techniques to solve them. It is advised to
solve the assignment problems by their own if want to perform well in exams.
Attendance There is no weightage for the attendance. Since the course involves a
lot of computational work and fundamental understanding about various principles
which would be difficult to understand for those who miss the classes. It would be
in the interest of the all the students to attend all the classes if they want to
score enough to pass the course.
What is steel ?
 Steel is a metallic material. Metals are classified in two categories: Ferrous vs
Non-Ferrous  Steel is Fe+C+……….  It is subsequently catagorized as plain carbon
steel and alloy steel  Plain carbon steel: Low carbon (C< 0.3%, Medium carbon
(0.3-0.6%), High Carbon(0.6-1.0%)  Plain carbon steel contains C, Si, Mn, S, P, N,
O ,H… as dissolved elements.  Alloy steels contains other elements in addition to
them depending upon requirements like Ni, Cr, Nb, Co, Ti ,B, Mo,W etc.  Steel
exhibits a wide range of mechanical properties depending upon its composition and
heating-cooling cycles (Heat-treatment)  Knowledge of Fe-C phase diagram, CCT, TTT
is required to predict the desired processing in order to obtain desired
microstructure for specific mechanical properties
Fe-C, TTT an CCT diagram Courtesy: msm.co.uk
Applications of steel
 Steel is the most widely used material in the world in Automative, Construction,
Engineering, Packaging and Offshore application  Usage comparison (yearly) Steel:
1400 MT, Aluminum : 40 MT, Copper: 16 MT, Zinc: 10.6 MT, Lead 7 MT, Nickel: 1.7 MT,
Magnesium: 0.8 MT, Titanium: 0.15 MT  Low carbon steel application: Flat rolled
products like Automobiles, Seamless tubes  Medium carbon steel application:
Shafts, coupling, crank shafts  High carbon steels: springs, high tension wires 
Suggested readings: www.steeluniversity.org, www.worldsteel.org
Worldwide steel production and India's position
 In 2011 total steel production of entire world was 1490 MT. India produced 72 MT
(5% contribution).  Per capita steel consumption is the index of prosperity of any
country. World per capita steel consumption is 215 kg. India has approx. 50 kg per
capita consumption.  India has projected to produce 140 MT by end of 2016-17. 
China with same population as India is producing 683 MT (highest in world).  India
has to go up to 1000 MT with current population in order to be ranked in developed
nations.  Therefore Steel industry is a booming industry for next 30-40 years in
India.  More information on world statistics of steel production please go through
: www.worldsteel.org and website of planning commission india
Iron and Steelmaking process routes
What is needed to know:
 Layout of the entire plant and design aspects of the processes  Physicochemical
aspects of the process: • Type of reactions • Thermodynamics and equilibrium
systems of importance • Kinetics, heat and mass transfer  Phase diagrams (esp. for
slag systems)  Raw materials properties  Process control models: Static vs
Dynamic vs Data driven  Optimization of a process or entire steel plant supply
chain (with objective of minimum cost/maximum profit)  Automation control
hierarchy of large scale steel plant
Blast furnace ironmaking
• Carbothermic reduction of iron ore (Hametite) in blast furnace is a well known
process. Overall process is written as:
• • • • Ironore oxide mineral + gangue + Reducer (C) + flux + hot blast oxygen
enriched air = Pig iron (liquid) + Slag (liquid) + waste gas (CO,CO2,N2) Iron ore
contains Fe2O3, along with gangue materials such as SiO2, Al2O3. Charge materials
are: Iron ore + limestone (flux) + Coke Output is pig iron (1300 C), 4.5% C, 0.4-
0.6% Si, 0.1-0.2% P, 0.040-0.050% S, 0.1-0.5% Mn Slag: CaO/SiO2 = 1.1; CaO = 30-
40%; Al2O3 = 10-23%; FeO <1%; MgO <8% Waste Gas: CO = 20-25%, CO2 = 20-25%, rest N2
Blast furnace layout with auxillary equipments
Reaction zones in a blast furnace
a) Gas temperature along stack b) Reduction zones along stack c) Carbon reduction
degree (O/Fe) with stack height
Chemical reactions in a blast furnace
 Zone 1 (<950 C),upper zone of stack, reduction of Fe2O3,Fe3O3 takes place:
3Fe2O3(s) + CO  2Fe3O4(s) + CO2 Fe3O4(s)+CO  3FeO(s) + CO2  Zone 2 (950-1000 C),
chemical reserve zone, FeO is in equilibrium with gaseous phase: FeO(s) + CO =
Fe(s) + CO2  Zone 3: (950<T<1050 C), the reduction of FeO by rising CO gas takes
place: FeO(s)+COFe + CO2  Zone 4: (>1000-1050C), direct reduction of FeO to
carbon takes place.  Reaction in raceway zone: C+ O2  CO2 followed by CO2 + C
2CO (Boudward reaction) Overall C + O2 = 2CO Boudward reaction is thermodynamically
feasible at T >1050 (below zone 4). It supports the conversion of CO2 to CO in
raceway and bosh region where T>1050 C.