Abstract:
The use of Scrap in BOF type converters is a reality in the market and is increasingly encouraged both by the Productive and the Environment sides. In a steel plant, there is a need for a balance between internally generated scrap, such as waste and by-products, and those that are purchased directly on the market.
The limiting agents for the use of Scrap can be physical, such as the size and capacity of the Yard or processed and available volume, or it can be process, such as thermal balance, sulfur and other contaminants.
Considering the actual situation, Ternium Brasil has a large stock of Solid Iron from the Blast Furnaces with some obstacles to its use. Among them, processing to a size that can be used, a maximum volume per run aimed at protecting the converter refractory and its unknown sulfur content; the latter being influenced by the limitation of the storage area since all the stored material is mixed without any control.
Seeking to increase the consumption of this material, the study focuses on a greater assertiveness of the sulfur content in the material received at the Melt Shop’s Scrap Yard and consumed in the Converter, allowing a greater average volume used per run.
The proposed actions provided an increase in the volume consumed by 80% compared to the previous model, reducing the stock volume by 2.5 MMusd and providing an increase in production of 1.800t more liquid steel per month.