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IRON AND STEEL

Overview

PROCESSES

• Agglomeration
  
• Coking
  
• Blast Furnace
  
• Direct Reduction
• Basic Oxygen Furnace
• Electric Arc Furnace
• Heat Treating
• Ladle Metallurgy
• Continuous Casting
• Ingot Casting
• Ladle Preheating
• Secondary Finishing
• Surface Coating
  
  

ALUMINUM

Overview

PROCESSES

• Mining/Primary Processing
  
• Recycle/Scrap Melting
  
• Aluminum Casting
  
• Aluminum Smelting
  
• Anode Baking
  
• Bauxite Mining
  
• Bauxite Refining
  
• Extrusion
  
• Forging
  
• Heat Treating
  
• Molten Handling
  
• Rolling

Adapted from: "The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel". 10th edition, United States Steel, 1985, p 746

Equipment
Combustion Technology
Energy Consumption
Process Description
R&D Trends

The main components of a continuous casting system are shown in the figure. Liquid metal is poured from the ladle into a reservoir and the casting is bent from a vertical to a horizontal plane in straightening rolls and finally cut into the appropriate lengths for secondary rolling.

Cross Section of a Slab Caster

Electromagnetic Stirring

Electric induction stirring is used in many continuous casting machines to stir the molten interior of the cast as it leaves the mold. This stirring improves the crystalline properties of the cast and allows a faster casting speed by speeding solidification.

Gas Cutting

Continuous cast sections are cut to length using gas cutting torches. These torches typically use acetylene, propane, or MAPP fuel along with oxygen to cut the metal. Pressurized natural gas can also be used for cutting in steel mills and in other steel fabrication operations, resulting in operating savings and greater operational safety.