Steel making process - Talk about steel must always be identical with strength. Like werkudara which is very strong because it has bones as strong as steel in the story of the mahabarata puppet. In fact, steel is a metal that is very strong and is very useful for modern humans.
Steel is a hard metal made from iron ore and scrap, with carbon as the main hardener. The method for steelmaking has grown significantly since industrial production began in the late 19th century.
Steel making at this time is still based on methods such as the Bessemer process, namely how the most efficient steel-making process uses oxygen to regulate the carbon content in iron so that iron becomes harder and becomes true steel.
Paper Making Process - Starting from Wood to Book
Paper Making Process - Starting from Wood to Book
I Steel Making Process You Need to Know
+ History of Steel Discovery
Steel Making Process - Steel has been processed and used thousands of years ago, before the discovery of steel was originally in the form of iron ore which was not as strong as steel because of the chemical constituents that caused carbon that was not so strong to bind the elements of iron atoms to the metal. Around 3000 BC at the time of ancient Egypt there were already techniques for metal smelting, even at the previous hour there had been the manufacture of iron jewelry.
In Greek times around 1000 BC there had been a development of iron hardening processes with heat treatment techniques for the manufacture of weapons such as spears and swords.
Steelmaking has existed for thousands of years, but has not been officially introduced and commercialized until the 19th century. In ancient times like ancient times, the craft of the steelmaking process was the process of the container in the heating kitchen.
During the history of steel human civilization, it was only made in small quantities. But after finding a better steel processing formula, namely the discovery of the Bessemer process in the 19th century and subsequent technological developments in injection and process control technology.
After the success of steelmaking with the new Bessemer process, it began in the late 1850s, followed by an open fireplace. In the 1850s to 1860s, the main method of processing steel raw materials with the Bessemer process and the Siemens-Martin process changed to be used for steelmaking for heavy industries.
Mass steel production has played an important role in the world economy and a key indicator of development development. Steel material is strong and relatively easier to form to be a versatile material when compared to iron.
+ Steel Making Process
Steel Making Process - In the process of making steel, the content of compounds such as silicon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and excess carbon is removed from the raw iron so that the iron content becomes more pure and iron atoms are increasingly tightly bound. Combined elements such as nickel, chromium, manganese and vanadium are added to the processing to produce different grades of steel produced.
Carbon in iron works as a hardening element, preventing iron atoms from being regularly bonded. The amount of carbon and the distribution of a mixture of raw materials can control the quality of steel. Steel with an increase in the amount of carbon can harden and strengthen iron, but it can also make it more fragile. Understanding steel scientifically, steel is an iron-carbon mixture with carbon content of up to 5.1 percent, but an alloy with a carbon content higher than this is known as iron.
Many aspects that are considered for steel manufacturing such as limiting dissolved gases such as nitrogen and oxygen and retained waste (called "inclusion") in steelmaking are also important to ensure the quality of steel products.
+ Steel Products Based on Composition
Based on the composition of steel obtained, several types of steel classifications such as carbon steel and alloy steel are obtained. Both types of steel are also many classification based on the manufacturing process and the quality produced.
The finished form of steel products from carbon materials such as steel pipes for the mining industry, foundations and steel frames for towers and high-rise buildings. Whereas finished products from alloy steel such as steel bullets, car components such as brake discs, car wheels and gear.
Steel is produced in steel processing kitchens with the main ingredients of crude iron in the form of solid or liquid, scrap metal and some metal alloys. Here are some of the processes used in making steel, in general, the process is as follows:
1 Converter Process
Converter is one of the containers to process iron into steel ready to be produced. Made from steel plates with welded joints or rivets. On the inside of the converter made of fire-resistant stone, the fire-resistant stone can be acidic or alkaline depending on the nature of the steel to be processed.
At the bottom of the converter there are air holes (tuyer) as blow airways called water blasts. There is also a buffer on the converter that is equipped with a trunnion to adjust the horizontal or vertical position of the converter.
= Work system
- The raw material is heated with coke (such as carbon composition coal) to ± 1500 degrees C.
- Convertor tilts to include steel raw material approximately 1/8 of the converter volume.
- After the default steel is entered, the = returnor is re-established.
- Processing air pressure ranges from 1.5 to 2 atm in exhaling from the compressor.
- Then after 20-25 minutes, the converter is turned back (overturned) to review the results.
= Bassemer Process (Acid)
Processing with bassemer process is that the inner layer used is refractory stone containing acidic acid or axid acid (SiO2), the material treated with gray iron is liquid, CaO is not added because it can react with SiO2, SiO2 + CaO CaSiO3.
= Thomas process (base)
The Thomas process in the inner wall layer is made of refractory stone or dolomite [calcium carbonate and magnesium (CaCO3 + MgCO3)]. The raw material treated is white coarse iron containing P between 1.7 - 2%, Mn 1-2% and Si 0.6-0.8%. After the Mn and Si elements are burned, P forms phosphorus oxide (P2O5) to remove liquid iron added by lime (CaO), 3 CaO + P2O5 Ca3 (PO4) 2 (liquid slag).
2 Siemens Martin Process
The martin siemens process is processed in a steel melting kitchen that can reach high temperatures. The process of processing steel martin siemens is made by two people named Siemen and Martin, so the kitchen is also called the Martin cement kitchen. The kitchen for the martens siemens process has a work stove equipped with air spaces.
This processing furnace has a capacity of 30-50 tons, raw materials that are processed in addition to coarse iron can also be included in scrap metal or scrap metal. If the iron that is inserted contains phosphorus, the kitchen coating material is alkaline. Conversely, if the iron does not contain phosphorus, the inner layer material in the kitchen is acidic.
= The system works
The work system with the martens siemens process uses a regenerator system with temperatures reaching 3000 degrees C. The function of the regenerator is:
- Heating gas and air to increase the temperature of the kitchen.
- It functions as a basic / kitchen base.
- Saving space usage in the kitchen.
3 Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) Process
The steel processing process with the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) process is a modification of the Bessemer process. In the Bessemer process using hot water vapor is blown on the molten iron to burn the remaining impurities. While the BOF process uses pure oxygen instead of water vapor.
The BOF vessel kitchen is usually 5 m in diameter and is capable of processing 35 - 200 tons in one heating. Steel smelting using the BOF also includes the most recent process in the steel making industry. Construction furnaces are relatively simple, on the outside are made of steel plates while the inner walls are made of firebrick.
= The system works
The BOF process uses molten iron (65 - 85%) produced by high furnaces as the main base material mixed with scrap iron (steel scrap) as much as (15 - 35%), limestone and oxygen gas with a purity of 99.5%.
Oxygen will bind the carbon found in coarse iron gradually down until it reaches the level of steel that is made. When the oxidation process takes place there is a very high heat so that it can raise the temperature of the molten metal to above 165 degrees C.
During oxidation, added limestone is inserted into the furnace. The limestone will melt then mix with impurity materials (including oxidized materials) so that it forms a floating slag on molten steel.
When the oxidation process is complete, the oxygen flow is stopped and the oxygen flow pipe is removed from the furnace. The BOF furnace is then tilted, the molten steel sample collection is carried out by chemical composition analysis to assess the steel content.
If the chemical composition of the steel element has been achieved then tapping is carried out. The pouring is carried out when the temperature of the molten steel is around 165 degrees C. The pouring method is carried out by tilting slowly the processing furnace so that the steel liquid is poured into the ladle (the steel casting that has not been printed).
Inside the ladle, skimming is then done to clean the slag from the surface of the molten steel. After the slag is cleared, the metal treatment process is carried out.
= BOF benefits:
- BOF process uses pure O2 without Nitrogen.
- The process runs faster and effectively, only about 50 minutes.
- When the kitchen / furnace does not need to be tuyer at the bottom.
- Filtering unused substances such as phosphorus and sulfur can be separated first from carbon.
- Operating costs with the BOF process are relatively cheaper with other processes. (using O2, the process is faster).
4 Electric Kitchen Process
The process of processing steel using an electric kitchen is a method of controlling the melting temperature and minimizing the elements of the mixture in the steel carried out during the refining process. At the beginning of the refining of steel used kitchen stoves or converters.
Then there is another refining process that is carried out in the electric kitchen so that the steel obtained becomes more qualified. The electric kitchen consists of two types, namely the electric arc kitchen and the high frequency induction kitchen.
= Electric arc arc kitchen
Steel Making Process - In the flame arc lisrik kitchen has a capacity of 25-100 tons, equipped with three carbon electrodes mounted on the top / roof of the kitchen. Carbon electrodes can be adjusted and can automatically produce a flame arc so that it can directly heat and melt the metal.
In this modern kitchen it is able to process metals with acid or base processes. The inside of the kitchen is still layered with refractory stones. The material that is put into the kitchen is coarse iron and also hard metal (steel or iron) whose composition is first known.
If alkaline processes are carried out in steel processing, oxidation of slag from lime will be added to reduce mixed elements. Furthermore, separation of slag (containing lime) from liquid steel was obtained. To prevent oxidation added another mixed metal to the steel metal that has been treated before being removed from the furnace.
= High frequency induction kitchen
Steel Making Process - This electric kitchen by means of high frequency induction consists of a wire coil wrapped around a fire-resistant stone cup. Power flowed from electricity will generate electrical currents that circulate in the metal, causing melting.
After the metal raw material melts then the role of the electric current is to make the stirring motion rotate. The content capacity of this type of kitchen is 350 kg - 6 tons, in general this kitchen is used to produce special alloy steel.
= Advantages with Electric Bows:
- Easy to reach high temperatures in a short time
- Temperature can be set
- More efficient in processing
- Iron liquid is protected from dirt and environmental influences so that steel quality is better
- Disadvantages due to evaporation are very small
5 Kupola Kitchen Process (Cupola Furnace)
Kitchen Cupola (Cupola Funace) is used for smelting gray iron and scrap metal into steel or cast iron, generally used to produce daily smelting based on the capacity of the factory (foundry). Cupola (domes) are usually operated in pairs, so maintenance can be arranged in one dome and the other can still operate, and so on alternately.
= The system works
- Firstly heated on the dome to be free of liquid vapor.
- Fuel in the form of wood charcoal and coke is lit for ± 15 hours.
- Cokas and air are exhaled at low speed with blowers.
- After coke is burnt out then put in pieces of steel and gauze iron.
- After a few minutes 15 minutes the molten steel is removed from the drain hole.
To form slag and reduce levels of pospor and sulfur, then added limestone (CaCO3) and will decompose again with a chemical reaction and finally produce CO gas released through the chimney, the heat can be used for generating other machines.
The last process when in the kitchen after cleaning the slag above the liquid from the next kitchen is to remove the molten steel which is held by the pan to be brought to the iron or steel pouring place.
+ Application of Steel in Life
The benefits of steelmaking have played an important role in the development of a modern technology society. The steel products that we meet a lot like those used for large building frames and bridge frames. The main raw material is made of steel because of its superiority and durability.
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