Ironmaking Technology Committee Technology Committee past AIST activities

The Ironmaking Technology Committee (ITC) held a meeting at the AIST headquarters in Warrendale, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2008. Mark Rosi of ATSI and Bill Sherwood of Severstal Warren welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for taking the time to meet. Bob Bean of Danieli Corus volunteered to take the meeting minutes. Mr. Rosi stressed the importance of committee members attending at least one meeting per year. The committee finalized their selection of abstracts and session chairs to make up 10 sessions for AISTech 2009, including sessions on alternative iron, blast furnace operations, blast furnace raw materials, refractory/rebuilds, blast furnace models, blast furnace injection/raceways, distribution, and blast furnace hearth. The session chair responsibilities were explained so that the sessions will run smoothly. The ITC agreed that a new papers chair will be elected. The former papers chair will move into the vice chair position, and the former vice chair will become chair. The committee also agreed to present their committee awards at 1:30 p.m. on May 4 during their meeting at AISTech 2009 in St. Louis, Mo. The next ITC meeting will be Feb. 5, 2009, in conjunction with the Eastern States Blast Furnace Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Ironmaking Technology Committee (IMTC) met at AIST headquarters on Oct. 1–2. The full committee meeting began on Oct. 1 with the committee co-chairs, Mark Rosi of ATSI Engineering Services and Bill Sherwood of Severstal Warren, welcoming everyone to the meeting and thanking them for attending. Dave Wakelin volunteered to take the meeting minutes. After everyone introduced themselves, Fred Rorick of Magneco/Metrel gave the committee a summary of the IMTC’s international activities. Mr. Rorick will continue to act as the North American liaison with the European Blast Furnace Committee (EBFC) until the summer of 2010, when it is anticipated that Craig Steigeloff will take over. The next meeting of the EBFC will be in IJmuiden, The Netherlands. The IMTC’s cooperation with the EBFC includes the collection and exchange of operating data between producers, and attendance at each other’s conferences, with periodic joint meetings and plant visits. There will likely be a joint meeting and visit from VDEh members in 2010. Mr. Rorick and Art Cheng are to prepare a paper for the ICSTI 2009 conference. The committee then chose abstracts and organized them into sessions for AISTech 2009. The topic for discussion at this meeting was “Methods to Shorten Reline/Rebuild Time,” with each mill representative explaining their best practices. The following day, Oct. 2, was a Producer Only Subcommittee meeting. The discussions started off with safety and environmental updates of each mill being represented by the attendees. The benchmarking database was discussed at length. The committee requested that the new system be available by mid-February 2009 so the participants could start entering their January 2009 data. The next committee meeting was scheduled for Nov. 13, 2008, at the AIST headquarters in Warrendale, Pa., at which they plan to finalize the sessions for AISTech 2009. The following IMTC meeting will be Feb. 5, 2009, in conjunction with the Eastern States Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) met at AISTech 2008 on May 5. The committee chair, Mark Rosi of ATSI Engineering Services, welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending. John Janssen of Middough Inc. volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The importance of meeting participation was discussed. Committee members were reminded that attendance at a minimum of one meeting per year is required. The IPOC has integrated with the AISI Ironmaking Manufacturing Committee to become the new AIST Ironmaking Technology Committee (IMTC). It was agreed that the chairs from both former committees will co-chair the new committee; therefore, Mark Rosi will co-chair the committee with Bill Sherwood of WCI. After some deliberation concerning the committee mission statement, the committee decided to table the discussion until the next meeting. The Technical Report No. 33 Subcommittee reported that the technical report on torpedo cars is nearly complete; only a few sketches need to be added for clarification. The subcommittee was instructed to submit the document for final approval when they felt it was ready. The committee presented Mr. Rosi with a plaque for his exceptional service and dedication as committee chair for 2007–2008. The next IMTC meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30–Oct. 2, 2008, at AIST headquarters in Warrendale, Pa., and will include a tour of U. S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works. The IPOC and Coke Producing Operating Committee conducted an award presentation on Wednesday, May 6, 2008. Ronald Molenaar of Corus Strip Products was awarded the 2008 Thomas L. Joseph Award for his contributions in the fundamental studies of blast furnace reactions. The 2008 Josef S. Kapitan Award – Iron was given to Christopher J. Rabold of United States Steel Corporation, Ernesto J. Serrano of United States Steel Research and Technology Center, and Octavio M. Fortini of Alcoa Technical Center for their paper entitled, “Experimental Probing of Temperatures in Blast Furnace Tuyeres.” The 2008 J.E. Johnson Jr. Award was presented to John D’Alessio of United States Steel Canada for his creative work in branches of metallurgy or manufacture of pig iron. Look for additional information online at www.aist.org.

January 31 , 2008 -The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) held their winter meeting on Jan. 31 near Pittsburgh, Pa. They co-located their meeting with the Coke Producing Operating Committee (CPOC), with most of the attendees then participating in the Eastern States Coke Oven and Blast Furnace Conference. The committee chair, Mark Rosi of ATSI Engineering Services, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone. Tom Kuhl of ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. led a review of the sessions that the IPOC will sponsor at AISTech 2008 and requested volunteers to act as session chairs for each of the sessions. Fred Rorick of Magneco/Metrel Inc. explained the history and purpose of the T.L. Joseph Award. The purpose and history of the J.E. Johnson Award was explained by Joseph Poveromo. Both awards will be presented during a joint meeting with the CPOC at noon on Wednesday, May 7 during AISTech 2008. Mr. Rosi then updated the committee on the status of the integration of AIST’s Operating Committees and AISI’s Manufacturing Committees. The IPOC officer nominations were discussed because of the coming May elections. The current vice chair, Art Cheng of SeverStal NA, will assume the chair position, and the current papers chair, Mr. Kuhl, will assume the vice chair position. The next IPOC meeting will be Monday, May 5 at AISTech 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

November 15 , 2007 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee met at AIST headquarters in Warrendale, Pa., on Nov. 15, 2007. Mark Rosi of ATSI Engineering is the chair of this committee, and Bob Steiger of DME volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The papers chair, Tom Kuhl of ArcelorMittal Dofasco, reviewed the current status of the AISTech 2008 IPOC sessions and requested volunteers to serve as session chairs. The committee members were encouraged to make nominations for the various AIST Association-level Awards. More information about these and the Technology Division–level Awards is available by visiting www.aist.org and clicking on the “AIST Awards” link. Joe Povoromo of Quebec Cartier Mining Co. will chair the J.E. Johnson Award Subcommittee, and Fred Rorick of Rorick Inc. will chair the T.L. Joseph Award Subcommittee. It was agreed that these awards will be given during a joint IPOC/CPOC meeting on Wednesday, May 8, during AISTech 2008. A subcommittee was established to finish the revisions to Technical Report 33. The next IPOC meeting will be Feb. 7 in conjunction with the Eastern States Conference.

September 21 , 2007 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) met at ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor facility on Sept. 21. Chair Mark Rosi, of ATSI Engineering Services, welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance. The selection of abstracts for AISTech 2008 was led by the papers chair, Tom Kuhl of Dofasco Inc. The large number of abstracts will allow for multiple sessions each day at AISTech. The committee also chose chairs for each of the sessions. Barry Felton of ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor facility took the group on a tour of the ironmaking facility, including one of the blast furnaces. The next meeting is scheduled for February during the Eastern States Ironmaking and Cokemaking Conference.

May 7, 2007 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) met on May 7 during AISTech 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind. Bob Jason of ArcelorMittal – Cleveland, the IPOC chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting and had each of the 35 attendees introduce themselves. The papers chair, Art Cheng of Severstal North America Inc., reviewed the status of the AISTech 2007 IPOC sessions and requested volunteers to be session chairs for several lectures; these slots were subsequently filled. IPOC officers for 2007–2008 were then elected. Mark Rosi of ATSI Engineering Services is the new chair, Art Cheng of Severstal NA is the new vice chair, and Tom Kuhl of Dofasco Inc. is the new papers chair. The IPOC mission statement — “The mission of the Iron Producing Operating Committee is to hold regular meetings discussing and providing members information regarding ironmaking manufacturing, to include developing technologies, maintenance and process and operating information” — was reviewed and approved without modification. The committee was encouraged to make nominations for the various AIST Association-level Awards. More information about these and the Technology Division–level awards is available at www.AIST.org by clicking on the “AIST Awards” link. A plaque was given to Mr. Jason for a job well done and as a thank you for being the committee chair during the past year. The next IPOC meeting will be Sept. 21, 2007, at the ArcelorMittal – Burns Harbor facility.

February 1, 2007 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) met in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Feb. 1, 2007. Bob Jason of Mittal Steel USA – Cleveland, the chair of this committee, welcomed everyone to the meeting and had each of the 27 attendees introduce themselves. The committee currently has 57 members, including two new members, Robert Kuhn and Brayton Carner. Art Cheng of Severstal North America Inc. reviewed the status of the AISTech 2007 IPOC sessions, which he has been organizing and configuring. The session chairs were asked to follow up with the authors in their sessions to make sure all the papers are received. The nominations for officer elections took place next, with each officer stepping up. Mark Rossi will become the chair, Art Cheng will become the vice chair and Tom Kuhl will become the papers chair. Special thanks were expressed to Bob Jason, who will be stepping down from the committee chair position. The next IPOC meeting will be Monday, May 7 at AISTech 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind.

November 9, 2006 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee (IPOC) met at the AIST headquarters in Warrendale, Pa., on Nov. 9, 2006, for a half-day business meeting. After member introductions, an update on committee membership and some brief AIST staff announcements, the committee heard a report from the AIST Conference Planning Committee (CPC) and a request from the CPC to have a hot briquetted iron (HBI) training seminar during AISTech 2007. The IPOC decided the best time for the HBItraining seminar would be Sunday, May 6, prior to the start of AISTech 2007. The members also reviewed the AISTech 2007 iron producing technical sessions and adjusted presentations as necessary. Volunteers were selected as session chairs. The committee then began planning the next Alternative Ironmaking Specialty Conference, which is being considered for the fall of 2008. The meeting concluded with a brief round table discussion on the current activities of each member’s company. The next meeting will be held Feb. 1, prior to the start of the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Cokemaking Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.

October 10, 2006 - The Environmental Technology Operating Committee (ETOC) met in Baltimore, Md., in conjunction with the Operations and Maintenance of Particulate Control Equipment and Systems Specialty Conference on Oct. 10, 2006. Committee chair Arthur Hall opened the meeting and welcomed the presenters and fellow committee members. He then read the anti-trust guidelines and AIST staff announcements. The committee reviewed and selected abstracts for two sessions for AISTech 2007. They also agreed to have a joint session with the Iron Producing Operating Committee. The ETOC decided to meet after its AISTech 2007 sessions on Wednesday, May 9, from noon to 2 p.m. The committee then nominated Steven Arthur Bradbury’s paper, “Passive Dust Control for Steel Mills — Control Dust Without the Use of Baghouses or Suppression,” for the ETOC Award for Best Paper from AISTech 2006. The paper was presented by John Fischer. The next meeting will take place Feb. 8 in conjunction with the Electric Furnace Specialty Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The meeting will include a tour of a large coal-fired power plant baghouse and wet flue gas desulfurization system just outside San Antonio.

September 7, 2006 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee met on Sept. 7 at Mittal Steel USA – Sparrows Point. After member introductions and an overview of AIST activities, the committee began disseminating abstracts for AISTech 2007. The Operating Committee organized their abstracts into 13 sessions focused on raw materials, operations, technology and equipment. The committee then accepted volunteers to act as session chairs who will organize the papers within their sessions, and who will contact the authors to ensure their participation in the program. The committee also planned to pursue the completion of a Blast Furnace Roundup for Iron & Steel Technology magazine. Other items on the agenda included a final review of Technical Report No. 33, Specification on the Maintenance, Inspection and Repair of Torpedo Cars and a discussion on the Iron Producing Technology Division awards for 2007, who will receive them, where they will be awarded and what form the physical award will take. Following an open discussion about current technology and activities, the committee toured the Mittal Steel USA – Sparrows Point blast furnace L and the DTE Energy coal injection facility. The next meeting for the Iron Producing Operating Committee will be Nov. 9 at AIST headquarters.

May 2, 2006 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee held a lunch meeting on May 2 during AISTech 2006. After introductions, general AIST announcements and officer elections, the committee discussed various items regarding AISTech 2006 activities. The newly elected papers chair will present these items to the AIST Conference Planning Committee for their consideration. The committee then discussed the status of a preliminary technical report on the maintenance, repair and inspection of torpedo cars. This report will be made available to the Iron Producing Operating Committee members on their committee Web site for review and discussion at upcoming meetings. The next meeting for the Iron Producing Operating Committee will be Sept. 7 in Baltimore, Md., with a tour of Mittal Steel USA – Sparrows Point.

February 2, 2006 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee held their winter meeting in conjunction with the Eastern States Coke Oven and Blast Furnace Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Feb. 2. After attendee introductions, the members held an overview of the iron producing technical sessions for AISTech 2006. The Iron Producing Operating Committee will sponsor nine technical sessions covering all aspects of the production of iron. The committee also began discussions on the organization and publication of a “Blast Furnace Roundup” for Iron & Steel Technology magazine. The committee began making plans to present the T.L. Joseph Award, the Kapitan Iron Award and the J.E. Johnson Award for 2006. After a round table discussion on the various activities by the members, the meeting adjourned for lunch and departure to the Eastern States Coke Oven and Blast Furnace Conference. The next meeting will be at AISTech 2006 on May 2 in Cleveland, Ohio.

September 14, 2005 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee held a business meeting on the afternoon of Sept. 14. The meeting began with a review of AISTech 2005 and preliminary planning for technical sessions at AISTech 2006. Mark Rosi of ATSI was elected as the paper chair for AISTech 2006 iron producing sessions. Session chairs were also appointed to assist Mr. Rosi in the final organization of the sessions. A committee was organized to review the Josef Kapitan — Iron Award nominations for “best paper” from AISTech 2005. The committee discussed the status of the former Iron & Steelmaker Blast Furnace Roundups, which the Iron Producing Committee will begin updating for reprint in the near future. Also discussed was the status of the Specification for the Maintenance, Inspection and Repair of Torpedo Cars, which requires minor additions prior to completion. The attendees toured the No. 2 and No. 3 coke batteries and the No. 4 and No. 2 blast furnaces at Dofasco Inc. on Sept. 15. The Iron Producing Operating Committee will meet prior to the Eastern States Coke and Blast Furnace Conference on Feb. 2, 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

September 15, 2005 - The Coke Producing Operating Committee and Iron Producing Operating Committee met jointly for a dinner on Sept. 13 in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Representatives from the AISI Coke Committee also attended. The highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the Iron Producing Technology Division awards. The Joseph Becker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cokemaking was given to John Gransden of CANMET. The J.E. Johnson Award for Achievement in the Ironmaking Process by an individual under the age of 40 was given to Mark Dutler of Mittal Steel USA – Indiana Harbor. The Josef Kapitan — Coke Award for Best Cokemaking Paper at AISTech 2004 was given to James Fittipaldo of Mittal Steel USA – Warren. Pictured: (1) Bob Donaldson (left), chair of the Iron Producing Operating Committee, presents the Joseph Becker Award toJohn Gransden; (2) Joe Poveromo (right) presents the J.E. Johnson Award to Mark Dutler; and (3) Bob Donaldson (right) presents the Josef Kapitan — Coke Award to James Fittipaldo.

May 9, 2005 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee held an AISTech luncheon meeting on May 9. The committee discussed the distribution for the Iron Producing Division Awards, which are to be given out at their next meeting. The committee then discussed potential locations for upcoming AISTech conferences and the status of printing a Blast Furnace Roundup in a future issue of Iron & Steel Technology. The next meeting will be in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, in September and will include a tour of Dofasco Inc.

November 23, 2004 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee met at the ISG Cleveland Ironmaking Department on Nov. 23. The meeting began with a review of the committee-sponsored conference, Scrap Substitutes and Alternative Ironmaking IV, held in Baltimore on Nov. 2. A review of the AISTech 2004 iron producing technical sessions was also held, and planning began for AISTech 2005. The committee will be sponsoring 10 technical sessions for this event. The committee then reviewed the AIST Awards and Recognition program as it applied to the Iron Producing Technology Division. Subcommittees were formed to determine candidates for the division’s awards. Subcommittees of specific ironmaking technologies were formed as well. The meeting concluded with a discussion on blast furnace stove shells and a presentation by ISG Burns Harbor regarding their taphole repair project. The next meeting will be held prior to the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Cokemaking Conference on Feb. 3 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

September 15, 2004 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee held a lunch meeting during AISTech 2004 on Sept. 15. The committee focused on AISTech 2005, with a goal to increase the profile of raw materials and pellets. The committee also discussed if they will sponsor any continuing education courses prior to AISTech 2005. The meeting concluded with the members organizing subcommittees to focus on particular aspects of the ironmaking process.

February 3, 2005 - The Iron Producing Technology Division (comprised of the Coke and Iron Producing Operating Committees) met prior to the start of the Eastern States Blast Furnace and Cokemaking Conference in Coraopolis, Pa on February 3, 2005. The individual operating committees met independently initially. Both operating committees reviewed their programs for AISTech 2005 and made modifications as necessary. The two operating committees then met jointly and agreed to host a joint session on Coke Quality and Blast Furnace Operating. Coke Producing will be sponsoring three technical sessions overall, and Iron Producing will have ten. The two operating committees also discussed the AIST Awards Program for the Iron Producing Technology Division. The division will have four awards and will maintain the historical lineage from the former organizations (Joseph, Kapitan, Johnson and Becker). Details of the program will be taken by the division vice-chair for approval by the AIST Awards Committee. Afterwards, each committee separately discussed significant events from around their industry in a roundtable format. Both committees will be having their next meetings at AISTech 2005.

June 16, 2004 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee met on June 16 at ISG Cleveland Inc. After member introductions, an overview of the Scrap Substitutes and Alternative Ironmaking Symposium was provided. Attendees then developed and refined a mission statement for the committee. The Iron Producing sessions for AISTech 2004 were reviewed and finalized, along with the preliminary planning for AISTech 2005, to be held in Charlotte, N.C., May 2005. The selection of topic-specific subcommittees was followed by a review of current events in the industry. A brief presentation of the ISG Cleveland ironmaking facilities and a tour of the blast furnaces concluded the day. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, at AISTech 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.

March 31, 2004 - The Iron Producing Operating Committee met on March 31 at the AIST headquarters to continue their work in developing their technical sessions for AISTech 2004. The committee reviewed almost 70 abstracts related to the production of iron and, from the submitted abstracts, developed 10 sessions for the conference. These sessions will cover operations, maintenance, equipment, energy, technology and the latest in alternative iron and its uses. The committee will meet next on June 16 in Cleveland, Ohio, to finalize all aspects of the conference and to begin the development of other activities for the committee.