Injection Technology Commissioned at BGH Edelstahl Siegen EAF
03/03/2010 - Since July 2009, BGH Edelstahl Siegen's 42-tonne EAF has been equipped with an aluminum fines fix injection technology for the production of stainless steel grades. The equipment was supplied by More srl.
BGH Edelstahl Siegen GmbH (Germany) has made improvements to its 42-tonne electric arc furnace (EAF) since 2006 via burner technology and solid material injection in collaboration with More srl of Gemona del Friuli, Italy. The meltshop is capable of producing 160,000 tonnes per year and is equipped with LF, AOD, VD processes used in the production of high chromium steels, stainless steels, and acid- and heat-resistant steels.
In addition to the existing Module chemical energy package for oxygen, natural gas, carbon, lime, and dololime requirements, since July 2009 the EAF has been equipped with an aluminum fines fix injection technology for the production of stainless steel grades.
The equipment, supplied by More, consisted of a specially assigned pressure vessel to manage the aluminum fines requirements and the installation of a patented HI_JET injector on the left side of the slag door with a maximum flow rate of 100 kg/min. The injector has a central injection pipe shrouded by an annular supersonic oxygen stream that accelerates the injected material up to sonic velocity, allowing full penetration of the solid material through the slag into the steel bath.
The pneumatic injection of aluminum supports the metallurgical process by reducing the chromium oxide from the slag during the stainless steel production. The operating result shows a higher chrome recovery from the slag, obtained with aluminum injection, than with ferro-silicon practice. In addition, the aluminum is used for the super heating of the charge in several steps with a coherent oxygen jet blown into the slag. Through this exothermal reaction, power-on time and electrical energy’s consumption are going to be reduced, claims More.