Past Australia New Zealand Member Chapter Events

6th Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium—February 2025

The 6th AIST Annual Australian & New Zealand Steel Symposium took place on 10–11 February 2025 at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Clayton, Vic., Australia. Around 80 people attended the symposium, which was offered in person and virtually. The program featured keynote speeches, technical sessions and tours of CSIRO Resources Laboratories and Monash University Materials Characterisation Laboratories.

The sessions covered a range of topics including green steelmaking, direct reduction of iron ore, hydrogen plasma smelting, decarbonization options and advances in steel technology. Specific research on iron ore processing, electric smelting furnaces and the use of renewable carbon in steelmaking were highlighted. A post-symposium plant tour of InfraBuild Steel Mill Laverton was also offered. The event brought together researchers, industry professionals, and students focused on advancements and sustainable practices in the steel industry.

5th Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium—February 2024

The 5th Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium was held on 12–13 February 2024 in Melbourne, Australia, at the Swinburne University of Technology. The chapter offered virtual access to the global audience, with 59 attendees in person and 25 people attending virtually. In addition to the 30 technical presentations, there was also a panel discussion on new technologies titled “Can You Go Green Without Going Into the Red?” The panelists were: Sara Hornby, Global Strategic Solutions Inc., Geoffrey Brooks, Swinburne University of Technology; and Ruwan Brell, BlueScope P/L. The panel discussion was moderated Jenny Selway, HILT CRC.

Presentations:

  • “The H2 Initiatives — Where Are They?” by Sara Hornby.
  • “Economics of Green Hydrogen Production in Australia,” by Akbar Rhamdhani, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Chemically Patterned Steel,” by Christopher Hutchinson, Monash University.
  • “Modeling of Hydrogen DRI Impact Into EAF and BOF,” by Shabnam Sabah, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Greenfield Zero-Carbon Steel: A Comparison of Available Technologies,” by Mathew Humbert, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Fundamental Metallurgical Issues Associated With Hydrogen DRI,” by Geoffrey Brooks.
  • “ZESTY: A Flash Processing Technology for Decarbonizing Iron and Steel,” by Matt Boot-Handford, Calix.
  • “Decoding Government Regulation of Australian Steel Industry Decarbonization,” by David Varcoe, Australian steel industry.
  • “Why All the Fuss About Phosphorus in Pilbara Iron Ores?” by Mark Pownceby, CSIRO.
  • “A Lower-Temperature Agglomeration Process for Iron Ores,” by Suneeti Purohit, CSIRO.
  • “Fundamental Investigation Into the Effect of Various Pre-Melt Reactions on Airflow Resistance During Iron Ore Sintering,” by Tejbir Singh, University of Newcastle.
  • “Effect of Anionic Polymer Dispersant on Iron Ore Granule Properties and Sinter Productivity,” by O.A. Aladejebi, University of Newcastle.
  • “Low-Grade Fly Ash as a MgO Source for Iron Ore Sintering,” by Mark Pownceby, CSIRO.
  • “Quality Considerations When Open-Pour Casting SBQ Grades,” by Shawn Armitage, InfraBuild Steel.
  • “Surface Engineering for Lifetime Extension of Steel Mill Rollers,” by Christiane Schulz, LaserBond.
  • “Direct Shipping Ore (Iron): Current Deposits, Mine Sources, and Use Cases,” by Charles Tumazos, Strategic Point Partners LLC.
  • “Development of H2-Based Steelmaking Route and Electric Smelting Furnace for Low-Grade Australian Iron Ores,” by Quanrong Fan, QRF Consultant.
  • “Differences Between Hydrogen and Natural Gas Flames,” by Gopal Pandey, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Use of Different Lime-Based Products to Promote Agglomeration of Bio-Charcoal for EAF Injection Through Extrusion and Tableting Processes,” by Joyce Aderhold, Lhoist.
  • “The ‘Helios Cycle’ Iron Ore Reduction Technology,” by Jill Cooper, Helios.
  • “Thermodynamics of Ammonia Ironmaking,” by Tiara Triana, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Pinpointing Pathways to Wear Resistance,” by Matthew Barnett, Deakin University.
  • “On the Role of Interfaces During Metal Additive Manufacturing of Stainless Steels,” by Sophie Primig, University of New South Wales.
  • “SENSE 600 – A New Product in a Lower Carbon World,” by Sharmy Francis, InfraBuild Steel.
  • “Representative, Real-Time Quality Measurement Technologies for Conveyed Flows to Improve Cokemaking, Ironmaking and Steelmaking,” by Henry Kurth, Scantech.
  • “Open-Pour Casting of 0.08% Carbon Billet Grade at Whyalla,” by Israel Murgas, Liberty Steel Whyalla.
  • “Major Decarbonization Options for Reheat Furnaces,” by Tharindu Siyambalapitiya, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Physical Model Studies on the Attenuation of Sound Through Foam in a BOF,” by Jason Heenatimulla, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Increased Sequence Length on Rail Casting,” by Jari Peltonen, Liberty Steel Whyalla.
  • “Impact of Physical and Chemical Properties of Iron Ore Lumps on Reducibility Using Hydrogen,” by Karen Palolite, University of Newcastle.
  • “Void Patterning During Hydrogen-Based Iron Oxide Reduction,” by Yuxiang Wu, Max Planck Institute.

4th Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium—November 2022

The Australia Member Chapter hosted its 4th annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium in person on Monday, 7 November 2022. The chapter also offered virtual access to the global audience.

The symposium brought together academic researchers and engineers to discuss recent advances in iron- and steelmaking technology. Fourteen leading researchers and practitioners offered technical presentations and answered questions for the 78 attendees.

Presentations:

  •  “Handling the Future Dearth of H2 and DRI-Quality Iron Ore,” by Sara Hornby, Global Strategic Solutions Inc.
  • “The Use of Hydrogen in Ferroalloy Making,” by Oleg Ostrovski, University of New South Wales.
  • “Physical Chemical Limits to Using Hydrogen in Iron and Steelmaking,” by Geoffrey Brooks, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Technology Readiness Level and CO2 Reduction Potential of Green Steel Technologies,” by Ahmmad Shahabuddin, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Green Iron Ore,” by Mark Pownceby, CSIRO Mineral Resources.
  • “Hydrogen Reducibility of Iron Ore Sinters,” by Isis Ignacio, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Simulation of Burden Experience in a Hydrogen Enriched Blast Furnace,” by Nathan Barrett, Centre for Ironmaking Materials Research at University of Newcastle.
  • “Temperature Distribution in Iron Ore Sintering Bed Visualized by In-Situ Measurement,” by Kenji Taira, Nippon Steel Corp.
  • “Estimation of Zone Temperature Profiles in a BOF,” by Nirmal Madhavan, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Use of Sound to Measure Slag Foaming in the BOF,” by Jason Heenatimulla, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Capability Improvement of the Rail Head Hardening Process at the Whyalla Steelworks,” by Israel Murgas and Larisa White, Liberty Primary Steel.
  • “Nb Effect on the Austenite Grain Size and Elongation of As-Rolled Microalloyed Rail Steel,” by Israel Murgas and Larisa White, Liberty Primary Steel.
  • “Assessment of Metals Extraction Processes on Mars,” by Akbar Rhamdhani, Swinburne University of Technology.
  • “Thermal Decomposition of FeO From Silicate Ores,” by Matthew Shaw, Swinburne University of Technology.

3rd Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium—November 2021

The Australia Member Chapter hosted their 3rd Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium virtually on Wednesday, 3 November 2021.

The symposium brought together academic researchers and engineers to discuss recent advances in iron- and steelmaking technology. Seventeen leading researchers and practitioners gave presentations on recent advances in the field and answered questions for the audience of 91 attendees. 
Welcome and opening remarks were made by chair Andrea Fontana, technical superintendent, InfraBuild Steel. Len Woods, port and technical marketing manager, Taharoa Ironsands Ltd., gave final thoughts at the end of the day.
Presentations:

  • “Challenges and Opportunities for Steel Scrap Utilization in the UK,” by Zushu Li, University of Warwick.

  • “Charge Optimization for Residual Control in the EAF,” by Sara Hornby, Global Strategic Solutions.

  • “How Do Lime Magnetite Pellets (LMPs) Fit Into Lower Carbon Footprint Ironmaking?” by  Suneeti Purohit, CSIRO.

  • “Recent Work of Hydrogen Injection Processes in Ironmaking Blast Furnaces,” by Yansong Shen, University of New South Wales.

  • “Pelletization and Sintering of New Zealand Titanomagnetite Ironsand,” by Shaira Mendoza, Robinson Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington.

  • “Reduction of New Zealand Titanomagnetite Pellets in Hydrogen,” by Ao Zhang, Robinson Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington.

  • “Hydrogen Reduction of New Zealand Irons and Using a Laboratory Scale Fluidized Bed Reactor at up to 1,000°C,” by Sigit Prabowo, Robinson Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington.

  • “What Is a Good Sinter?” by Isis Ignacio, Swinburne University of Technology.

  • “Analyses of Pressure Drop in High-Temperature Zone During Iron Ore Sintering,” by Tejbir Singh, University of Newcastle.

  • “Slag Modification to Improve Spring Steel Quality,” by Israel Murgas, Liberty OneSteel, Whyalla Steelworks.

  • “Overall Heat Analyses in Oxygen Steelmaking,” by Nirmal Madhaven, Swinburne University of Technology.

  • “Numerical Modeling of Slag Splashing in Basic Oxygen Steelmaking Furnace,” by Raju Chowdhury, University of Newcastle.

  • “Acoustic Monitoring of Steelmaking Ladles,” by Rohini Kadam, Swinburne University of Technology.

  • “An Historical of TEMCO/LBB Production at Bell Bay,” by Samir Ganguly, Hatch.

  • “Implementation of Thermal Taper and Static Soft Reductions at the Whyalla Combi Caster,” by  Jari Peltonen, Liberty OneSteel, Whyalla Steelworks.

  • “Effect of Silicon on Continuous Cooling Transformation Characteristics in High-Carbon Steel,” by Zeinab Babasafari, University of New South Wales.

  • “Study of Different Stage of MnS Precipitation in High-Carbon Steel,” by Suk-Chun Moon, University of Wollongong.

Symposium November—2020

The Australia Member Chapter hosted its 2nd Annual Australian and New Zealand Steel Symposium virtually on Wednesday, 18 November 2020. The symposium brought together academic researchers and engineers to discuss recent advances in iron- and steelmaking technology.
Ten leading researchers and practitioners gave presentations on recent advances in the field and answered questions for the 69 attendees.
Presentations:

  • “Evaluating the Viability of H2-Generated DRI in EAF Melting,” by Sara Hornby, President, Global Strategic Solutions.

  • “The Status of Research in Hydrogen Generation in Australia,” by Patrick Hartley, Leader, CSIRO Hydrogen Industry Mission, CSIRO Energy.

  • “Analysis of Residual Elements in InfraBuild’s Scrap Supply,” by Geoff Brooks, Professor, Swinburne University of Technology.

  • “New Zealand Steel: Challenges in Steelmaking,” by Caitlin O’Connell, Process Engineer, BlueScope New Zealand.

  • “A Collaborative Approach for Promoting Innovation Across Australian Steel Manufacturing — The Next Ten Years,” by Paul Zulli, Director, ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing and Professorial Fellow, University of Wollongong.

  • “Green Steel Production: Technology Options, Challenges and Research Needs,” by John Pyke, Australian National University.

  • “The Hydrogen GREENSTEEL Revolution: Steel, the Enabler,” by Wayne Harris, Head of New Ventures, GFG Alliance.

  • “Understanding Byproducts to Improve Recyclability: A Case Study,” by Brian Monaghan, Professor, University of Wollongong.

  • “Opportunities to Enhance (Innovation) the Utilization of Iron and Steel Slags: An Australian Perspective,” by Craig Heidrich, Australasian Slag Association.

  • “Decreased Sinter Process Variation at BlueScope Steel Using Real-Time Feed Composition,” by Nick Di Giorgio, Senior Development Engineer, BlueScope Steel Port Kembla.

Steelmaking Symposium—May 2019

On Thursday, 30 May 2019, the Australian Member Chapter organized the First Australian Steelmaking Symposium at the University of Wollongong (UoW), Wollongong, NSW, Australia. The event was held in conjunction with the 2018 John F. Elliott Lecture, delivered by Ken Coley of McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on the subject of “High-Temperature Kinetics from the Lab to the Steel Plant.”
More than 50 attendees filled the Leon Kane-Maguire Theatre at the new UoW Innovation Campus. Presentations included lectures from academics and students from Swinburne University of Technology, UoW and the University of New South Wales. Technical papers were delivered by representatives from Liberty Primary Steel and POSCO and other industry specialists. A panel discussion on advanced automation and big data in the steel industry closed the forum.
The Chapter extends a special note of appreciation to two BlueScope colleagues who traveled from New Zealand to attend the event.
The symposium was organized by Australia Member Chapter officers Andrea Fontana, chair, Liberty OneSteel; Geoffrey Brooks, vice chair, Swinburne University of Technology; Len Woods, secretary-treasurer, Taharoa Ironsands; and Rian Dippenaar, University of Wollongong.

1. The Australia Member Chapter hosted the Australian Steelmaking Symposium at the University of Wollongong. 2. Kenneth Coley, McMaster University and 2018 AIST John F. Elliott Lecturer, addressed the symposium attendees. 3. The symposium featured a panel discussion (left to right): Paul Zulli, BlueScope Steel Ltd.; Andrea Fontana, Liberty OneSteel and Chapter chair; Kenneth Coley; and Paul O’Kane, Liberty OneSteel.

Student Plant Tour — May 2018

A group of 20 students from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) visited Liberty OneSteel’s Sydney Steel Mill in Sydney, Rooty Hill, Australia, on 28 May 2018. The group was comprised of first- and third-year undergraduate and postgraduate students. They were led by Sophie Primig, senior lecturer and postgraduate coordinator from the School of Materials Science & Engineering.
Franco Perri, Six Sigma Black Belt, rod and bar, Liberty OneSteel, and AIST member, welcomed the students and delivered a presentation on AIST, covering what it is, what it aims to achieve and membership benefits.
Perri then presented “Real Steelmaking in Sydney,” which covered steelmaking, casting and hot rolling fundamentals, including the technologies employed at Sydney Steel Mill, quality control and testing.
After the presentation, the students went on a plant tour of the meltshop and rolling mill facilities. The students were highly appreciative of this great opportunity to see how steel scrap is transformed into new finished rolled product.
Liberty OneSteel Laverton’s association with Swinburne University of Technology was further developed in June, when it hosted 16 engineering students at the mill in Laverton, Vic., Australia, on 21 June. The aim was to familiarize the students with steelmaking and rolling operations at the site and provide them with a feel for the future of manufacturing in Victoria. First-, second-, third-year and master’s students participated in the visit.
Liberty OneSteel was particularly delighted to have four female engineering undergraduates in the group. The students were selected from a variety of disciplines, including mechanical, robotic, mechatronic, civil, software and electrical engineering.
The students were divided into two groups and then rotated through both the rolling mill and meltshop. This was followed by a working lunch and boardroom presentation by Andrea Fontana, technical superintendent meltshops and rolling mills, Liberty OneSteel, who gave an outline on the future of robotics, IT and optimization. During the event, Hercules Van der Merwe, Victorian operations manager, spoke about the challenges facing the steelmaking industry. Cath Skidmore, sustainability superintendent, gave her perspective on working in steelmaking as a female engineer. Finally, Jacob Stanford, a Swinburne University fourth-year engineering student, talked about his experience as a part-time worker at Liberty OneSteel.

1. University of New South Wales (UNSW) students were given a steelmaking presentation on 28 May 2018 during their visit to Liberty OneSteel’s Sydney Steel Mill. 2. UNSW students during the plant tours (left to right): Tri Khai Duong, Wesley Hannah, Amanda Sieber, Hafsah Indrianita Pratiwi and Ryan Demott.
3. Swinburne University of Technology students toured Liberty OneSteel’s Laverton plant on 21 June 2018.

Melbourne Metallurgical Forum — February 2018

“All things metal” was the focus of the Melbourne Metallurgical Forum, held at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, on 23 November 2017. The event was designed to showcase the impressive metallurgical research know-how and industry development underway in Australia. The AIST Australian Member Chapter and Materials Australia (peak body for materials science in Australia) sponsored the event.

Presentations focused on a variety of topics:

  • Roger Lumley from Latrobe University spoke about improving investment cast quality.

  • Illana Timokhina, Deakin University, discussed developing nanostructured steels.

  • Primary production of metals was featured in several talks with Mark Pownceby, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), describing his team’s recent work on understanding how iron ore sinter quality is connected to the crystallography of the sinter.

  • Geoffrey Brooks, Swinburne University of Technology, described the potential for using solar energy in the processing of iron ores.

  • New applications, such as the development of titanium alloys for 3D printing and controlling the quality of 3D metal microstructures were highlighted.

  • Steve Grundy, Liberty OneSteel, and Mark Cooksey, CSIRO, talked about optimizing existing processes and products. Grundy highlighted the various improvements in automation and quality control underway at the Laverton Steel Mill, while Cooksey gave an interesting account of how various metallurgical plants around the world have dealt with the challenge of increasing competition from Asia through looking for opportunities special to their operation.

The audience of researchers and industry leaders enjoyed the panel discussion at the end of the day that looked at how we can develop new research opportunities in metallurgical research. At the end of the event, there was wide agreement that this event should become an annual event.

1. Ma Qian (left) of RMIT University and Paul Zulli (center) and Brian Monaghan (right) of University of Wollongong attended the Melbourne Metallurgical Forum at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia on 23 November 2017. 2. Ph.D. students at Swinburne University of Technology attended the forum, held at Swinburne (left to right): Suneeti Purohit, Epma Luptri and Jaefer Yenus. 3. Panelists shared their expertise with attendees at the Melbourne Metallurgical Forum (left to right): Mark Easton, RMIT University; Mark Cooksey, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization; and Paul Zulli, ARC Steel Research Hub.
 

Tour of OneSteel's Laverton steel works — June 2017

On 20 June 2017, the AIST Australia Member Chapter hosted a tour of OneSteel’s Laverton steel works for students and personnel of Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. The OneSteel Laverton steel mill is the largest electric steel works in Australia.
The students were accompanied by Yvonne Durandet, Senior Lecturer in Advanced Manufacturing and Academic Director Employability & Work Integrated Learning from the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology. The delegation comprised mainly first-year students from a variety of engineering courses, one Ph.D. student, a master’s student and two lecturers.
The host of the visit was Andrea Fontana, technical superintendent, rod and bar, and chair of AIST Australia Member Chapter. Shane Murphy, general manager, rod and bar, welcomed the delegation and answered students’ questions.
After a safety briefing and an overview of the Laverton site, the students were divided into two groups and guided through the meltshop and rolling mills by OneSteel personnel. That was followed by a presentation about AIST, plus the highlights of AISTech 2017, delivered by Fontana.
Emily Sadlier, environmental superintendent, and Theresa Corfield, human resource systems support advisor at OneSteel’s Laverton Steel Mill, talked about their personal experiences as women in the steelmaking environment, encouraging the women in the delegation to consider this industry for future employment.
After lunch, Fontana delivered a presentation with particular focus on new technologies in steelmaking, including sensors, robotics, remote controlled equipment and, more in general, the Industry 4.0 concept applied to steelmaking.

Australia Member Chapter chair Andrea Fontana (center), OneSteel, and students from Swinburne University of Technology after their tour of OneSteel Laverton Steel Mill on 20 June 2017.
 
 
 

Attendees at the University of Wollongong in October 2016.

Finding and Tweaking Inclusions in Steel  — October 2016

Carnegie Mellon University professor Chris Pistorius presented his lecture, titled, “Finding and Tweaking Inclusions in Steel,” at the University of Wollongong in Wollongong, NSW, Australia, and the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Vic., Australia, in October 2016 as part of the John F. Elliott Lectureship. Both events were well-represented by academia, students and industry with 46 attendees at the University of Wollongong and 54 attending the lecture at the Swinburne University of Technology.

Australia Member Chapter chair Paul O’Kane, One Steel Ltd., provided an overview of AIST to attendees at the 8th High-Temperature Processing Symposium on 1 February 2016. 

8th High-Temperature Processing Symposium — February 2016

The AIST Australia Member Chapter co-sponsored the 8th High-Temperature Processing Symposium, which was held on 1–2 February 2016 at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. More than 80 attendees gathered from around the world, including: India, China, Korea, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia.
The two days of the symposium covered many topics on the aspects of iron- and steelmaking, highlighting the solar thermal processing of iron ores, improving the life of blast furnaces, new sensors for ladle metallurgy, treatments of wastes in EAFs and slag chemistry.
Additionally, professors working in the high-temperature field from some of the world’s top universities, including POSTech, IIT Madras, Zurich-ETH, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland and Swinburne University of Technology provided presentations.
The mix of students, industrial and academic researchers created a successful event. The ninth symposium in 2017 is currently being planned.  

 

 


 

 

 

 

Tour and Discussion — August 2015

On Thursday, 27 August 2015, the AIST Australia Member Chapter hosted a tour of OneSteel’s Laverton Steel Mill in Melbourne, VIC, Australia, for a group of students from Swinburne University. The students were led by Prof. Geoffrey Brooks and Dr. Yvonne Durandet from the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology, Swinburne University. Swinburne has had a long relationship with OneSteel, and AIST membership has been growing at the university in recent years as steel-based research expands. Several of the students who attended are part of Prof. Brooks’ high-temperature processing group, including members who are active in steel research projects on slag foaming on BOFs, modeling of dephosphorization in BOFs and development of new sensors for ladle metallurgy. Other students who attended are enrolled in the advanced manufacturing and mechanical engineering courses at the university. This was the first tour of Laverton Steel Mill organized by the Australia Member Chapter.
Jurie Van Wyk, steelmaking manager at OneSteel Laverton, welcomed the students and talked about his passion for steelmaking, the importance of developing young engineers and how young engineers should view the steel industry as an excellent career opportunity in a global business that can provide international travel as part of their development. After introductions, a safety briefing was given by Andrea Fontana, technical superintendent — meltshops at OneSteel and organizer of the tour and guides. Fontana showed the students the meltshop, and George Samouris, technical superintendent of the Laverton rolling mills and a Swinburne graduate, showed the students around the rolling mills. The tours were a great opportunity to see how scrap is transformed into finished rolled product. Highlights included observing OneSteel’s proprietary EAF polymer injection technology in operation and OneSteel’s manufacturing visual key performance indicator system. Lunch was provided after the tour, during which further networking and discussion occurred. Paul O’Kane, principal steel manufacturing technology officer at OneSteel and Australia Member Chapter chair, along with Fontana, gave a presentation to participants about AIST, including what the organization is, what it aims to achieve, recent achievements of the Australia Member Chapter (including its ironmaking and sustainability symposia), and the numerous benefits of being an AIST member. O’Kane gave a presentation to participants titled “Technical Aspects of steelmaking” and related it to process control. The presentation was interactive and very informative. The importance of good foaming slag was emphasized during the presentation. The OneSteel Laverton and Sydney steel mills use polymer injection technology, a process that partially substitutes the use of coke with polymers, including rubber, as a slag foaming agent in EAF steelmaking. Over 2 million tires have been recycled as a slag foaming agent at OneSteel’s two largest meltshops. OneSteel has an exclusive license agreement with New South Innovations, the commercialization arm of the University of New South Wales, to sub-license this technology around the globe. The Australia Member Chapter has increased its membership from 82 members in 2014 to a total of 113 as of 31 August 2015. The chapter also held a student night at the University of New South Wales this year. The chapter hopes to participate as a sponsor for the first time at the 8th Annual Temperature Processing Symposium on 1–2 February 2016 at Swinburne University. The chapter would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at the OneSteel Laverton mill for hosting this event and welcoming the chapter officers and Swinburne students into the facility.


Student Night – July 2015

On 16 July 2015, the Australia Member Chapter, in cooperation with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), organized a Student Night at the university. Twenty-four participants attended the event, including the chapter officers and a guest speaker, David Knights from OneSteel. The event opened with a welcome speech by Paul O’Kane, principal steel manufacturing technology officer, OneSteel, and AIST Australia Member Chapter chair. O’Kane gave a presentation on AIST, which included an overview of AIST, what it aims to achieve, benefits of membership and recent achievements of the Australia Member Chapter. Such recent achievements include ironmaking and sustainability symposia and significant membership growth in 2015. Following O’Kane’s presentation, David Knights, general manager of best practice at OneSteel, shared his career experiences with students and young professionals. Knights gave an overview of his work history and provided his observations, challenges for the steel industry, career opportunities, industry imperatives and platforms for success. He demonstrated how a career in steelmaking can open up global opportunities. After the presentation, dinner was provided for all in attendance.

Plant Tour and Celebration — January 2015

The Australia Member Chapter hosted a plant tour of OneSteel’s Sydney Steel Mill on Friday, 30 January 2015. Paul O’Kane, principal steel manufacturing technology officer at OneSteel, and the Australia Member Chapter chair, welcomed all visiting AIST members, non-members and representatives from both industry and the local university. Thirty people participated in the event. After introductions, a safety briefing was held, followed by guided tours of the meltshop and rolling mill departments. The tours provided a great opportunity to see how steel scrap is transformed into finished rolled product. Highlights of the tour included observing OneSteel’s proprietary EAF polymer injection technology in practice and OneSteel’s manufacturing visual key performance indicator (KPI) system. OneSteel’s plant personnel were very accommodating in answering visitors’ questions. Paul O’Kane and Len Woods, metallurgist for Hatch and the Australia Member Chapter secretary-treasurer, gave a presentation about AIST. The presentation included information about AIST’s mission and the benefits of becoming a member. The presentation also highlighted the recent achievements of the Australia Member Chapter, including the ironmaking and sustainability symposia. The Australia Member Chapter has increased its membership by 12% in 2013–2014. The chapter is aiming for significant growth in 2015.
O’Kane then presented “Basic Technical Aspects of Steelmaking.” The presentation was interactive and emphasized the importance of achieving a good foaming slag for good steelmaking performance. Sydney Steel Mill uses a process of polymer injection technology, which partially substitutes the use of coke with polymers, including rubber, as a slag foaming agent in EAF steelmaking. Over 2 million tires have been recycled as a slag foaming agent at OneSteel’s two meltshops. Following the technical presentation, a barbeque lunch was provided. During the lunch, networking and discussions were encouraged among the attendees and OneSteel employees.
After the plant visit to OneSteel’s Sydney Steel Mill, AIST members were invited to attend a function at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), celebrating the equivalent of 2 million tires that have been injected into OneSteel’s Sydney and Laverton EAF meltshops since the start of the polymer injection technology process. Key personnel from OneSteel and UNSW attended. Paul O’Kane and Veena Sahajwalla gave a presentation on the history of the partnership between OneSteel and the UNSW in developing and commercializing polymer injection technology. The presentation highlighted not only technical aspects but also the relationships and building the capability of young Ph.D. students and undergraduate students. Many of these students now work for Arrium in Edmonton, Alta., Canada, and for OneSteel at Newcastle, Sydney and Laverton. It was a tremendous opportunity for AIST members to see the benefits of the UNSW and OneSteel relationship and to further AIST members’ professional networks.

International Sustainability Symposium — October 2013

The 2013 International Sustainability Symposium, organized by the AIST Australia Member Chapter and SMaRT@UNSW, was held in Sydney, Australia, on 3–4 October 2013. Delegates from China, India, South Korea, Japan, Sweden, the U.K., the U.S. and Australia attended the symposium, which focused on recycling waste materials. This brought together participants from industry, research organizations and academia. The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Fred Hilmer, University of New South Wales vice chancellor. Prof. Hilmer addressed and welcomed the attendees and overseas delegates. He stated that the rewards of coming together with colleagues from across the world are compelling, thanks to the power and potential of collaboration. He said that, in the last few decades, the world has consumed resources in great extent. Dealing with waste has been a major challenge for researchers. The symposium provided an opportunity for attendees to interact and exchange ideas on recycling waste. The use of waste rubber tires and plastics to produce green steel was also discussed. Discussions took place throughout the sessions with regard to the approaches taken by industry and research communities. Also at the symposium, Australia Member Chapter chair Paul O’Kane presented the Outstanding Service Award to current secretary-treasurer Narendra Saha-Chaudhury for his outstanding contribution to the Australian Member Chapter over the last 10 years. Finally, O’Kane explained the benefits of becoming an AIST member and suggested that attendees join AIST.

Plant Tour and Technical Presentation — June 2013 On 11 June 2013, the Australia Member Chapter hosted a plant tour to the BlueScope Steel – Port Kembla facility in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This one-day industrial visit was open to participants from industry and academia with the intent to share knowledge and technological trends conducted at BlueScope Steel. Michael Lopez, Australia Member Chapter chair at the time of the event, welcomed the visitors and introduced those in attendance. The BlueScope Steel safety policy was discussed, followed by an introductory lecture regarding industrial activities at BlueScope Steel – Port Kembla, NSW. After the introduction, the group toured the facility, which included the hot rolled coil steel manufacturing process. The computerized operation, the thickness of coil steel and many other details were discussed with operational facility members. Dr. Rama Mahapatra, principal metallurgist for Castrip LLC (a joint venture company between BlueScope Steel and Nucor Corp.), gave a brief introduction about the technology inventions carried out at BlueScope Steel, discussing many aspects of steelmaking, including their new development of CASTRIP® technology. After the talk by Dr. Mahapatra, lunch was provided. Overall, the visit was valuable and gave insight into coil steelmaking, which has application in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

Blast Furnace Seminar — March 2013

The Australia Member Chapter hosted a seminar on 18 March 2013 at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Fredrick Rorick, president of Rorick Institute, presented, “What I Have Learned From 47 Years at the Blast Furnace.” He began with an enthusiastic introduction on the blast furnace. During his presentation, Rorick said, “It is easier and better to avoid trouble than to try to escape once you are in it.” Rorick went on to explain in detail the “four fundamentals” and “six rules” for success in working with a blast furnace. Finally, Rorick ended his presentation with the following advice: “Reduce variability anywhere and everywhere that you can, even when you cannot immediately calculate a financial benefit.” The presentation provided attendees with a 50-year perspective of working with blast furnaces and experiences in problem-solving. There were 20 attendees at the event.