Refractory Materials in Steelmaking: Mechanisms of Lining Wear (ELDMEK)
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan Inst f materialvetenskap |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 750 000 |
| Project duration | October 2024 - June 2025 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Venture | Impact Innovation Metals & Minerals - Program-specific efforts Vinnova |
| Call | Impact Innovation: Feasibility studies within Technological Action Areas in the program Metals & Minerals |
Important results from the project
The objective of the project was to investigate the mechanisms behind the lining wear in AOD converters during production of stainless steel, to build knowledge for a future full-scale project where measures against lining wear are tested on an industrial scale. The project carried out experiments of wear at varying mechanical stress levels for both steel and slag. Furthermore, thermodynamic and fluid mechanical calculations were made to study both mechanical and chemical wear.
Expected long term effects
The vision is to extend the length of a campaign (number of hours an AOD converter is used before it needs to be rebuilt) by 10% with the continuation project. With a lining wear of approximately 10 kg of lining per ton of steel produced, such an extension contributes to a significant reduction in the use of lining.
Approach and implementation
The project activities were literature review, experimental sampling at both participating plants, experimental study of lining wear at laboratory scale, thermodynamic modeling of the interaction between lining and steel and slag at different process steps in the AOD converter. Finally, CFD simulations were performed to connect shear stresses (mechanical stress) in the laboratory experiments to the shear stresses that arise around the AOD nozzles in real production.