Update on North American Ironmaking

Joseph J. PoveromoJoseph J. Poveromo Quebec Cartier Mining Quebec Cartier Mining

CompanyCompany

Fred C. RorickFred C. Rorick

Rorick, IncRorick, Inc

ABM 2ABM 2ndnd International Meeting on Ironmaking, International Meeting on Ironmaking, 11stst International Symposium on Iron Ore, International Symposium on Iron Ore,

September 12 – 15, 2004, Vitoria – Espirito September 12 – 15, 2004, Vitoria – Espirito

Santo, BRAZILSanto, BRAZIL

TOPICS

Blast Furnace ironmaking

Alternative Ironmaking ProcessesAlternative Ironmaking Processes

Future Prospects Future Prospects

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Total Pig Iron Total Raw Steel

Problems of North American Blast Furnace Sector

ExternalExternal – EAF mini-mill competition, – EAF mini-mill competition, imports, environmental mandatesimports, environmental mandates

Internal Internal – limited capital for modernization, – limited capital for modernization, high legacy costs, poor profitabilityhigh legacy costs, poor profitability

ConsequencesConsequences – reduction in hot metal, – reduction in hot metal, coke & sintering capacity – excess pellet coke & sintering capacity – excess pellet plant capacityplant capacity

Response of North American Blast Furnace Steelmakers Non-technicalNon-technical – consolidation, reduce – consolidation, reduce

legacy costs, currency changes, marketslegacy costs, currency changes, markets TechnicalTechnical

improveimprove raw materialsraw materials, , upgrade existing upgrade existing facilitiesfacilities to:to:

increase productivity, reduce reductant rate increase productivity, reduce reductant rate and extend lining life and extend lining life

North American BF’s – Increased Productivity, Reduced Fuel RatesKey factorsKey factors::

fluxed pellets, improved acid pelletsfluxed pellets, improved acid pellets

improved coke qualityimproved coke quality

higher levels of natural gas, coal injectionhigher levels of natural gas, coal injection

high levels of oxygen enrichment – lowerhigh levels of oxygen enrichment – lower

cost oxygen-pipelines, on-site plantscost oxygen-pipelines, on-site plants

higher blast temperatureshigher blast temperatures

furnace upgrades: charging, cooling, castingfurnace upgrades: charging, cooling, casting

Extend Lining Life to 8 – 12 years +

Enhanced cooling and refractory systemsEnhanced cooling and refractory systems

- intensive plate cooling, copper staves- intensive plate cooling, copper staves

  Remote repair methodsRemote repair methods

- gunniting, grouting, shotcreting- gunniting, grouting, shotcreting

  Hearth life extensionHearth life extension

- North American carbon, coke quality - North American carbon, coke quality

  Burden distribution equipmentBurden distribution equipment

PW or MA tops on 25 of 41 furnacesPW or MA tops on 25 of 41 furnaces

Weighted (by Production Rate) Averages of Reductants by AISI BF’s (4)  Hot Metal # of Reductant Usage, kg/tHM Production, Working Coke Coal Oil Gas Tar COG MT BF’s Lump Nut Total1990 55 60 454 1 455 1 12 23 3 0

1995 61 51 402 8 410 34 13 38 1 1

2002 50 38 377 23 400 60 7 29 2 3

Increased Furnace Productivity Furnace Hearth Productivity Burden Injectant

Dia., M T/M3/day 

AK Middletown BF 3 8.9 3.9 pellets,HBI gas

Dofasco 4 BF 8.5 2.9 pellets oil

Severstal NA C 8.8 3.1 pellets gas

ISG. Sp.Pt. L BF 13.5 2.5 sinter/pellets coal

ISG Sparrows Point Ispat Inland L Furnace 7 FurnaceHearth diameter, m 13.5 13.7 Burden, kg/tHM Sinter 1040 228 Acid Pellets 534 0 Fluxed Pellets 0 1350 Lump ore, siliceous ore, etc 48 13Reductant use, kg/tHM Large coke 316 319 Small coke 24 22 Coal 149 155 Natural gas 1 0Top gas utilization, % 50.4 49.2Slag volume, kg/tHM 270 265

Waste Oxide Processing

7 Remaining sinter plants7 Remaining sinter plants Direct BF charging: BOF slag, pellet chipsDirect BF charging: BOF slag, pellet chips Cold bonded briquettes, < 5% of burdenCold bonded briquettes, < 5% of burden DR options, Severstal RHF plantDR options, Severstal RHF plant Landfill optionsLandfill options

Coke Supply Challenges

US Coke Oven Capacity: 14 MTPYUS Coke Oven Capacity: 14 MTPY Expensive Imported CokeExpensive Imported Coke Maximize Injection of Coal, Gas, etcMaximize Injection of Coal, Gas, etc Use HBI – ISG Circored Plant ??Use HBI – ISG Circored Plant ?? Rebuild Slot Oven BatteriesRebuild Slot Oven Batteries Heat Recovery CokemakingHeat Recovery Cokemaking

- Indiana Harbor Coke Corp- Indiana Harbor Coke Corp

- ISG Haverhill Coke Battery, 0.8 MTPY- ISG Haverhill Coke Battery, 0.8 MTPY

Development of Competitive Processes & Process Routes Smelting reductionSmelting reduction – Corex, HIsmelt – Corex, HIsmelt Direct reduction/scrap/Direct reduction/scrap/EAF steelmaking EAF steelmaking

route route Hot metal/scrap/Hot metal/scrap/EAF steelmaking routeEAF steelmaking route Alternative (pig iron) iron/scrap/Alternative (pig iron) iron/scrap/EAF EAF

steelmaking routesteelmaking route

Development of Alternative Ironmaking Processes

o large scale ironmaking - o large scale ironmaking - avoid cokemaking, sintering avoid cokemaking, sintering

steps preceding blast furnace – most efforts have failed steps preceding blast furnace – most efforts have failed except for Corex – high capital cost?except for Corex – high capital cost?

o o small scale ironmakingsmall scale ironmaking - provide iron units to EAF - provide iron units to EAF mini-mill sector – only shaft furnace gas based plants mini-mill sector – only shaft furnace gas based plants ( Midrex, HyL ) so far successful in North America ( Midrex, HyL ) so far successful in North America

o o process waste oxidesprocess waste oxides at both EAF and BF-based steel at both EAF and BF-based steel plants – limited successplants – limited success

  

North American Direct Reduced Iron ( DRI ) Production Main process route in MexicoMain process route in Mexico > 5 MTPY > 5 MTPY

shaft furnace ( HyL, Midrex ) DRIshaft furnace ( HyL, Midrex ) DRI USA, Canada: < 2 MTPY DRI ( Ispat USA, Canada: < 2 MTPY DRI ( Ispat

Sidbec, ISG Georgetown ); other facilities Sidbec, ISG Georgetown ); other facilities down due to down due to high gas priceshigh gas prices: AIR, Corus : AIR, Corus MobileMobile

North America major North America major importerimporter of metallics: of metallics: HBI (Venezuela ); pig iron ( Brazil, HBI (Venezuela ); pig iron ( Brazil, Russia ) Russia )

North American Shaft Furnace DRI Developments Application of Application of pellet coatingpellet coating techniques; techniques;

increase bustle gas temperatureincrease bustle gas temperature Midrex – OXY+ systemMidrex – OXY+ system HyL – self reforming, hot charging of DRI ( HyL – self reforming, hot charging of DRI (

HyTemp system )HyTemp system )

EVOLUTION OF MIDREX FURNACE

PERFORMANCE – Ispat Sidbec DRI Reducing O2 Nat. Elec.DRI Reducing O2 Nat. Elec.

Production Gas Temp.Addition Gas Cons.Production Gas Temp.Addition Gas Cons.

T/hr C Nm3/T Nm3/T kWh/TT/hr C Nm3/T Nm3/T kWh/T

  

1970’s 1970’s 88.888.8 780780 0.0 268.6 135 0.0 268.6 135

1980’s 1980’s lump orelump ore 100.3100.3 850850 0.0 262.3 120 0.0 262.3 120

1990’s 1990’s coat pelletscoat pellets 110.2110.2 918918 0.0 257.9 109 0.0 257.9 109

late90’s, late90’s, O2 inj.O2 inj. 121.5121.5 10501050 17.5 260.3 99 17.5 260.3 99

2000 OXY+ 2000 OXY+ 129.2129.2 961961 30.2 265.8 93 30.2 265.8 93

Coal-based Alternative Ironmaking

Iron Dynamics, Inc ( IDI ) – hot metal Iron Dynamics, Inc ( IDI ) – hot metal processprocess to feed SDI’s EAF flat-rolled to feed SDI’s EAF flat-rolled mini-mill, IDI is an RHF(rotary hearth mini-mill, IDI is an RHF(rotary hearth furnace)/SAF (submerged arc furnace ) furnace)/SAF (submerged arc furnace ) process – start with briquettes of iron process – start with briquettes of iron ore/waste oxides/coal, produce DRI in ore/waste oxides/coal, produce DRI in RHF, then melt DRI in SAF – plant RHF, then melt DRI in SAF – plant restarted late 2003restarted late 2003

Mesabi NuggetMesabi Nugget Demonstration Plant of Demonstration Plant of Kobe ITmk3 Kobe ITmk3 pig iron nuggetpig iron nugget process process

Coal-based Alternative Ironmaking

HIsmelt plantHIsmelt plant ( 0.8 MTPY pig iron ) ( 0.8 MTPY pig iron ) in Kwinana, Australia – JV in Kwinana, Australia – JV involving Nucorinvolving Nucor

Nucor/CVRDNucor/CVRD JV to build JV to build mini-blast mini-blast furnacesfurnaces in Brazil to produce in Brazil to produce pig pig ironiron for Nucor EAF’s in USA for Nucor EAF’s in USA

RHF waste oxide plantsRHF waste oxide plants – built at – built at EAF and BF/BOF plants; all are EAF and BF/BOF plants; all are currently idlecurrently idle

Role of Quebec Cartier Mining Company

in North American Ironmaking QCM mines iron ore in Quebec-Labrador QCM mines iron ore in Quebec-Labrador

Trough, with pellet plant, port facilities at Port Trough, with pellet plant, port facilities at Port Cartier on St. Lawrence Seaway. Cartier on St. Lawrence Seaway.

Mt. Wright mining, concentrating: produce 13 Mt. Wright mining, concentrating: produce 13 MT; mining and upgrade 2.4 MT of raw ore at MT; mining and upgrade 2.4 MT of raw ore at 32 % Fe to yield 1 MT of concentrate: 32 % Fe to yield 1 MT of concentrate: specular hematite at 66 % Fe. specular hematite at 66 % Fe.

Produce pellets ( 8.7 MTPY ) in (Produce pellets ( 8.7 MTPY ) in ( 22 straight straight grate machines, 464 mgrate machines, 464 m2 2 ) for BF and DR use) for BF and DR use

Ship to Europe, N. America, AsiaShip to Europe, N. America, Asia

Chemistry of QCM’s Mt. Wright concentrate and pellets

Fe SiO2 Al2O3 CaO MgOMt. Wright concentrate 66.0 4.90 0.33 0.07 0.05 TiO2 P S Mn 0.18 0.015 0.005 0.025

Blast Furnace pellets Fe SiO2 Al2O3 CaO MgO Fluxed 63.3 3.75 0.50 3.68 1.30 Low SiO2 Fluxed 65.1 2.50 0.40 2.25 1.50 Acid 65.1 5.20 0.45 0.60 0.25

DR grade pellets 67.8 1.65 0.35 0.50 0.30

US Steelmaking vs. Off-shore slabs

Advantages of existing blast furnace plantsAdvantages of existing blast furnace plants::

fully depreciated plantsfully depreciated plants

high labor productivity, < 1 man-hour/tonhigh labor productivity, < 1 man-hour/ton

local coal, equity pellet plantslocal coal, equity pellet plants

Off-shore slab plants – added costsOff-shore slab plants – added costs

capital recoverycapital recovery

ocean freight ocean freight

AISI Actual – 2002 ICSTI’03 Forecast - 2015

Blast FurnaceBlast Furnace DR DS* DR DS* Blast FurnaceBlast Furnace DR** DS DR** DS

M tonnes # of BF’s M tonnes # of BF’sM tonnes # of BF’s M tonnes # of BF’s

USA 39.4 31 0.5 <0.1 33.0 25 1.0 2.0 USA 39.4 31 0.5 <0.1 33.0 25 1.0 2.0

Canada 8.0 5 0.2 0 8.0 5 1.0 1.0Canada 8.0 5 0.2 0 8.0 5 1.0 1.0

Mexico 3.5 3 4.6 0 4.0 3 6.0 0Mexico 3.5 3 4.6 0 4.0 3 6.0 0

------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

50.950.9 39 39 5.35.3 <0.1 <0.1 45.045.0 33 33 8.08.0 3.0 3.0

* IDI (RHF/SAF), HIsmelt, ITMk3 * IDI (RHF/SAF), HIsmelt, ITMk3 ** Midrex, HyL or RHF waste oxide** Midrex, HyL or RHF waste oxide

Conclusion - Key North American Developments ““Heat Recovery”Heat Recovery”CokemakingCokemaking Blast FurnacesBlast Furnaces – high productivity, “endless – high productivity, “endless

campaigns”, high use of O2, pellets, HBIcampaigns”, high use of O2, pellets, HBI Midrex, HyL DRMidrex, HyL DR – higher productivity, – higher productivity,

metallization: coated pellets, O2, hot metallization: coated pellets, O2, hot dischargedischarge

Coal based alternative ironmakingCoal based alternative ironmaking – IDI, – IDI, ITmk3 processesITmk3 processes