Outlooks for development of ferroalloy production
STEEL FLAVOR
Outlooks for development of ferroalloy production
With all multiple hardships enterprises of ferroalloy industry face today, there are two major problems. The first one is shortage of raw materials. Thus, Stakhanov Ferroalloy Plant is in constant need of steel swarf, coke bean, and quartzite. Irregular supplies of manganese ore encouraged new shareholders in Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plant to commission the project on reanimation of idle mines within Bolshetokmaksky Ore Mining-and-Concentrating Works (OMCW) located near Stepnogorsk of Zaporozhye region. The second problem is power outage. This is especially true for the period of 1999-2000. Enterprises are ready to work at a night shift if this ensures fail-safe energy supply.
Objectives for Ukraine’s ferroalloy production, which are stipulated in the «Conception for development of mining and metallurgical sector of Ukraine for the period till 2010», are determined by the fact that in the 1990-s both Ukraine and Russia halved output of steel, consequently cutting consumption of ferroalloys. Ferroalloy plants, therefore, fail to operate at their full capacity. Besides, in the prospect shipments of Ukrainian ferroalloys to the CIS will see reduction as Russia and Kazakhstan develop their national production of manganese ferroalloys.
Considering the aforementioned facts, it would be natural and reasonable for Ukraine to commission manufacturing of new types of ferroalloy products on the basis of reserve capacities. Foremost, this regards chromium-based ferroalloys, as well as ferrotitanium, ferroboron, silicozircon, and silicocalcium, which can be produced out of local raw materials. Besides to major Ukrainian ferroalloy producers, such as Nikopol, Zaporozhye, and Stakhanov ferroalloy plants, other enterprises, like Pobuzhsky Ferronickel Plant, Donetsk Integrated Chemical-and-Metallurgical Plant, ZaporozhAbrasive Concern, and other interested companies should contribute their facilities to this production.
«The Conceptions for development of mining-and-metallurgical sector of Ukraine till 2010» and «The National program for development of mining-and-metallurgical sector of Ukraine» foresee growing output of alloy and stainless steel, including products, which require use of argon-oxygen refining (AOR) devices. Besides, implementation of continuous casters is to assume industry-wide proportions.
The mentioned shifts in Ukrainian steel making technologies determine crucial changes in ferroalloy consumption. In particular, demand will grow for chromium ferroalloys, manganese ferroalloys with low content of phosphorus, ferrotitanium, silicocalcium, silicozircon, as well as ferroboron to produce radiation-protective devices.
According to estimates of UkrNIISpetsStal (Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Specialized Steel), Ukraine’s annual demand for rolled stainless steel in the forecast period will amount to 370 ths. tons. With steel-to-rolled steel ratio of 1.45, this is equal to annual output of 540 ths. tons of stainless steel or per capita production of some 10 kg. In 1990, Ukraine’s output of stainless steel came to 270 ths. tons or about 5 kg per capita. The latter indicator makes some 15-70 kg of stainless steel in highly developed Western countries. At this, metal stock in Western countries (especially, housing sector metal stock) primarily comprises corrosion-resistant and alloy steel types, whereas metal stock of Ukraine has virtually none of these. Taking into account the aforementioned factors as well as global trend of stainless steel market development, annual output of 540 ths, tons of stainless steel by the year 2005 does not seem an over issue, rather essential minimum for Ukraine’s self-support at the first stage.
Considering that situation with nickel in Ukraine has small chances to change for the better, it is suggested to produce primarily nickel-free stainless steel.
The GiproStal Institute suggests resolving the issue of maturing management of demand-meeting ferroalloy production at Ukrainian smelters for the period up to 2010 as follows.
PRODUCTION OF CHROMIUM FERROALLOYS
One of the 75-MVA electric furnaces at OJSC Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant is to produce high-carbon ferrochromium at the engineered annual rate of up to 80 ths. tons with the corresponding upgrade of the furnace and charge-feeding system, and using imported lump chromium ore. In the short-run, it is possible to commission production of commercial high-carbon ferrochromium (20 ths. tpy), high-carbon foundry ferrochromium (11 ths. tpy), as well as silicochromium (22 ths. tpy).
After modernization of charge workshop, construction of metal crushing and sorting chambers and charge-processing block, open furnaces No.7 and No.8 of ferrosilicon workshop at OJSC Stakhanov Ferroalloy Plant will be capable of producing 70 ths. tpy of high-carbon ferrochromium using imported ore.
One of the two electric furnaces at Pobuzhsky Ferronickel Plant is suggested to switch to production of ferrochromium with expected annual output of 60 ths. tons of high-carbon ferrochromium. Besides, presence of ferronickel converters in the workshop encourages production of low-carbon (4.0 ths. tpy) and medium-carbon (3.0 ths. tpy) ferrochromium.
OJSC Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plant. The plant’s workshops No.2 and No.3 used to manufacture low-carbon ferrochromium (No.3 workshop did it as on-and-off process). It is proposed to renew production of low-carbon ferrochromium and to launch manufacturing of medium-carbon product at the electric furnace No.12 of workshop No.2 at the annual rate of 10 ths. tons. The workshop No.1 will see production of 16.7 ths. tpy of commercial and foundry silicochromium using imported high-carbon foundry ferrochromium.
PRODUCTION OF LOW-TONNAGE FERROALLOYS
According to engineering drafts of GiproStal, Donetsk Integrated Chemical-and-Metallurgical Plant (DCMP), which used to have its metal-making sector oriented at provision of Russian enterprises and now stands idle, is to face the first stage as production of up to 5 ths. tons of low-tonnage ferroalloys to run on present facilities. The first stage for the period till 2005 envisages output of up to 2 ths. tons of ferrotitanium, 0.5 ths. tons of ferrovanadium, 0.8 ths. tons of ferroniobium, 1.0 ths, tons of ferromolybdenum, 0.3 ths. tons of silicozircon, and 0.1 ths. tons of manganese metal. Production of ferrotitanium and silicozircon is expected on the base of local raw materials (Volnogorsky Mining-and-Metallurgical Works of Dnepropetrovsk region as well as Irshansky OMCW), whereas other alloys will be made out of imported raw materials.
It should be mentioned that efficiency of low-tonnage ferroalloy production will see notable increase as soon as deposits of molybdenum, tungsten, and niobium, which are already discovered in Ukraine, will be explored.
The second stage of DCMP development (the period of 2005-2010) foresees construction of the block to produce 15 ths. tons of metalothermic ferrotitanium as well as furnace alloy block, which will manufacture 4 ths. tons of high-content ferrotitanium, 2 ths. tons of silicocalcium with active admixtures (zircon and vanadium), 1.5 ths. tons of ferrovanadium, as well as 1.5 ths. tons of ferrotungsten produced via solid block smelting.
Utilizing main productive wastes and dust from gas-cleaning systems, the carbide boron workshop at ZaporozhyeAbrasive underwent implementation of new carbide-thermic technology for production of ferroboron with high content of main component (up to 40%). The 2 MVA electric furnace at the boron-abrasive department meets the demand for ferroboron and will be operating till 2005. Besides to consumers in Ukraine, there appear signs for effective exports of ferroboron, which for the purpose of production advance require replacement of electric furnace, charge-preparing equipment, and finished product handling devices after 2005. Output will grow till 1.5 ths. tons and feature export orientation. The figure will consider production of radiation-protective devices for interior use. At this, carbide-thermic ferroboron has the best indicators of aluminum and silicon content as compared to alumina-theramic product supplied from Russia.
PRODUCTION OF MANGANESE FERROALLOYS
Due to reduced demand for electrically melted flux, annual output of the latter by OJSC Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant will be preserved at only 20 ths. tons maximum at two out of the six present electric furnaces. Two electric furnaces are removed for reserve, whereas the two other (4.2 МVА in production capacity each) will manufacture some 6 ths. tpy of medium-carbon ferromanganese. In the long-run, production may be raised to 19 ths. tpy after reconstruction of these furnaces.
Key directions for further development of Ukraine’s ferroalloy production depend on development of steel-making sector. Reduced consumption of all ferroalloy types may be encouraged by the highest degree of implementing out-of-furnace methods of steel alloying, as well as increased share and output of oxygen-converter steel on account of decreasing open-hearth production. Plans embrace weighty reduction in traditional ferroalloys flow due to expanded consumption of alloy steel scrap, direct steel alloying with ores and concentrates of alloying elements, as well as use of ferroalloy powders and flux-cored wire.
Key factor in reducing ferrochromium consumption and raising economic efficiency in stainless steel making is switching to AOR process. This should lead to fundamental change within ferrochromium consumption structure, namely, sharp increase in demand for relatively cheap high-carbon ferrochromium due to reduced consumption of the most expensive, labor- and energy-consuming low-carbon ferrochromium, which is produced in Russia under a three-stage scheme (high-carbon ferrochromium – silicochromium – low-carbon ferrochromium).
As regards ferroalloy production itself, expanded crushing and fractionation, as well as production of powders and recasting of metal flunk-outs in electroslag refining devices (ESR) will call forth notable (up to 20% and over) saving of ferroalloys.
Besides to effect that technical degree of steel-making sector has on the structure and amount of ferroalloy consumption, a crucial issue is still replacement of scarce foreign-made ferroalloys for ferroalloys produced in Ukraine. Foremost, this concerns replacement of chromium and nickel with manganese alloys, including nitride manganese. This is also encouraged by growing share of titanium in chrome nickel steel. The issue adds urgency, as it is planned to commission Ukrainian production of various grades of ferrotitanium (including carbon ferrotitanium under the technology by the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine – NMetAU) on the basis of domestic raw ore materials.
Reducing energy-consumption rate is a fundamental task in production of manganese ferroalloys and ferrosilicon. Main feature of this problem is optimization of electrotechnical and technological parameters of electric furnaces and implementation of automated management systems in electric melting. Experience of Nikopol and Zaporozhye Ferroalloy Plants, works of NMetAU and UkrNIISpetsStal provide some 3-5% saving in energy consumption should they be implemented. Simultaneously, the measures ensure reduced energy consumption in converter technology of ferroalloy production as compared to electrical method.
Decreasing energy-consumption rate will also be ensured by use of special coke with higher electrical resistance as well as manganese concentrates with low phosphorus content. It is advisable to commission special coke production at free facilities of by-product coke plants. The coke will be produced out of coke charge with high content of low-baking coals, using methods of the NMetAU.
The aforementioned suggestions for development of Ukrainian ferroalloy production till 2010 were elaborated by the GiproStal Institute on the grounds of long-term experience in projecting and forecasting for the former USSR and countries abroad. Fulfillment of the suggestions will yield high level in production and competitive power of Ukrainian ferroalloy products. Domestic-made ferroalloys will meet virtually entire demand from Ukrainian steel-making sector. Exports of Ukrainian ferroalloys to the CIS (primarily to Russia) and other countries may as well yield weighty currency earnings.
(Information is provided by the Ukrainian Association of Producers of Ferroalloys and Other Electrometallurgical Products)