Japanese nuggets

By the end of 2007 construction of ITmk3 plant will begin in Ukraine. This technology provides direct separation of slag from the iron, resulting in metallurgists receiving raw materials, called by the Japanese “nuggets”. Our new products have already been called “iron nuggets”.

Construction of industries using direct reduction of third generation iron (ITmk3) has been considered by the largest vertically integrated holdings of the country for more than a year.

ITmk3 technology was developed by Kobe Steel as a result of lengthy research and experimental work. For the first time ITmk3 process was implemented at the demonstration plant of Massabi Nuggets company (Minnesota, USA) as a joint project of Kobe Steel, Steel Dynamics, Ferrometriss and Cleveland-Cliffs.

Kobe Steel attempt to implement “cost-effective production of pure iron” in the areas where natural gas is unavailable or not easily accessible led to the creation of ITmk3 technology.

Since Ukrainian natural gas is expensive, domestic metallurgists abandon its use, switching to electric production, or introducing the latest technologies to reduce consumption of natural gas. In ITmk3 technology fined iron ore and coking coal is used as the reductant, the same way as in the FASTMET technology.

Products of FASTMET technology are either DRI pellets (Direct Reduced Iron), or hot brqiquetted iron, depending on customer’s requirements. Additionally, there is an expansion technology, which produces hot metal. Technology is a combination of FASTMET and electric arc furnace of Pre-melter type. Another important advantage of this technology is that it can process different types of iron sources, including waste metal production - dust, scale and sludge.
ITmk3 (Ironmaking Technology Mark Three) - the third generation steel technology, which follows blast furnace production (first generation) and direct reduction technology (second generation).

The technology allows to use various raw materials, including noncoking low-quality coal and iron ore (which is an unpleasant feature of the domestic raw material base) without the use of expensive coke. The technology is simple and environmentally safe.

The manufacturing process is as follows. Into the furnace with rotating hearth ore coal pellets are loaded obtained through pelletizing mixture of concentrate and energy coal. Pellets in a furnace are heated to 1350-1450 degrees Celsius, where metal is quickly reduced, carbonized and melted. This allows effective separation of iron from liquid low iron slag, which is formed inside the pellets before metal is melted.

According to the doctor of technical sciences, an expert of Kobe Steel Takuyya Negami, the whole process took nine minutes, which is one of the advantages of FASTMET technology. The molten metal hardens and turns into granular iron (so-called nuggets) in a furnace, and then unloaded, and after cooling it is separated from the slag. The output is iron nuggets with 96-98% of iron cpontent, carbon - 2-4%.

The contents of silicon, manganese and phosphorus in the final product depends on the choice of raw materials. The level of sulfur in the product depends on the sulfur content in coal, but the process provides good opportunity to regulate the sulfur content in iron to an acceptable value.

Iron nuggets are a good source of iron for the steel industry. The use of iron nuggets instead of cast iron during the electric arc increases productivity by 5-10%. In fact, the first use of iron pellets began at mini-mills of United States. The plant reported that nuggets are good source of iron and are similar to cast iron.

One of the mini-mills reported that in the case of iron nuggets use instead of cast iron smelting duration has reduced by 1-2 minutes, thus ensuring productivity by 5-8%. It was expected that with the increasing use of iron nuggets at mini-mills the price of iron nuggets will be higher than for pig iron. Hatch consultants believe that "nugget" is an ideal substitute for pig iron for the production of steel in electric arc furnaces.

In addition, this technology can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 23% for each ton of produced pig iron compared to the traditional blast process.

It was expected that with the launch of production at the commercial factories continuous loading of iron nuggets to the electric arc furnace might be provided with a view of energy savings and increased productivity, due to the excellent melting characteristics and the physical size of the iron nuggets.

Technology, according to Mr. Negami, provides many advantages over traditional metal technologies: simple process, low production costs, a flexible choice of iron ore and reductant. It reduces the cost of logistics, transportation cost efficiency will increase due to higher bulk density compared to iron ore. And also it will help overcome the shortage of scrap in the country, growing with each year.

Cost of production of one ton of iron nuggets, according to the assessment of Kobe Steel, is 170-180 dollars. Expected prices for iron are similar to the price of pig iron, which currently stands at $ 300 per ton. The value of investments for the commercial plant, consisting of one module of 500 thousand tons per year is around 150-160 million dollars. The required area of land for the construction of one module is 280 to 200 meters, the number of staff - 40 people, the construction of the plant - about three years.

As stated Honorary President of the Northern Mining-Concentration Plant (SevGOK) and Central Mining and Concentration plant (CGOK) Alexander Vilkul, five Ukrainian companies are currently in the process of analyzing, including Northern, Central, Poltavsky and Ingulets mining and dressing plants. And by the end of 2007 one of these companies will begin construction of the plant using ITmk3 technology.

Metinvest group is the closest to the construction of the plant using ITmk3 technology, said the Head of Hares Engeneering Razas Younes. "We received information from "Smart Group" to wait with the implementation of the project at Ingulets GOK. This is due to the reorganization of the company. For our part, we continue to work on the details of the project with the "Smart group". Especially with the testing of their raw materials and the analysis of the results of these tests. Hares Group is now busy with new clients for whom it is necessary to evaluate their projects. But we feel great responsibility before Metinvest Holding, as they are well organized, fast moving and powerful in this business," - said Mr. Younes.

Experts believe that the introduction of the plant using ITmk3 technology will be a saving straw for domestic GOKs, because the question of Ukrainian IOC and coking coal will take a back seat. Another advantage of the technology is the fact that, in addition to GOK steel plants can use nuggets as clean source of iron, scrap replacement and diluent of random elements. Advantages of ITmk3 technology is so obvious that in the next year boom of iron nuggets can be expected in Ukraine.