SIMETALCIS BOF Stirring    Bottom stirring equipment for better steel quality and improved production

Bottom stirring with inert gas is an advanced development of the LD steelmaking process. It offers advantages with regard to metallurgical and operational aspects. In particular the process kinetics is significantly improved. It is especially important for decarburization reaction at low carbon content. Bottom stirring is an essential technological feature for economic production especially of low-carbon steel grades.

SIMETALCIS BOF Stirring The challenge Assurance of steel quality according to required phosphorus and sulphur contents and achievement of lowest possible levels of non-metallic inclusions in the product on the one hand. On the other hand, there are the production costs and productivity not only at the converter but also at secondary metallurgical facilities. If no stirring system on a BOF converter is available, the production of steel grades with carbon concentrations below 0.045% is limited for economical reasons.

Our solution

Due to the application of a bottom stirring system, cost optimized production of steel grades with carbon contents after blow-end of 0.035% or even less is possible. The stirring intensity is high enough to approach the equilibria of the refining reactions with carbon, phosphorus and sulfur and enables low gas contents to be achieved in the steel (oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen). This equipment is designed to use the advantages of the bottom-blowing converter without the disadvantage of intermediate bottom exchange during the converter lifetime.

Good reasons for SIMETALCIS BOF Stirring

Improved yield and converter lining life

Less consumption of fluxes and deoxidation agents Al or Si (additional benefit with use of a slag stopper)

Production of extra low carbon grades in converter possible

Improved process kinetics

Individual flow control for each stirring element, monitoring of stirring element condition during operation and constant flow rate independent of the stirring element condition