PRODUCTION OF LOW SILICON HOT METAL - THEORY AND PRACTICE

Quality steelmaking demands quality hot metal with increasingly lower silicon and sulphur contents. As far as the production of low silicon hat metal is concerned, it is essential to optimise the key operating parameters such as the physicochemical characteristics of the raw mate rials, burden distribution, blowing conditions, raceway adiabatic flam e tem perature, and tapping operations. Phenomena occurring in the low er part of the furnace play a decisive role. The thermal flow ratio in the tuyere region is a significant parameter influencing the hot meta l silicon. The paper describes in detail the theoretical aspects of si licon control and also suggests measures for producing less than 0.60% Si in the hot metal on a sustained basis, particularly for Indian oper ating conditions.