Future iron and steelmaking in the USA

Iron and steelmaking technologies in the USA have and will continue to evol ve, resulting in a significantly changed industry by 2015 or compared to th at of 10 years ago. Ironmaking in the USA in the next 20 years will take 3 forms: the blast furnace, direct reduction, and smelting. The blast furnace will continue to supply most of the iron requirements. but production may decrease by 10 to 20% by 2015. The coke and coal rates are expected to impr ove to 240 kg each and there will also be a 10% increase in productivity fo r the best furnaces, iron from direct solid state reduction (DR) will becom e significant and could represent 20% of the virgin iron units by 2015. Ini tial commercialization of direct smelting may be for treatment of waste oxi des and the product used in EAF shops, to supplement scrap for production o f high-quality steel or in an integrated plant that needs an incremental in crease in hot metal. Whereas the BOF with its variations will be the domina nt oxygen steelmaking process, alternatives such as continuous steelmaking, the EOF and IFCON may be attractive for new plants for special circumstanc es. The EAF will continue to evolve to use more fossil fuel, more efficient scrap preheating and added flexibility in charge materials.