Gases for Refining in Cast Iron and Steel Foundries

Technologies include: using nitrogen as an inert carrier gas; oxygen fuel (oxy-fuel) preheating and heating systems; stirring using gases; and other industrial gases applications. These offer significant financial benefits for refining and degassing in cast iron and steel foundries.

Offerings applicable to ladle metallurgy.

Complete burner and control packages have been developed to efficiently preheat ladles using non-water-cooled oxy-fuel burners. 70% fuel savings and 50% reductions in heat-up rates are typical.

Ladle Metallurgy - REHeat® heating

Our patented technology (with Bethlehem Steel) for chemically reheating steel by simultaneous injection of fuel (aluminium and silicon) and oxygen achieves temperature gains of 5 to 8°C/min. Subsequent stirring with inert gas ensures that steel cleanliness is not adversely affected. This technique is used to reheat cold ladles of metal to avoid expensive pourbacks and subsequent casting interruptions.

Ladle Metallurgy - Stirring

Gas injection to stir molten metal improves homogeneity of both alloy composition and temperature. This increases yield, decreases alloy requirement, reduces production rejects and produces a higher product quality and consistency.

Ladle Metallurgy - Alloy Injection

Nitrogen is used to inject alloying powders into molten iron. The effect of the submerged alloys and greater turbulence increases yield, decreases alloy requirement, reduces production rejects and produces a higher product quality and consistency.

Ladle Metallurgy - Nitrogen Desulphurisation