Title

The Mini Blast Furnace - A Challenge for a New Ironmaking

The Mini Blast Furnace - A Challenge for a New Ironmaking

Authorship

Castro, Luiz Fernando Andrade de

Castro, Luiz Fernando Andrade de

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DOI

10.5151/ABM-IRONMAKING-2001-2001214

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Abstract

The non-integrated sector of pig iron production in Brazil plays an important role in national siderurgy, as it was responsible for 22% of the national production of pig iron in 1999. This paper presents a brief history of the blast furnace, which initially used charcoal. Currently, Brazil is the only country in the world that utilizes this thermoreducer. The current process of the charcoal mini blast furnace is essentially the same as the old methods of metal production, but with much higher production rates and lower specific carbon consumption. Charcoal mini blast furnaces are primarily located in Minas Gerais, although the Carajás region has begun to demonstrate substantial growth in their numbers. The operation of charcoal mini blast furnaces is distinctly different from that of coke furnaces, as their raw materials possess different characteristics. Finally, it will be demonstrated that it is possible to achieve good operational efficiency with charcoal mini blast furnaces.

The non-integrated sector of pig iron production in Brazil plays an important role in national siderurgy, as it was responsible for 22% of the national production of pig iron in 1999. This paper presents a brief history of the blast furnace, which initially used charcoal. Currently, Brazil is the only country in the world that utilizes this thermoreducer. The current process of the charcoal mini blast furnace is essentially the same as the old methods of metal production, but with much higher production rates and lower specific carbon consumption. Charcoal mini blast furnaces are primarily located in Minas Gerais, although the Carajás region has begun to demonstrate substantial growth in their numbers. The operation of charcoal mini blast furnaces is distinctly different from that of coke furnaces, as their raw materials possess different characteristics. Finally, it will be demonstrated that it is possible to achieve good operational efficiency with charcoal mini blast furnaces.

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