Future of Sponge Iron in India and Plant Design Data

Abstract

The author tries to foresee the future of Sponge Iron Making in India and forecasts that the metallurgical supremacy of Coke Ovens and Blast Furnaces for making iron will be challenged by Sponge Iron Making. During the last 20 years since the Basic Oxygen Furnace broke through the Steel Technology, the size of the vessels has increased from 5 Tons to 400 Tons and it is now the most economical steelmaking process. Nevertheless this will have a new competitor. Large' Sponge Iron Plants, supplying cheaper melting stock to Ultra-High-Powered Electric Arc Furnaces for making steel and shaping by multistrand continuous casting machines will be the order of the day. Pre-reduced pellets will be produced at the iron mines to utilise the fines. Mini-Steel Plants based on Sponge-iron with 20 per cent steel scrap will be dispersed throughout the country, where bulk power will be available from a National Grid fed by giant Thermal Power Stations located in regions where cod is not available. Design Data for a 50 T I day Sponge Iron Plant is given which would form main guide-lines for designers of big size plants.