On Direct Steelmaking for Minisector using an Innovative process Combination

In contrast with large integrated plants which employ oxygen steelmaking for refining the blast furnace hot metal, the minimills rely on electric arc furnaces for melting scrap and refining the liquid metal into steel. Further, minimills are gaining advantage in view of the continued dependence of the blast furnace route on expe-nsive coke whose production (coke melting)is becoming environment unfriendly. One of the several dominating factors responsible for the increasing trend of minimills has been their ability to use direct reduced iron in place of steel scrap and equally significant is their versat-ality in terms of their products. Direct ironmaking which uses coal and ore directly, will eliminate the need for coking coals, coke making, agglemeration etc., thus resulting into lower capital costs and environmental problems.