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U.S. Department of Energy
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Modernization of open-hearth steelmaking

Journal Article · · Metallurgist
OSTI ID:107745
Most of the steel that has been produced domestically has been made by the open-hearth method - an obsolete technology that is now being phased out. Open-hearth steelmaking is labor- and energy-intensive, consumes large quantities of raw materials, and adversely impacts the environment. Nearly all open-hearth (OH) shops and the equipment therein have been fully amortized, and practical experience and research both here and abroad have shown that further capital investment in these facilities would be inexpedient. The use of OH steelmaking has thus declined rapidly in recent years worldwide (especially in the developed nations), leading to its almost complete disappearance in some countries. The worldwide trend is toward electrical and converter steelmaking processes, and this has significantly reshaped the face of the industry as a whole.
OSTI ID:
107745
Journal Information:
Metallurgist, Journal Name: Metallurgist Journal Issue: 9-10 Vol. 38; ISSN MTLUA8; ISSN 0026-0894
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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