Electric steelmaking: recent trends and future constraints

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6601067

Burwell, C C

This report provides a very brief description of steelmaking, and an overview of comparative data, primarily related to the use of energy and materials for each of the major steelmaking processes. This is followed by a discussion of possible limitations on the use of scrap - the current raw material for electric steel - and possible technological routes for overcoming them. The economics of electric-steel production in general, and of electric minimills in particular, seem clearly established. Electric steel-making is viable in its own right. The trend toward electric steelmaking provides significant economic and competitive advantages for producers and important overall economic, environmental and energy advantages for the US at large. Conversion to electric steelmaking offers a 4 to 1 advantage in terms of the overall energy used to produce a ton of steel, and a 2 to 1 savings in energy cost for the producer. The amount of energy saved, to produce the same amount of steel in 1967 and 1980, was equivalent to 25 million tons of coal. Furthermore, the amount of old scrap used to produce a ton of steel has doubled since 1967 because of the use of electric furnaces. Using the existing scrap to produce steel would save the energy equivalent of two billion barrels of oil. 44 references, 6 figures, 7 tables.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76OR00033
• OSTI ID: 6601067
• Report Number(s): DOE/OR/00033-T71; ON: DE84015911
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320303* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Equipment & Processes
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101 -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
ALLOYS
DEMAND
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC POWER
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY DEMAND
INDUSTRY
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
METAL INDUSTRY
METALS
POWER
PRODUCTION
SCRAP
SCRAP METALS
SOLID WASTES
STEELS
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
WASTES