December 2011 - SIMA

IRON ORE PELLETS AS THE FUTURE METALLIC SOURCE FORSTEEL MAKING THROUGH INDUCTION FURNACE ROUTEINRODUCTION:-Rathindra N. Das, Sr. G.M. (Marketing) & D.S. Thakur, G.M. (QA)Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd., RaipurWithin Steel Industry in India most of the growth in the last decade happened in Induction Furnace (I.F.) segmentdue to certain advantages like:uuuuuHigher electric efficiencyLower refractory costLess pollution troubleLess capital investmentLow technical complexityAll the above factors went technically in favor of IF. But the basic disadvantage in IF production process remainedas the limitation of refining scope within IF but, still achieved great success in serving the better part of thevibrant construction segment. But only paining aspect that continually pinched the IF industry is the dependencyon Raw material supply, wild fluctuation thereof and lacking other infrastructural supports and overall stability.CONTRIBUTION OF VARIOUS PROCESS IN STEEL MAKING IN INDIA (FY-10)Sl. No. Process % Overall Contribution World average1 Blast furnace/Basic oxygen route 47% 67%(BF/BOF)2 Induction melting furnace (IF) 27% (21.5 million MT)} 3 Electric Arc furnace (EAF) 26% (20.0 million MT) 31% (2% OHF)In the growth of steel industry in the last decade, themajor contributor was the induction furnace industry,which is presently having share of 27% (Fig.–1) ofthe total steel production. In fact, it would not be overstatement, if said that in the last five years, steelindustry might not have grown to the present capacityof 78 million MT without the exponential growth inDRI-IF steel making segment.Source : Ernst & Young Research ReportSource: E & Y Research DataFig.-1DECEMBER-2011/12