Control of nitrogen content in the production of stainless steel

During the processing of stainless steels, the nitrogen content of the AOD converter is controlled by the ratio of nitrogen and argon in the process gas. The nitrogen content rises when nitrogen gas is injected through nozzles to the steel bath. The nitrogen content is adjusted by purging the steel melt with argon gas or with a mixture of nitrogen and argon. If you do not hit the nitrogen content, you must continue blowing and in the worst case heat the steel with oxygen blowing, which can lead to a reduction in quality.

The project's goal is to develop methods that give the steelworks' operators new opportunities to control the blowing (gas mixture) so that you end up in the desired nitrogen content. You must therefore find a model for nitrogen partial pressure that corresponds to the desired nitrogen content in the steel bath. With a functional control model, it is possible to avoid blowouts, which leads to reduced energy and material consumption, reduced environmental impact, quality improvement and production increase.

KVÄVESTYR has a total budget of SEK 16.5 million, of which SEK 4.5 million is provided by Vinnova.

Funding agency

Vinnova

Beginning and end dates

2019-2021