Wednesday 22 October 2008
Collaborative research to improve metal purity
CSIRO Minerals and
ArcelorMittal are collaborating in a research project to help improve understanding of the thermodynamic properties of melts in iron and steelmaking processes.
It is hoped the project will improve metal purity.
ArcelorMittal’s research arm first demonstrated the application of thermodynamic models to multi-component steelmaking slags in 1984. Its models have since been used by researchers and plant metallurgists to guide steel production.
In 2006, the researchers developed a new model called “Generalised Central Atom”, or GCA. They then approached the CSIRO to assess how this new model would apply to molten slags.
Dr Ling Zhang says the predictions generated with the GCA model were more accurate than the old system, and eliminated the need for expensive high temperature experiments.
The model will be used in a software developed by CSIRO to perform thermodynamic calculations for pyrometallurgical systems. These will be used by plant metallurgists to assess and improve the purity of their molten metal.
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