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Upcoming Events in 2012-2013 | |
Beijing, China
Sept 24-26
Asia Steel 2012
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
October 14-18
ICSTI #6
Scrap Supplements and Alternative Ironmaking IV Baltimore, USA
October 27-30
AIST
Dusseldorf, Germany
November 8-9
STAHL 2012
Almaty, Kazakhstan
June 9-13, 2013
Infacon XIII |
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Read Newsletter #22 in Russian
Read Newsletter
#22 in Spanish
Read Newsletter #22 in German
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Read Newsletter #22 in French |
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Dear Newsletter Reader,
Since our June Newsletter, we are looking at a steel market impacted by uncertainties in the Eurozone. Several operators are investing in campaign extending improvements, capacity increases using existing facilities and improvements in environmental control. While idling furnaces and performing maintenance, refractory repair is often part of the activities. We are excited to be part of several of these important projects, where in many cases, timely supply of quality carbon and graphite refractories is critical.
In this issue, you will read about ferro manganese production training conducted by SAIMM, a story from a Mexican FeMn producer and how GrafTech's products ended up on Mars in August! Here is a movie that we think you will appreciate; The Curiosity Landing! We will also try and talk you into visiting the Asia Steel conference in Beijing later this month! |
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SAIMM - School on Production of Manganese Ferroalloys and Two Very Educational Days in Muldersdrift
Prof. Merete Tangstad is currently leading a research group at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway which focuses on research related to manganese ferroalloy production. On June 12 and 13, she, in cooperation with SAIMM, conducted a Mn production school in Misty Hills. The event was very well attended, with over 80 students eager to learn. The aim of the course was to transfer the knowledge Merete gained through her work to role players in the South African manganese ferroalloy industry. The word got around, however, and the audience included several Mn producers from outside the RSA, e.g. Minera Autlan. Other speakers at this very successful event were Ms. Jolette Steenkamp, University of Pretoria, Ms. Elie Ringdalen, SINTEF, and Mr. Paul O'Shaughnessy, representing GrafTech. As a leading supplier of ChillKote™ refractory linings to high productivity Mn furnaces globally, GrafTech was co-sponsoring the event. In his speech, Mr. O'Shaughnessy discussed the selection of furnace linings and its consequences. He also referred to a well-known presentation made by Vale Manganèse France now available on the internet here.
 | | Left to right: Mr. Paul O'Shaughnessy, Professor Tangstad and GrafTech's Hercules van der Merwe. |
This presentation describes why Vale (then RDME) decided to change from using European made large micropore carbon blocks in their 102MVA Mn furnace in Dunkirk in 2009, to a ChillKote™ lining. This furnace is the largest FeMn furnace in Europe. The lining performance and production levels have been outstanding, meeting and exceeding high expectations. The lining material installed included NMA™ and NMD™ HotPressed™ Bricks, GradeD™ carbon, C34™ Cement and GrafTech™ Graphite. |
Minera Autlan, the only Manganese  Ferroalloy Producer in Mexico
Minera Autlan installed a UCAR® ChillKote™ lining in their FeMn producing SAF #9 in Oct 2011. This furnace is rated 35 MVA, same as their #10 furnace. Based on the excellent performance of the lining in their #9 furnace, Minera has placed an order for one more ChillKote™
lining for furnace #10, which was delivered to the plant in Tamós early in June.
Located near the village of Tamós, municipality of Pánuco, in northern Veracruz State, this plant's proximity to the Tampico, Tamaulipas port makes it ideal for exporting.
Built in 1974/75, the plant was strategically planned to make the most of the site's excellent communication system. The highly developed infrastructure of highways, rail transport, port facilities, and its proximity to the manganese Molango mine, facilitates a smooth flow of plant input and production.
 Submerged arc, closed electric furnaces #9 and #10 were installed in 1975 with Japanese technology. Commissioned in 1981, furnaces 12 and 13 are also submerged arc but are semi-open, allowing for dust-fume collection and rotary movement. Their design makes them versatile for ferroalloy production, and they can be used to produce ferromanganese, silicomanganese and ferrosilicon. Furnace #11 was installed in 1998. This plant has produced medium carbon ferromanganese since 1980 by refining high carbon ferromanganese. The MOR technology used in this process has been further developed by the Tamós plant's own personnel, and has achieved international recognition.
Other manganese producers relying on ChillKote™ linings for their furnaces includes CYMCO (68 MVA, largest in China), Vale/Glencore (102 MVA, France, largest in Europe), TEMCO (four furnaces up to 54 MVA, Australia), Assmang Manganese (all furnaces in Cato Ridge the largest 48 MVA, RSA) and POSCO (30 MVA, South Korea). |
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Curiosity Heat Shield
Image courtesy of: NASA/JPL-Caltech |
GrafTech Kept Curiosity Cool
Last November, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launched its Curiosity rover aboard an Atlas V rocket on a 350 million mile mission to Mars. On August 6th the unmanned rover landed safely on the red planet. GrafTech developed and manufactured the thermal solutions that were used in the rover's heat shield, which protected Curiosity from the intense heat and friction generated during descent through the Martian atmosphere. The diameter of the heat shield was 4.5 meters-the largest ever built for a planetary mission. The purpose of the 98-week mission is to place a mobile laboratory onto the surface of Mars inside the Gale Crater to investigate the area's past and present environments. The mission will assess whether the area the rover explores has ever been a potential habitat for Martian life. These studies will be part of a broader examination of past and present processes in the Martian atmosphere and on its surface. GrafTech Chief Executive Officer Craig Shular commented, "Since 1886, GrafTech has enjoyed a rich history of developing innovative graphite and carbon-based solutions to manage heat and conductivity issues for a number of industries and end markets. Our team continues to grow its graphite materials science expertise and, as a result, contributes to building GrafTech into a premier advanced materials company."
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Asia Steel Conference in Beijing
The Asia Steel International Conference 2012 will be held
September 24 - 26, 2012 in Beijing, China. This will be the 5th conference in this series of events with the last conducted in Korea in 2009. We are told that the conference organizers has received more than 500 abstracts from 27 countries. One of the papers that has been accepted and will be presented at the conference is titled, " SELECTING AND TESTING LINING MATERIALS TO ACHIEVE LONG AND PRODUCTIVE BLAST FURNACE HEARTH CAMPAIGNS" from authors Peter Sylvén, Peter L. Duncanson and Henry Yu of GrafTech. This paper discusses the root causes of hearth failure and suggests how these should be taken into consideration when selecting refractory materials and designing hearth walls for best performance in modern high productivity blast furnaces, in line with steel companies' continuous drive for better results. The paper will also discuss possible refractory improvements developed to extend campaign length expectations, especially well-suited for unstable and less monitored furnace operations, as well as new and improved oxidation test methods that will better simulate actual blast furnace conditions, compared to the very basic and not overly accurate ones utilized by refractory suppliers and laboratories today. These are technologies that support the drive for continuous improvement and ultimately higher profitability for ironmakers worldwide.
We hope that Asia Steel 2012 will be a very successful meeting and look forward to participate in this important event.
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GrafTech, HotPressed, ChillKote, C34, GR37, Grade D, NMA, NMD, RP4, SmartRam, UniGraf, RefractoryFlex, FlexLine, and FlexRepair are all trademarks of GrafTech International Holdings Inc. UCAR® is a registered trademark used under license by GrafTech International Holdings Inc. The information contained in or referred to in this newsletter is based on data believed to be reliable but GrafTech makes no warranties, express or implied, as to its accuracy and assumes no liability arising out of its use. GrafTech's liability to purchasers is expressly limited to the terms and conditions of sale. ©2012 GrafTech International Holdings Inc.
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